But the prospect of a tweaked version of Arkham Asylum, far bigger and with improved combat mechanics, was enough to make me certain that an era-defining game was on its way.Arkham City, however, while an undoubtedly extraordinary technical achievement, failed to grip me in the same way as its predecessor. While swinging from building to building was initially thrilling, that it was incessantly punctuated by ringing phones and random side missions soon became tiresome. The main story also felt far too short, and lacked the innovation, cohesiveness and challenge of its predecessor.

While the package was bulked up by the Riddler puzzles and the myriad side missions, a lengthier, more engaging storyline and fewer extras would have been infinitely preferable. The game’s pacing felt askew, at no point did it feel like the gameplay was building to an end point, a resolution.  It felt like the vast majority of the developers’ time and effort had gone towards making a faithful interactive version of the city itself, to the detriment of the immersive gameplay that had made its prequel so special.

My personal disappointment with Arkham City led to me considering my favourite games of the last decade or so. I have enjoyed a great many, but along with Arkham Asylum the two that stood out as truly special were Resident Evil 4 and Red Dead Redemption. Resident Evil 4 is, like Arkham Asylum, extremely linear, and is built around tense atmospherics, puzzles and (admittedly laughably scripted) characters.

Red Dead, while patently an open world game, makes my list primarily because of its engrossing (and indeed affecting) story. Moments such as that Jose Gonzalez track playing as you first ride into Mexico feature craftsmanship to rival the best Hollywood movie, and will live in the memory far longer than the hours spent trying to find an elusive beaver. The characters, while hackneyed, were fully fleshed and believable. I wanted to play on to find out what happened to people like Landon Ricketts, and not just because his effortless cool allowed my surname to finally be synonymous with something other than the worst footballer to ever play for England, or that old disease.

Red Dead proves emphatically that sprawling open worlds can be married to finely honed storytelling. Too often with recent sandbox games, however, developers get the balance wrong.  I was disappointed, for example, by the main story in GTA IV. Or, rather, I was disappointed by the fact that whenever the storyline became involving, and I was on my way to carry out a mission obviously central to advancing the plot, I would get a call from someone Niko doesn’t even like inviting him to go and play pool. I found it impossible to refuse these calls; my gaming brain still functions in an old school, linear way, and I was simply unable to grasp that I could ignore the phone and leave it till later. The missions themselves often felt like afterthoughts too; it is no coincidence that I enjoyed The Ballad of Gay Tony, and its strong emphasis on imaginative missions and storytelling, far more than the main game.

More recently, I am currently scaring myself half to death on a daily basis by playing Dead Space 2. I would love to tell you all about the sci fi-horror plotline twists and turns, but in truth I find each cut scene to be an opportunity to lie in the foetal position and attempt to get my heart rate down below 340bpm. In short, I have not a clue what is going on (something to do with zombie aliens?!). Yet still I find it to be endlessly fascinating, because of the mechanics and structure of the game. Because it is undeniably and unashamedly linear, the developers are able to tease you, to lull you and to scare you at will.

To me, this is still a more immersive and satisfying experience than being left largely to my own devices. I want to tackle the game’s myriad challenges in the order in which the game’s writers decided was logical, not on an arbitrary basis as and when I stumble across them. Dead Space 2 proves that it doesn’t even necessarily matter whether you fully buy into or even follow the storyline, as long as you can sense that there is one, that the composition of the game is such that there is a sense of progression.

Essentially, if I had the creative capacity to write a credible western or crime caper, I would do. As it is, I still want the game’s creators to write it for me. Too often in recent years it seems that we are given a blank canvas, and told to paint the picture ourselves. As I have got older, as well as perhaps being stuck in an outmoded mind-set, I also tend to play games – unless truly obsessed (see Fallout 3) – in shorter bursts. In theory, that makes open world games perfect for me, with the ability to dip in and out at will. But if I only have thirty minutes at a time to play a game, I want to feel like I have achieved something in those thirty minutes, not spend twenty of them traversing a city in order even to find something to do.

I am certainly not saying that I believe that sandbox games have had their day, or that I don’t like them per se. Also, it’s not purely open world games that have suffered from a dearth of great storytelling. I am no FPS aficionado (that is another blog for another day), but there seems to have been an ever continuing shift towards the campaign modes of the biggest FPS franchises amounting to little more than an afterthought; ever more shorter, repetitive and less imaginative missions tagged on under duress as even the biggest games companies would find it a tad too difficult to charge full price for a product that, at its core, is essentially an updated maps pack. But what if you don’t have a decent internet connection? What if you are not feeling particularly sociable, and don’t fancy getting shot 76 times in 8 minutes by an obnoxious 8 year old? What are you getting out of the game?

