We vowed to stay away from titles like Red Dead Redemption, but, inevitably, something must be said about realism in games and it's ability to transport you to a different reality. Yes, many games have great graphics, some arguably better than RDR (like Uncharted, Crysis or L.A. Noire), but RDR has the ability to draw you into the story and emotionally engage you in the narrative. The dust is almost palpable on your tongue and the hard, sun-forced stare of cowboys are intimidating. The game is uniquely American and rooted in a uniquely American genre, the Western. More importantly, it's a period piece. No aliens or lasers, but a piece of Americana, and there's a powerful connection there. Some video games rely on their artistic designs or the union of sight and sound. RDR seems to juggle all the elements of what modern gaming is at once. The result is as close to a movie experience we've ever had with a video game. We lost ourselves in the mechanics and in the story. We connected in a real way and that is, ultimately, the point of art.