First Released: 2010 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Now Available On: PSN, Xbox Live
It's hard to believe five years have elapsed since Red Dead Redemption was first released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 - and it's equally difficult to comprehend that we gamers had to wait that long for a truly definitive Western experience.
Rockstar Games' masterpiece was gaming's long-awaited answer to Sergio Leone's The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, and with rumours of a sequel gaining pace, we're revisiting this gunslinging classic to see how it holds up half a decade on.
Red Dead Redemption was about second chances. Rockstar didn't quite manage to deliver the perfect Spaghetti Western with the game's spiritual predecessor Red Dead Revolver, but the studio deserved the opportunity to get back on the horse.
Like the developer, the game's weatherbeaten protagonist John Marston was given a shot at redemption, the chance to atone for his outlaw past by bringing members of his old gang to justice - not that he has much of a say in the matter since the government blackmailed him into it.
On the surface, Red Dead Redemption was essentially a HD-era Grand Theft Auto rebuilt in a Western mould - gangsters were replaced by old-school outlaws, carjacking by horse taming, and cityscapes by vast untamed land.
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Although it was based on a successful template, Red Dead Redemption never felt like a rehash, more an incredible journey into the past of the GTA universe, with fresh and unique experiences to offer.
All of the hallmarks of a classic Western were in place - a hardboiled anti-hero, blistering gun fights, treacherous villains, and alcohol-soaked saloons where bullets and teeth were often swept up off the barroom floor the next morning.
It was a celebration of its genre, yet this was no cliché cowboy romp. Marston was a character of true grit, a family man seeking redemption to carve out a better life for his wife and son - and anyone who played the game to its conclusion knows how far he was willing to go for the people he loved.
The supporting cast were equally strong, colourful and unpredictable, and storytelling was perhaps the game's greatest strength.
It never shied away from a shootout, but it knew when to drop the pace to a crawl, place narrative front and centre and focus on character development.
The development team bided their time, allowing players to become invested in Marston's plight, which is why his final scenes hit us with the force of a runaway train.
Red Dead Redemption was one of the greatest stories told during the previous console generation, and it had an ending worthy of this - subtle, poetic, and befitting.
The game took place across two fictitious US counties and one Mexican state, and they were teeming with personality and detail, punctuated by daunting prairie thunderstorms and wildlife that reacted to your presence.
It was Rockstar's greatest achievement to date from a tech perspective, outgunning GTA 4 with improved cinematic cutscenes, dynamic weather effects, and enhanced draw-distance rendering.
The game also made great strides on the gameplay front, its shooting mechanics given a creative boost by the 'Dead Eye' system, which allowed players to mark multiple targets in slow motion.
An in-depth karma system gave players control over what kind man Marston became, with his supporting cast behaving differently around him based on his reputation.
Making friends was all well and good, but who didn't enjoy riding into town and seeing all of its establishments had shut up shop because of the fear you commanded?
Red Dead Redemption was followed by horror-themed update 'Undead Nightmare', which was equally well received among fans and critics - not that there was any possibility of the cowboys vs zombies theme blowing up in Rockstar's face.
Multiplayer mode also expanded the game's longevity considerably, bringing the same sense of free roaming across the Old West as the core campaign. It was never a necessity in a title that offered such a deep and moving solo experience, but the online play complemented the story mode well.
We still haven't forgiven Rockstar for depriving us of a PC version of Red Dead Redemption (just think of the fun the modding community could have had with this), but it's fair to say that they delivered something special with this game.
The qualities that made it a smash hit - its gripping story, memorable characters and thrilling gameplay - are as plain to see today as they were five years ago, and they are unlikely to fade anytime soon.
This was the definitive Western game we'd been waiting for, and we'd still be relying on Sunset Riders for our gunslinging kicks if it hadn't come along when it did.