Accessible internet gaming is a wonderful development, while the sheer grunt of modern consoles has allowed developers to create game worlds of scales hitherto unimaginable. I am not arguing for  a return to  wholly linear 2D gameplay. I just think that a little bit more structure, a little more emphasis on creating a game rather than a world wouldn’t go amiss. Red Dead Redemption shows that it is possible to make technically impressive open worlds with storylines to match, creating a game that feels both highly modern and reassuringly old school. I just hope that, in the never-ending quest for technical excellence and untold amounts of ‘achievements’, games designers don’t jettison the art of telling a story.

They are aware of gamers’ wishes, the studio writes in an Asked & Answered post on their blog, however: “All we can say is that whenever it is viable (technically, developmentally and business-wise) for us to release a game for PC (or any other particular platform)–we will and we usually do; unfortunately, that is just not the case 100% of the time for all platforms.”

We’d say it’s safe to give up hope on this one. There’s always the rumored Red Dead Revolution, though.

Due out next month on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 for $50, Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year Edition will include the game (of course!) and all previously released downloadable content.

DLC included includes the Undead Nightmare pack, the Legends and Killers Pack, the Liars and Cheats pack, the Hunting and Trading Outfits pack, the Outlaws to the End mission pack, all pre-order content, the Solomon’s Folly single-player gang hideout, and the just-released Myths and Mavericks bonus pack.

“We wanted to create a world that captured the spirit of the Western,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “We are thrilled that Red Dead Redemption‘s vision of the West resonated with so many people.”

As mentioned, the Red Dead Redemption GOTY Edition is due out in just a month, in North America on October 11 and internationally on October 14.

The Myths & Mavericks Bonus Pack will arrive via horseback on September 13 for the PS Store and XBLA. Found inside this treasure chest are new multiplayer characters and areas as well as four new strongholds for you to storm.

It’s odd to hear about DLC for games this far from launch, but then again we doubt we’ll still be seeing Marsden and co for quite some time yet.

British classification board BBFC has listed a Game of the Year edition of the Rockstar western, saying it’ll come complete with its biggest piece of DLC, the zombified Undead Nightmare. No other content was mentioned.

The listing has since been removed, but not before Gamerzines got a glimpse, so we’d say there’s a good chance it’s going to actually happen.

It was marked down for a September 16 release, meaning the official confirmation can’t be far behind.

The DLC will apparently include “fan-favorite” characters and locations to the game’s multiplayer. However, Rockstar is keeping mum on who those characters are or what locations this tease entails, although judging from an accompanying picture, the grizzled ol’ gunslinger Landon Ricketts will be one of them.

The Myths and Mavericks Bonus Pack will be released on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A specific release date has yet to be announced. Oh, and did we mention it was free?

We could name a number of reasons why you should pre-order a game, but one that everyone can understand is, you get free stuff. For instance, if you pre-ordered Rockstar’s wild west ride Red Dead Redemption, you got the Deadly Assassin outfit for Marston (fastens regeneration of your Dead Eye perk), the Golden Guns (increasing fame per kill) and the War Horse (probably the most bad-ass looking horse in any videogame ever released).

Now, if you didn’t pre-order the game, well, we’re sure you must have noticed the absence of all of the above. No reason to fret though, as Rockstar’s announced that said bonuses will be available as DLC for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 going for $0.99 (USD) and 80 MS Points a piece, respectively, as of next week. Don’t just be a cowboy; look like one, shoot like one, ride like one.

“… this Halloween,” as in the weekend that is upon on. Rockstar announced today that in celebration of the Undead Nightmare DLC package being released, Red Dead Redemption will see a full weekend of cowboys ranking up twice as fast. What a time for redemption it is…

It starts at 6PM this Friday, October 29th through Monday, November 1st until 04:59 AM, and it really doesn’t matter what you do and where you do it, whether you’re picking flowers on the hill or effortlessly killing the undead, as long as you’re doing it online, you’re good to go.

The Undead Nightmare DLC was released yesterday on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and is heading for retail on November 23rd in NA and 26th in EU.

Chances are that you’re playing/downloading Red Dead Redemption‘s Undead Nightmare pack as you read this. If the zombies haven’t got to you just yet though, Rockstar has released the release date of the disc that crams in the expansion along with other DLC.

As recealed earlier, all the content that’s come before will also be inside the box, and you won’t need the original Red Dead to play it. It’s headed for a November 23rd release in the US and three days later in Europe. The disc will set you back $29.99/£24.99/€29.99. A budget price for a big bunch of AAA DLC; give yourself a pat on the back, Rockstar.

I guess the catch with having a short time between revealing and releasing a product is that you’ve got to cramb all your marketing inbetween. With that in mind, here’s another look at the awesome looking Undead Nightmare pack for Red Dead Redemption. It’s out today (YAY!), but this is actually the most info we’ve had on the expansion yet, with a meaty 3 minute clip that explains how to play.

Lock yourself in your room, switch your console on, and check XBLA/PSN every few minutes; this one’s gonna be big.

For all the latest video content, visit our Trailers & Videos section.

