Red Dead Redemption could quite possibly be the best open world sandbox game to ever be made. Even with great games like Grant Theft Auto 4, inFamous and Just Cause 2 out on the market already Red Dead Redemption seems to out-do all these games in every aspect. It borrows the best elements from each game and improved them.

When Grand Theft Auto 4 was released it was praised as the holy grail of open world games – the amount of detail and polish that went in to Grand Theft Auto 4 was amazing. Unfortunately, the game lacked variety and gamers grew tired and bored of it’s linear and repetitive game-play. We then had inFamous, a game that had a little more variety and was a lot more fun to play. The Good/Evil system, although shallow, was fun and it certainly added to the sandbox experience. Just Cause 2 was the next sandbox game to deliver top notch graphics with a vibrant and colourful world that was fun to explore – though it was not as realistic as Grand Theft Auto 4 it was definitely more fun to play. We are now getting closer to the release of Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption and so far it’s looking like the best open world sandbox game to date.

Here are five reasons why Red Dead Redemption could be the greatest sandbox game ever made:

5. The Wild West

We’ve seen futuristic eutopias, cities in ruins and tropical paradises – it’s about time we get to experience something different, and what could possibly be better than the wild west? What little boy did not fantasize about being a bad-ass cowboy? Rockstar Games is finally giving every gamer the chance to live his childhood fantasy.

4. The Good, Bad and the Brave

Red Dead Redemption lets you play the game the way you want. There is an honor and reputation system in place which ultimately defines your character. You can play the hero by doing just things, or the villain by breaking the rules and doing it your own way. For example, you could help the community by doing good deeds such as capturing escaped prisoners or play the villain by helping out bandits and robbing people. The choice is entirely yours.

3. Mini Games

What game is complete without a handful of enjoyable mini games? Red Dead Redemption has some great mini games that accompany the narrative. You can find the nearest salon and gamble away your heard earned gold or challenge other townies to a vast variety of mini games.

2. Quality

The look, feel and sound of Red Dead Redemption are very authentic. Rockstar Games have a reputation to uphold and they certainly try their best to maintain it. From what I’ve seen Red Dead Redemption is extremely polished. Red Dead Redemption is almost guaranteed to be a great success.

1. Epic Multiplayer

The number one reason why Red Dead Redemption could be the best sandbox game ever made is the new innovative use of the multiplayer and co-operative game-play system. The online lobby is the entire game world where up-to 16 people can roam freely (hence the name Free Roam). You can form a posse with up-to 8 players or just be a lone ranger – from here what you do is completely up to you; become vigilantes and help fight crime or play as a bandits and fight against the law. You can also fight other posses in gun blazing battles all across the open world of Red Dead Redemption.

So far, I am very convinced that Red Dead Redemption will be the best sandbox game ever made. It comes out for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on the 18th of May in America and on the 21st of May for the rest of the world. I suggest to pre-order your copy to guarantee that you have your copy day one.