Western movies have been on the decline these past couple of decades thanks to sci-fi and action genres taking over, but fortunately, western games have been on the rise. Games such as Gun, Red Dead Revolver, Call of Juarez and Desperados have helped to propel the genre to a new audience thanks to the increased power of this generation of consoles.

Now, Rockstar is back with another entry in the Red Dead series: Red Dead Redemption. The game is set in America in the early 1900s. It follows main protagonist John Marston as he is given free reign by government agents to capture or kill his former gang members. The government has threatened to kill his family if he doesn’t comply to their demands, so he doesn’t get much of a choice.

Redemption uses an open world sandbox, based on the GTA IV RAGE and Euphoria engines. Expect familiar western locales such as frontier towns, deserts, prairies and mountain passes and horse riding to get to all of them. Animals in the game can be hunted too, with creatures such as cattle, bison, beaver, bears, cougars, rattlesnakes, deer, wolves, mustangs, coyotes, wild boars, vultures, bighorn sheep, elk and ducks all up for grabs in a move that will depress the RSPCA.

GTA IV’s blood runs through the core of this title, with the combat system lifted from the third person epic. Players can take cover, target a specific person and can use blindfire as well as free aim. Players can also target individual body parts in the same manner as GTA IV. Expect weapons along the same lines as GTA IV but re-themed for the western era, such as semi-automatic pistols, revolvers, shotguns, lever/bolt action rifles, knives, dynamite, molotov cocktails and mounted gatling guns/cannons. However, there will be also an appearance by the iconic western lasso.

The combat system also has another ace up its sleeve; the “Dead-Eye” targeting system. Basically, when activated, Dead-Eye slows down the game world’s time and allows players to paint a few shots over an enemy or multiple enemies. After you place all your allowed shots or after the Dead-Eye time limit expires, normal time resumes and the protagonist will eliminate the targets.

Another area that’s getting fans hot under the collar about Red Dead Redemption is the multiplayer component. The game is promoting a fresh change in the organisation of a multiplayer game by eliminating lobby screens. Instead, you will be placed in a single player map and given the freedom to explore with up to 15 other people. Within this, you can create your own 2-8 person posse.

This mode is essentially similar to GTA IV’s free roam online experience, but with the added benefits of mini-games and vigilante justice. There is also a level progression system, with a cap of 50 in place. Game modes on offer include Free Roam, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Gold Rush and Team Gold Rush.

All in all, Red Dead Redemption is shaping up to be something special. The random countryside events and mini-games will keep players diving in for more and the game world utilises mise-en-scene to recreate the Wild West in all its grimy beauty. Red Dead Redemption is released on the Xbox 360 and PS3 May 18th in North America and May 21st in Europe.