The latest trailer for Red Dead Redemption‘s Undead Nightmare DLC has galloped its way in; it’s of the 30-second, TV spot kind. Pay attention and you may even catch a teasing glimpse of Bigfoot.

The add-on will be available on both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network tomorrow.

For all the latest video content, visit our Trailers & Videos section.

Rockstar isn’t letting the dead rest; yet another trailer for Red Dead Redemption‘s Undead Nightmare add-on has been released. Sorry, make that another two trailers; the fourth and fifth so far this month for this particular, zombie-enhanced add-on (catch the first three here, here and here).

The focus in the first, above, is on the zombie killing tools players will be utilizing come next week. The second one, below, peeks in on Undead Overrun, the content’s new co-op multiplayer mode.

The DLC will be available for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on Tuesday, October 26. Alternatively, you can wait until the stand-alone, DLC-filled disc arrives at retail. No dates on that yet, though.

Here’s even more footage for the Undead Nightmare DLC that’s set to eat up Red Dead Redemption next week. This clip’s got a cool 60′s trailer theme to it, proving yet again Rockstar’s incredible ability to evoke a specfic genre in their games. Mr. Marston is certainly going to have his cowboy boots full with this one.

You’ll be able to download Undead Nightmare on October 26th for both PS3 and 360.

Some months ago Red Dead Redemption developer Rockstar threw the weight of the almighty banhammer on a number of players who decided that playing the western with hacked game saves was the way to go. Some of these players are now welcomed back.

As promised in August, those who deleted their hacked gamesaves have been greenlit once more roam the untamed west.

Gamertags and PSN IDs who lucked out and didn’t get banned the first time around, however, as well as those who still attempted to play with hacked save files, are included in the second wave of bans.

But, again, Rockstar is offering means of redemption; “If you have been banned and wish to get back in our good graces to be reinstated – delete your hacked save files, for both single player and multiplayer.”

It’s further explained: “Everything is wiped when deleting saves with the exception of Achievements/Trophies, pre-order items, and cheats unlocked through Social Club.  Note that after deleting your hacked game saves, you will then need to go online with Red Dead Redemption for it to register that you’re now playing clean and do the following:

• For single-player saves, you will need to re-play the game while connected until you gain access to the safehouse at MacFarlane’s Ranch.
• For multiplayer saves, you will need to play one full multiplayer game online or do one Gang Hideout.”

Red Dead Redemption‘s many downloadable add-ons are getting a stand-alone retail release, Rockstar’s announced.

Called Undead Nightmare, the release will include this month’s Undead Nightmare Pack, the Outlaws to the End Co-Op Mission Pack, the Legends and Killers Pack, the Liars and Cheats Pack and all the multiplayer free roam modes the western has seen so far.

Like said, the release will be stand-alone; it does not require a copy of Red Dead Redemption.

No dates yet, but Rockstar says the release is happening “soon,” and for $29.99/£24.99/€29.99.

After hearing juicy detail after juicy detail on the upcoming “Undead Nightmare” DLC pack for Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar Games finally announced the release date: October 26th, 2010 for both 360 and PS3.

Do you hear that? That’s the sound of your calendar not being marked–it’d be best to do that now.

Brrraaaaiiinnnsss. Ahem, excuse me, had to get that out of the way.

The official trailer for the upcoming Red Dead Redemption DLC, Undead Nightmare, has been released. As if John Marston didn’t have enough problems to deal with already, now there’s zombies.

Can’t people just stay dead for a change?

For all the latest video content, visit our Trailers & Videos section.

Even the most grizzled cowboys like dressin’ purdy once in while, a feat made much easier in Red Dead Redemption thanks to Rockstar’s release of two free outfits for former outlaw John Marston.

As a thank you to their fans, the developer will be releasing their Hunting and Trading Outfits pack for the low price of nothing next Tuesday, October 12th simultaneously on both Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Network. The new duds don’t just look good, they also open up new challenges and grant perks when haggling (the Savvy Merchant outfit allows you to buy guns and ammunition from any gunsmith for half price) or hunting (the Expert Hunter outfit allows you to earn double the amount of skins and hides from hunting).

It will also include a compatibility update making those playing as characters from Red Dead Revolver visible to those who don’t have the Liars and Cheats Pack or the Legends & Killers Pack, which you’ll still have to purchase if you want your own full body makeover.

And if that ‘aint enough to get your saddle in a twist, there’s always the Jackalope.

Given the zombie/vampire fever the world is having, we weren’t that surprised when Rockstar unexpectedly announced that the west of John Marston was going to turn into a spit of land infested with angry, red-eyed, half toothless, flesh-eating undead, walking around shoving human parts down their throats as they please and setting s*** on fire wherever they go. We’re not that happy about the bear either…

If you weren’t satisfied with the awesome artwork attached to the reveal of the downloadable package for Red Dead Redemption, above is the entire thing in motion, caught on video.

The DLC has been priced at 800 MS Points on Xbox Live and $9.99 on PSN and is “coming very soon.”

