Set in a small mechanic for Rockstar’s 2010 open-world adventure, Red Dead Redemption is a mechanic that could be the “peak of game design”. But what do I mean by that? A great game design can mean different things to different people, because we all experience games differently, and what might be exciting might be frustrating to others, and vice versa. Sometimes, it can just be a matter of taste.
For these very reasons, it can be difficult to define the universal qualities that every game should strive for, but there are a few design pillars we can look at when talking about what makes a game a seamlessly designed package: accessibility, player agency and player imagination.
Let’s break these three categories down: Accessibility – how well the mechanic opens itself up to players of different abilities (in terms of skill and physical/mental ability). Player agency – the extent to which the mechanic feeds the player’s sense of energetic interaction. And finally, player imagination – how far the mechanic tends to the game’s imagination (location, story, and/or character).
Regardless of the genre, games will incorporate these different aspects into their design — after all, games are interactive, and interaction requires that designers intentionally consider the player’s potential actions.
While this is a given, different games have varying levels of success with these three categories. However, one game stands out as a real strength from the “peak of game design,” Rockstar’s AAA cowboy title, Red Dead Redemption. RDR’s Dead Eye targeting system in particular is a perfect example of overall game design, with the mechanic leaning on the cowboy fantasy in a way that allows players of any ability to have fun.
How the dead eye mechanic expands on accessible design
Accessibility is by far one of the most important elements of game design. Frustration can be seen especially in shooter games, where hand-eye coordination is usually the key to success. Not every player has the physical or mental ability to administer the controls with the precision and quick processing needed, for example, Quick Time Events (QTEs), and not every player has the skill to do so. Flickering buttons can be physically taxing, and making a decision so quickly can be a much more difficult task for some players.
With RDR’s Dead Eye ability, players do not necessarily need perfect hand-eye coordination to embody their cowboy fantasy. Players don’t need the speed outlaws in a quick draw to succeed in the game either, and that really makes all the difference.
Dead Eye takes the obvious difficulty of shooting four, five, or six cowboys in quick succession and turns it into a brilliant cinematic fighting moment. Players do not have to struggle with uncontrollable controls. Alternatively, they can take advantage of Dead Eye’s ability to automatically identify enemies and deal massive amounts of damage regardless of their ability or skill level. As a result, players of all types can maintain a sense of immersion as a highly skilled cowboy, as well as enjoy a game that specifically takes their needs into account.
RDR’S Dead Eye Agency, Controls & Players
Often, when we think of player agency, we think of control. Players want to feel in control and independent, especially in games like Red Dead Redemption. This can be anything from controlling where our characters go, to what our characters do, and how our characters interact with the world around them. At its core, though, Players Agency deals with giving players ways to actively interact.
Not every game will include exploration or combat mechanics, but the games will always give their players opportunities to make decisions that affect the game. Whether it’s following a romantic path in a visual novel or deciding where to place a Tetris piece, players like to feel that they have the freedom to decide where the game is going.
In Red Dead Redemption, the Dead Eye mechanism is all about giving players a sense of agency. The slow-motion aspect of the mechanic gives players extra time to decide where to shoot, allowing them to achieve more decisive victories in combat. It establishes a strong sense of accomplishment – every shot isn’t just a hit, it’s an accurate hit. Every enemy that falls is not just his defeat, it is a crushing victory for you. Players feel they have more specific control over how they defeat enemies, which leads to a liberating sense of independence.
Even better, Dead Eye’s ability does double duty when it comes to providing players with options. When players overwhelm enemies coming from all angles, a slow motion effect kicks in, giving them an easier “exit” to intense battles. It’s easy to feel helpless when you’re struggling to hold yourself together against a gang of NPCs, and the experience can quickly become frustrating. By slowing things down, letting you assess your environment, and planning your attack, Dead Eye makes you feel powerful even in the face of a tough battle. It perfectly balances difficulty and agency, giving you a chance to succeed purposefully against the odds that seem challenging.
How the dead eye mechanic in RDR appeals to the player’s imagination
The setting is a big aspect of Red Dead Redemption. The sprawling countryside, the protagonist of the cowboy outlaw, and the freedom inherent in the idea of the Wild West. These ideas glow throughout the game, encasing them in an environment that establishes a powerful adventure. There is a very strong sense of time and place in the game – and this feeling is transmitted to the mechanics of the game itself.
As mentioned earlier, the Dead Eye mechanic makes great use of the slow motion effect. Aside from giving players extra time to be more accurate, the slow motion is also very cinematic. Time slows to an excruciating crawl as you effortlessly aim your gun at the enemy in front of it. It pulls the action, making you realize that a gunshot — usually quick and frivolous in a game — is a serious life-or-death moment. As a result, Dead Eye increases combat with a very real sense of danger and suspense, immersing players in what feels like a real cowboy showdown.
The characters in Red Dead Redemption are ruthless, fortified by a life led by an outlaw, yet they are free to roam the country on a horse. Players expect to feel it while controlling John Marston (or the sequel Arthur Morgan), and the Dead Eye ability does it beautifully. Boosting the cinematic appeal of the moment, the mechanic transports players to the Wild West movie with them as the hero. As a result, players are encouraged to embody the role of a burgeoning cowboy in his element – the marriage of the game’s imagination to mechanics. It’s a great example of how the narrative and mechanics enhance each other to create satisfying player action.
Dead Eye seamlessly blends narrative, accessible design, and player agency into one tightly designed mechanic. When examining other games, we can look at the holistic approach to targeting Dead Eye, and consider how to make other games more friendly and more interactive with players of all kinds.
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