Once More into the Breach

The Red Dead Redemption "Outlaws to the End" Co-op package was recently released and I got some time to get my hands on it. I know the last time I mentioned it looked like more of the same, and honestly it is.

I'm not going to give it madly glowing reviews because, while it is fun, it does suffer from some problems.

But it's free, so if you still have the game then download it.

First off, the pack gives you 6 missions you can take with up to 3 more friends. The missions are in some places almost exactly like some of the story missions, or some of the standing gang hideouts. This isn't a bad thing, but it's not a huge plus, since you can do the gang hideouts in Multiplayer already. Be warned though, the mission guys will try to kill you pretty good. Alot more so than the hideouts, so they definitely hate you.

On the plus, you can revive your gangmates, but don't be surprised if you see one of them get killed as opposed to incapped. Watching someone get hit with a cannon is just wierd. The missions (unlike the multiplayer) will have some issues of perma-death. You don't respawn unless someone makes it to the checkpoint, and that can have a big impact on the team strategy.

Speaking of strategy, the game does give you the option of a class setup. They arranged the guns into some classes, but honestly if you completed the game, you already have some favorites that fit your play. Personally, I found it best to go with the sniper class, since you can still pick up the repeater rifles they npc's drop for an added weapon. It makes you a better threat to killing close and far.

Now the bad part is that the pack does nothing to fix some of the other problems the game still has. Even though the missions have checkpoints, getting to some of them will be cake, and every now and then your horse will still walk into yout path to get shot. It's frustrating knowing you won't have an immediate getaway if things get too tight.

But it does add badges, which is always a nice perk on a game. None of them are too overwhelming, but it's nice nevertheless. The only downside is that to up the challenge they just make you do the same missions again, but with expert targeting (which is the almost the same, they just turn off lock on). The best thing they could have done with this was allow you to take these missions solo as well. I know it's a co-op offering, but honestly it's a great challenge that the single player game could use.

Overall, the best part of this pack is that it gets you back into Red Dead. For me, this pack, combined made me want to play, and the recent OXM report on how to get 100% in the single player game was the tipper.