I thought I was done with Red Dead Redemption after I beat it, even with the free co-op DLC tiding me over for a good few more hours. But no; I’m far, far from putting the controller down on this one with the reveal of this awesome poster for the Undead Nightmare DLC pack.

The original cover has had a lick of zombiefied paint and looks even cooler for it. Maybe there’s even a few hints at what the DLC’s story campaign will hold?

We can’t wait, so it’s a shame we don’t know when it’s coming out. At least it’s confirmed at a healthy price point of 800 MS Points/$9.99. The first four screenshots have been released as well, find those below.

The trailer for Red Dead Redemption‘s downloadable Liars & Cheats add-on puts the previously detailed contents on show. Catch the written word here.

It’ll hit both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network next Tuesday, for 800 MS points and $10, respectively.

For all the latest video content, visit our Trailers & Videos section.

Of course they’ll make another game in the Red Dead series. The thing’s coming up on selling 7 million units! You don’t just let that sit around. So with the first game being Red Dead Revolver, and this one ending in Redemption, it’s always fun to guess what a subtitle might be called when the ol’ numbering system isn’t used. Not a crucial detail, no, but one of those fun speculations that it certainly doesn’t hurt to wonder about.

If a drunken fellow who’s “a services provider currently working on some early technical work” for the next game is to be trusted, the next game may well be called Red Dead Revolution. It’s not the first the title’s been heard, as it was the initial name for the now-beloved Redemption. On that note, it could well be a project name and nothing more. Odds are we won’t learn anything for a good while, so let the guessing continue.

Also, between this and the whole leaked iPhone 4 debacle, it’s hard to hope that my next bar visit leads me to a drunken employee from Valve who’s been hard at work on Half-Life 2: Episode 3.

Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption has to date sold 6.9 million copies worldwide, publisher Take-Two’s quarterly financial results, released today, show.

The westerner was released for the PlayStation and Xbox 360 in mid-May.

According to chairman Strauss Zelnick, the Rockstar San Diego-developed title “shows the value of compelling content and its power to capture consumer interest.”

The title’s latest piece of add-on content, Liars & Cheats — detailed here — is expected later this month.

Rockstar Games announced today that you and your buddies can look forward to the release of Red Dead Redemption‘s multiplayer-focused DLC pack Liars and Cheats, on September 21st worldwide for both the 360 and PS3.

The new multiplayer modes come in two separate flavors: free roam multiplayer and competitive multiplayer, with the following included:

• Multiplayer Poker and Liars’ Dice Games
• Multiplayer Horse Races (complete with mounted combat)
• A new weapon: The Explosive Rifle
• 7 new Gang Hideouts
• 4 new Hunting Grounds
• Stronghold competitive multiplayer mode – Teams will switch off in offensive and defensive roles in multi-tiered competitive games. Expect posse scoring and leaderboards to come with this mode too.
• 15 additional multiplayer characters
• New achievements and trophies

Expect to be knocked back by 800 MS points or £7.99 ($12) for this bad boy.

Brad Pitt could be the leading man of the big screen adaptation of Rockstar’s 2010 hit Red Dead Redemption, the rumor has it.

According to a source of celebrity gossip site showbizspy.com (via), the Assassination of Jesse James star is seen as a “perfect” fit for John Marston’s shoes and “is being given first refusal” of the role.

The movie itself is planned “in the style of an epic Western movie but with a few modern touches,” it’s also revealed.

Rockstar itself for now has brushed off the rumors as just that, rumor.

If you remember hacking or cheating in Red Dead Redemption, then it may be a good idea to get off your invincible horse, put away your aim-bot, and quit your incredibly fortunate blackjack win streak because, come tomorrow, the ban hammer will be paying you a visit.

Rockstar Games announced today that starting August 24th, they will be “swiftly and indefinitely banishing from the world of Red Dead Redemption multiplayer all Gamertags and PSN IDs” with hacked game saves.

All is not lost, though, as Rockstar will be giving violators a chance for forgiveness (redemption, if you will) by allowing them one week from today to delete any hacked game saves. Rockstar also handed out a list specifying the terms of the extermination, which includes:

• Players who took advantage of the XP grinding exploits will not be at fault as these exploits have been removed.
• Banned hackers will also be removed from the leaderboards
• To be spared, any and all hacked saves will need to be deleted–single and multiplayer.
• Everything is wiped when deleting saves with only a few exceptions:
  1. Players would keep any Achievements/Tropies they had already earned.
  2. All preorder items tied to their accounts would be unlocked for them upon signing in and creating a new save while connected to Xbox LIVE or PlayStation Network
  3. Any cheats earned through Social Cloub would be unlocked for them upon signing in and creating a new save while connected to Xbox LIVE or PlayStation Network
• Finally, after deleting your hacked saves, you will then need to go online with Red Dead Redemption (prior to August 24th) for it to register that you’re now playing clean. For single-player saves, you will need to re-play the game while connected until you gain access to the safehouse at MacFarlane’s ranch. For multiplayer saves, you will need to play one full game online or do one Gang Hideout.

