In the buildup to Red Dead Redemption 2 's release later this month, those looking for some inspiration to satisfy their craving for Western-themed experiences won't need to look further than our picks for the Western films you should watch before playing Rockstar's own Western epic, given the numerous cinematic references that the studio has drawn from in their previous titles.

_ Red Dead Redemption 2’s _ visuals are astounding. Considering the size of the map – which takes 16 minutes to cross on horseback from one end to the other – and keeping in mind that the game features a vastly underdeveloped western world, it should come as no surprise that traveling from one point to another comes with a lot of wide, Open world games money Guide terrain. While this may make travel seem boring and tedious (admittedly, one of my own personal gripes from the original game ), _ Red Dead Redemption 2 _ does a stellar job of keeping players engaged with ever-changing weather, authentic architecture, and gorgeous, sprawling landscapes and scenery. While it may seem like there is not much to do in such a vast open-world, the game does a superb job in balancing random interactions and mini-games along the tra

As a subgenre of Westerns that mostly came to prominence in the 1960s and named for being produced and directed by Italian filmmakers, Sergio Leone's trilogy starring Clint Eastwood became the standard in bringing flair to the Western genre that was marked by a heightened sense of cinematic technique and style.

Those familiar with Rockstar’s recipe for game narratives will immediately feel right at home. The extensive amount of side-quests alone will keep players busy well beyond the 60-hours of primary story content. Although some of the optional missions do not necessarily have much to do with the main storyline, they still intertwine enough to shape the surrounding world and time-period. Most importantly, the missions and side-quests are fun. Bounty hunting; escorting characters to nearby towns; large-scale shootouts; _ Red Dead Redemption 2 _ manages to make each mission feel fresh and fun to play. Believe it or not, Rockstar has even managed to make something as mundane as fishing enjoyable, if not for anything other than appreciating the surrounding scenery while waiting for a b

Now, timed-exclusives have been received rather poorly by gamers–and rightfully so. No one wants to feel like their console is the inferior box, or that they made the wrong purchasing decision. However, that is simply the nature of the business today, and short of owning every current gaming system, there is truly no way to guard against this sort of marketing strat

In the years since its release, The Searchers has long been held up as one of the greatest Westerns of all time for a variety of aspects, from its beautiful cinematography that captured the American West in all its grandeur and one of the best performances that John Wayne has ever brought to his long stable of Western films. However, what really sets The Searchers apart is the fact that the film brought a sense of maturity and darkness to Western films at the height of their popularity.

If The Proposition ends up catching your eye, a neat tidbit about its director, John Hillcoat, is the fact that he created a machinima short film with Rockstar Games in the buildup to releasing Red Redemption in 2010, which was called Red Dead Redemption: The Man from Blackwater . The short film itself was created entirely inside the engine of Red Dead Redemption and was aired on FOX around the time of the game's release - the full movie is still available for viewing here (via Dagger 323 on YouTube).

Players take on the role of Arthur Morgan, who starts the game as the right-hand man to gang leader Dutch van der Linde. After a ferry heist goes awry, the gang is forced to flee the town of Blackwater and live a life on the run from the law and others hellbent on seeing the gangs’ demise. The gang performs various odd jobs and heists to fund their survival, but Dutch’s leadership and decisions eventually begin to take their toll on Arthur, who starts to question Dutch's intentions. _ Red Dead Redemption _ _ 2 _ features many of the characters from the first game – including primary protagonist, John Marston – with the story ultimately tying into the beginning of the original game _

This time, you’ll find an injured man there who asks you to bring back a city dweller that attacked him. Bring the man back, and it quickly becomes evident that the injured man is the cannibal that’s been eating all the Armadillo residents. You’re then faced with a choice: you can kill the cannibal and free the man, or you can leave. Leave, and you just served the cannibal lunch, hogtied at his feet. Although you can save the man and return him to his wife, the fact that the game allows you to just move on while he is eaten by a crazed cannibal in the hills is revolting, to say the le