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Mailbag 2026: Review Scores, the Death of VR Games, How Games End Up Bad, Favourite NPCs and More

The Back Page · January 16, 2026

Shared from search: Red Dead Redemption

00:14:38 - 00:15:02

... So, you know, it just shows that the developers of Arrowhead have like incredible taste, I would say. But yeah, but we didn't get your nines, Matthew, your favorite nines. One of my favorite nines, I'd say Red Dead Redemption 1. When you boil it down, like for all its strengths, it is quite a one-note action game underneath it all. I'd say the same of Red Dead Redemption 2 actually, you know, and that may actually also be a nine to me. ...

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00:14:38 - 00:15:02

In Context

... But then you play something like I guess Death Stranding kind of is like a follow on, especially the second one from what you've told me about it. But Helldivers 2 is a game that takes so much inspiration from it in terms of player movement. It's a game that if you've played MGS 5, then you feel trained into playing Helldivers 2 and understanding it. So, you know, it just shows that the developers of Arrowhead have like incredible taste, I would say. But yeah, but we didn't get your nines, Matthew, your favorite nines. One of my favorite nines, I'd say Red Dead Redemption 1. When you boil it down, like for all its strengths, it is quite a one-note action game underneath it all. I'd say the same of Red Dead Redemption 2 actually, you know, and that may actually also be a nine to me. Interesting. Just because I feel like every gunfight from the first to the last is exactly the same, like the thinking, the tactics, the feel, all those things feel great. But it just doesn't really go anywhere as a game. But that is within that kind of perfectly realized fantasy of, you know, digital Westworld and that absolutely rules. ...

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