And there you have it–stay clean, everybody.

Rockstar Games released the Legends and Killers DLC this week for its award-winning Western, Red Dead Redemption, and to celebrate, the studio is throwing a double XP party.

Starting today and running through Sunday, August 15, everyone who plays Red Dead Redemption‘s multiplayer will earn double XP for their efforts.

If you picked up the new DLC, or if you want to unlock new weapons faster, this weekend will be the time to log some hours in the Western.

Rockstar’s given the upcoming Red Dead Redemption Legends & Killers DLC the trailer treatment.

Heading to both XBL and PSN, the pack adds the tomahawk, new multiplayer characters and multiplayer areas, plus achievements and trophies. All for 800MSP/$9.99 starting next Tuesday, August 10th.

For all the latest video content, visit our Trailers & Videos section.

Red Dead Redemption fans rejoice, a DLC pack entitled “Legends and Killers” is coming up.

The pack will have nine new multiplayer maps, a new yet incredibly manly projectile weapon, the Tomahawk, and, surprise, more achievements and trophies. In addition, expect to see eight old faces from Red Dead Revolver as new multiplayer characters.

Look for the DLC pack to slide in on August 10th for Xbox Live and PSN with a going price of $9.99 and 800 MS points.

Although entering the charts at a mediocre 5th place last week, Toy Story 3 has now been boosted to the top of the charts after the UK release of the film last week. GfK Chart-Track reports that sales of the game were up by a whopping 78 percent since the film hit UK cinemas last Monday. A pretty impressive feat for Disney Interactive, who hasn’t enjoyed the top spot since 2007′s Pirates of the Carribean: At World’s End.

Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption reclaims 2nd position after dropping to 4th last week, even though total sales of the game are down 13 percent week-on-week. Other significant climbers this week include Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Just Dance.

New contender, Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies enters the chart at fairly impressive 9th place, edging just above Crackdown 2 which has plummeted to 10th place after enjoying a solid two weeks at the top of the charts. Modern Warfare 2 has also slipped down the chart this week, dropping out of the Top 10 for only the second time since it was launched in November last year.

Top 20 follows.

1. Toy Story 3
2. Red Dead Redemption
3. Dance On Broadway
4. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
5. Tiger Woods’ PGA Tour 11
6. Super Mario Galaxy 2
7. 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
8. Just Dance
9. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
10. Crackdown 2
11. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
12. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
13. Wii Sports Resort
14. Wii Fit Plus
15. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
16. Bioshock 2
17. Sniper: Ghost Warrior
18. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction
19. Naughty Bear

THQ’s UK director of marketing, Jon Rooke, blames the May release of Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption for UFC Undisputed 2010’s less-than-spectacular sales figures. Rooke claims that, though this year’s Undisputed was eagerly snatched up by UFC and MMA fans, the game failed to reach the wide audience reached by the 2009 release.

Apparently both mixed-martial-art simulators and gritty open-world westerns appeal to the same crowd—and I suppose both of their packages do practically have a layer of testosterone and dirt sandwiched between the plastic wrap and the case—because, as Rooke claims, the low sales are “largely down to Red Dead Redemption. Rockstar have probably taken a fair amount of our market share. They shipped 5m units, taking a lot of consumer dollars.”

The company had a “perfect storm” with last year’s UFC release, as it only had to contend with the release of the highly-acclaimed but less widely-appealing Infamous. This year, they’ve only managed to ship 2.6 million units, less than half of what 2009 Undisputed managed. One can’t help but wonder if, maybe, the game is selling less than 2009 because that last installment only came out a year ago. Scratch that, that’s never hurt sports games in the past.

Still, 2.6 million isn’t anything to complain about, and Rooke remains optimistic, saying “we’ve got a long tail with that product…we absolutely believe we will deliver our initial sales expectations for UFC and the 2010 edition has been a phenomenal success.”

In a recent report by MCV, it was revealed that Ubisoft’s Just Dance managed beat out Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption in the top 10 best-selling games for the first half of 2010 in the UK.

The dancing game for Wii has moved (no pun intended) an impressive 940,358 units in 2010 so far, which doesn’t include the sales made last year following the November 27 release.

Redemption, however, may catch up soon enough, as the game finished at the no. 2 spot with 819,161 units.

The most surprising spot on this list, however, is Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIII coming in at the no. 9 spot. Despite being the fastest selling Final Fantasy game in UK history, the game finished off with only 339,996 units since it launched on March 9th of this year.

The full list follows.

Top 10 video games – January-June 2010

1. Just Dance – 940,358
2. Red Dead Redemption – 819,161
3. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – 590,580
4. Modern Warfare 2 – 540,761
5. Wii Fit Plus – 499,998
6. Wii Sports Resort – 439,920
7. 2010 FIFA World Cup – 396,858
8. Aliens vs Predator – 359,968
9. Final Fantasy XIII – 339,996
10. FIFA 10 – 318,719

Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption has been out for a while, and though the game certainly has some life left in it, most of the fanfare the game received on release has died down by now. Leave it to Eurogamer’s Digital Foundry to remind everyone of just how good this game looks. The site has recently cut together a beautiful montage of time-lapse shots showing off the game’s wonderful lighting and time cycles (not to mention its epic soundtrack).

You can watch it here.

Apparently, if a player leaves the game untouched long enough, the camera changes to a pre-defined “vista” view that shows off the game’s fantastic visuals. Pretty sneaky, Rockstar. Most people probably never notice this feature because of their console’s power-saving measures, or the fact that if they aren’t touching the controller, they’re probably not looking at the screen.

Red Dead Redemption remains one of the best looking games ever made, and probably the game with the best landscapes on the market.

The first screenshots from Legends and Killers, Red Dead Redemption‘s first paid piece of downloadable content, have arrived.

That would be Tomahawk-adding content then, the first in a stream of four PDLCs Rockstar’s announced. Nine new multiplayer map locations and eight new characters come included as well.

It’s expected early next month for $9.99 / 800 Microsoft Points. No precise date yet.

Rockstar’s announced and detailed the second, third, fourth and fifth rounds of downloadable content for their breakout wunderkind Red Dead Redemption today.

Starting with Legends and Killers next month and ending with Undead Nightmare sometime in the fall, the westerner will be in for four new packs of add-on content which add new characters, weapons, active map locations to Free Roam as well as competitive multiplayer modes.

Three of the four have been priced at $10 / 800 MS Points. Find content details on all four below.

Legends and Killers Pack
New active map locations, characters and more:

• Release date: beginning of August 2010;
• 9 new multiplayer map locations — more than doubling the amount of territories in the multiplayer competitive modes;
• 8 new multiplayer characters — play as characters from Red Dead Revolver;
• Introducing a new projectile weapon: the Tomahawk, with corresponding challenges for single-player and multiplayer gameplay;
• New achievements and trophies;
• Pricing: $9.99 (PlayStation Network), 800 Microsoft Points (Xbox LIVE).

Liars and Cheats Pack
New competitive modes, multiplayer mini-games in Free Roam, and more:

• Release date: TBC;
• Attack and Defend multiplayer competitive mode and challenges;
• New multiplayer horse races, complete with mounted combat;
• Play as the heroes and villains of Red Dead Redemption, as well as 8 additional multiplayer characters;
• Multiplayer versions of Liars Dice and Poker from the single-player game;
• Introducing a new weapon: the Explosive Rifle, with associated challenges available in single-player and multiplayer gameplay;
• New achievements and trophies;
• Pricing: $9.99 (PlayStation Network), 800 Microsoft Points (Xbox LIVE).

Free Roam Pack
Delve deeper into the world of Red Dead Redemption with new modes, challenges and gang hideouts to discover:

• Release date: TBC;
• Additional Free Roam challenges;
• New action areas and defensive placements;
• Posse scoring and leaderboards;
• New anti-griefing measures in Free Roam;
• Pricing: TBC.

Undead Nightmare Pack
Ghost towns and cemeteries come alive in a West gone horribly wrong:

• Release date: TBC;
• Brand new single-player adventure, challenges and quests;
• 8 new multiplayer zombie characters;
• Additional animals unleashed in the world;
• New dynamic events and more;
• Pricing: $9.99 (PlayStation Network), 800 Microsoft Points (Xbox LIVE).

The fresh all-formats sales chart for the UK are in; nothing overly exiting this week though.

The top three has remained unchanged: LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 has held off Red Dead Redemption for a second week, and Super Mario Galaxy 2 sits comfortably at number 3 once more.

The biggest newcomer of the week is Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 which debuts at nr 4, while another dance game from Ubisoft, Dance on Broadway, takes the sixth spot, and City Interactive’s Sniper: Ghost Warrior the 10th.

APB however, which launched on Friday, is somewhat interestingly nowhere to be seen.

Top 20 follows.

1. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
2. Red Dead Redemption
3. Super Mario Galaxy 2
4. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11
5. 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
6. Dance on Broadway
7. Just Dance
8. Modern Warfare 2
9. Naughty Bear
10. Sniper: Ghost Warrior
11. Transformers: War for Cybertron
12. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
13. Football Manager 2010
14. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
15. Wii Fit Plus
16. Wii Sports Resort
17. Blur
18. UFC 2010: Undisputed
19. Club Penguin: Herbert’s Revenge
20. Demon’s Souls: Black Phantom Edition

The delayed NPD numbers for the month of May have at last arrived and, on the software front, they’ve confirmed what everyone already knew: people really like Red Dead Redemption.

Released in North America on May 18, the westerner sold over 1.5 million copies on the PS3 and 360 combined in the month, with both versions trumping the Wii-exclusive Super Mario Galaxy 2, which released five days later.

On the hardware front, Nintendo’s systems still comfortably outsold competitors Microsoft and Sony, while Xbox 360 took the lead over the PlayStation 3 with roughly 40,000 units.

See the full breakdown below.

Software:
1. Red Dead Redemption (360) – 945.9K
2. Red Dead Redemption (PS3) – 567.1K
3. Super Mario Galaxy 2 – 563.9K
4. UFC 2010 Undisputed (360) – 221.1K
5. UFC 2010 Undisputed (PS3) – 192.3K
6. Wii Fit Plus
7. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
8. Alan Wake
9. Pokemon SoulSilver
10. Skate 3 (360)

Hardware:
DS – 383.7K
Wii – 334.8K
360 – 194.6K
PS3 – 154.5K
PSP – 59.4K

Rockstar Games unleashed the Outlaws to the End cooperative-based DLC for the wildly successful Red Dead Redemption last week. It arrived on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, was free, and provided gamers yet another reason to spend more time in the Western. And if comments made by the studio’s Twitter are to be believed, more add-on content is on the way “soon.”

Responding to a query regarding the possibility of more DLC coming to RDR, Rockstar answered with “Yup! Stay tuned, we’ll be announcing more new DLC soon.”

The first batch of post-release content was free, but I figure Rockstar likes money. And based on the production values of Grand Theft Auto IV DLC The Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost and Damned, I’d be more than willing to throw money at Rockstar to get more life out of my Red Dead copy, would you?

By now we know that Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption is a huge commercial success, but what does that mean for publisher Take-Two? In CEO Ben Feder’s opinion, Red Dead is “a game changer for the company.”

That’s because not long ago, Take-Two’s only hit property was the Grand Theft Auto series. However, thanks to the success of Red Dead as well as the BioShock games, Take-Two is now “more diversified than at any other point in its history.” And because the publisher is in better shape than ever before, fans can expect not only the inevitable Red Dead sequels but also even more original IPs in the future.

“We are still digesting the success of Red Dead. It opens up avenues for us to pursue. It gives the company more flexibility. It’s a game changer for the company.”

Red Dead Redemption‘s reign on the UK’s weekly all-formats sales chart has ended.

After five straight weeks at the top, taking over for the Rockstar westerner is newcomer LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 — which marks the first number one game for Warner Bros. — with former numbers 2 and 3 Super Mario Galaxy 2 and 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa both taking a step back as well.

Other newcomers of the week include 505 Games’ mischievous Naughty Bear (nr5), Atlus’ Demon’s Souls: Black Phantom Edition (nr6), and Activision’s Transformers: War for Cybertron (nr8) and Singularity (nr38).

Top 20 follows.

1. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
2. Red Dead Redemption
3. Super Mario Galaxy 2
4. 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
5. Naughty Bear
6. Demon’s Souls: Black Phantom Edition
7. Just Dance
8. Transformers: War for Cybertron
9. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
10. Modern Warfare 2
11. Blur
12. Wii Sports Resort
13. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
14. Wii Fit Plus
15. Split/Second
16. International Cricket 2010
17. Football Manager 2010
18. Club Penguin: Herbert’s Revenge
19. Rooms: The Main Building
20. BioShock 2

Rockstar celebrates today’s Red Dead Redemption “Outlaws to the End” DLC release with an all-explaining trailer.

The two-minute-long clip above does quick work of running through and detailing the different missions the free cooperative content has to offer, and goes quite nicely with the screenshots from yesterday.

For all the latest video content, visit our Trailers & Videos section.

Red Dead Redemption‘s cooperative DLC will arrive this week, Rockstar reminds with the new batch of screenshots above and below.

The new missions, challenges etc are available as of tomorrow on both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, under the “Outlaws to End” name, still for the lovable price of absolutely nothing.

Red Dead Redemption has held the UK at gunpoint for yet another seven days; the Rockstar title has now spent five consecutive weeks at the top of the country’s all-formats sales charts since its May 21 debut.

Roughly 5,000 units behind — an increase from last week’s 1,000 — is Super Mario Galaxy 2, followed by 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

PSP’s Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker debuted at number 18.

Top 20 follows.

1. Red Dead Redemption
2. Super Mario Galaxy 2
3. 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
4. Just Dance
5. Rooms: The Main Building
6. Modern Warfare 2
7. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
8. Wii Fit Plus
9. Blur
10. Wii Sports Resort
11. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
12. International Cricket 2010
13. UFC 2010: Undisputed
14. The Sims 3: Ambitions
15. Split/Second
16. Football Manager 2010
17. Lost Planet 2
18. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
19. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
20. Just Cause 2

Despite a 34% drop in sales, Red Dead Redemption has once again found its way to the top of the weekly UK sales charts, according to number cruncher GFK Chart-Track, this week even holding off Nintendo’s newcomer Super Mario Galaxy 2 — the difference between the two was just over a thousand copies — which has landed at number two.

That’s the fourth consecutive week at the top spot for the Rockstar westerner then.

Other movers and shakers include Hudson’s DS game Rooms: The Main Building which jumped from 12 to 4, Green Day: Rock Band which debuted 14 and, of all games, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves which has re-entered the charts at 16.

Top 20 follows.

1. Red Dead Redemption
2. Super Mario Galaxy 2
3. 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
4. Rooms: The Main Building
5. Just Dance
6. Wii Fit Plus
7. Modern Warfare 2
8. The Sims 3: Ambitions
9. UFC 2010: Undisputed
10. Wii Sports Resort
11. Blur
12. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
13. Lost Planet 2
14. Green Day: Rock Band
15. ModNation Racers
16. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
17. Just Cause 2
18. Super Street Fighter IV
19. Split/Second
20. Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Rockstar, crusher of hopes and dreams, has news for PC gamers: “As of now, there are no current plans to bring Red Dead Redemption to the PC platform”; words from a company representative responding to a fan question on the developer’s official site.

That’s not to say it’ll never happen though.

Rockstar faithfuls should be no strangers to latened PC versions of their games. Several GTA titles, including Grand Theft Auto IV which made the jump to PC roughly six months after the console versions had been released, have been late arrivals on the PC.

And Red Dead Redemption could, could follow a similar formula: “If that should change, we will let you know,” the rep also said.

So there is light at the end of the tunnel. Never say never and all that. Just don’t hold your breath.

Red Dead Redemption has sold over 5 million copies. That’s according to publisher Take-Two’s second quarter fiscal 2010 results which the company released today.

The title’s runaway success has led the company to raise its 2010 outlook and chairman Strauss Zelnick to overflow the developers with praise over their “unparalleled creative talent”.

“The successful worldwide launch of Red Dead Redemption reflects the unparalleled creative talent that is a distinguishing strength of Take-Two, and the title has set new benchmarks for quality and innovation,” the executive says. “We are incredibly proud of our creative teams and their success in delivering some of the best interactive entertainment experiences.”

The impressive part is that it’s managed that just a few weeks’ time; the game launched on May 18 in North America and May 21 in Europe.

The 30-minute John Hillcoat-directed Red Dead Redemption short film, The Man from Blackwater, has by now aired on NA and UK television. Those who missed it though can catch the whole thing below, right now.

In the meanwhile, the game itself continues to be a chart-topper and is in for that free Outlaws To The End cooperative DLC later in the month; June 22nd on XBLA, the 23rd on PSN.

Red Dead Redemption is showing some serious legs.

The Rockstar westerner has stayed on top of the UK all formats sales chart for the third consecutive week now, once more leaving behind EA’s 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa and THQ brawler UFC 2010: Undisputed.

According to data collector GFK Chart-Track, the game is well ahead of the rest, too, with this week’s sales greater than positions 2-7 combined.

The excitement stops there however, with the rest of the top 20 featuring the familiar suspects. See below.

1. Red Dead Redemption
2. 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
3. UFC 2010: Undisputed
4. Just Dance
5. Wii Fit Plus
6. The Sims 3: Ambitions
7. Modern Warfare 2
8. Wii Sports Resort
9. Lost Planet 2
10. Blur
11. ModNation Racers
12. Rooms: The Main Building
13. Split/Second
14. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
15. Splinter Cell: Conviction
16. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
17. Alpha Protocol
18. Alan Wake
19. Super Street Fighter IV
20. Just Cause 2

Update: That’s the 23rd for PSN, Rockstar’s clarified.

Original story: Red Dead Redemption‘s cooperative DLC, the Outlaws To The End Co-Op Mission Pack, is out later this month on June 22, Rockstar’s announced today.

Six new cooperative missions will be included, along with new cooperative challenges, bonus multiplayer XP rewards, and more Achievements / Trophies. Overall, a package full of “intense shoot-outs and strategic cooperative play,” say the PR words.

June 22 then, and still free.

Following a debut at the top a week earlier, Red Dead Redemption has held on to the number one spot on the UK’s weekly sales charts, despite a 40% drop in sales. The Rockstar westerner held off THQ’s newcomer UFC 2010: Undisputed which in turn pushed down EA’s 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

The three are followed by usual suspects Just Dance, Wii [something], and a mix of more recent titles, among them newcomers Alpha Protocol and Blur which had somewhat lousy beginnings; both failed to reach the top 10, instead debuting at 13 and 14 respectively.

Top 20 follows.

1. Red Dead Redemption
2. UFC 2010: Undisputed
3. 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
4. Just Dance
5. Wii Fit Plus
6. Split/Second
7. Modern Warfare 2
8. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
9. Lost Planet 2
10. Wii Sports Resort 2
11. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
12. ModNation Racers
13. Alpha Protocol
14. Blur
15. Alan Wake
16. Splinter Cell: Conviction
17. Skate 3
18. Super Street Fighter IV
19. GTAIV Episodes
20. Just Cause 2