The Gamer's Bucket List. Chris Watters

plentiful; from racing across the chaparral on horseback to taking cover behind the bar in a saloon to leaping from car to car on the back of a moving train. Red Dead Redemption is packed with exciting moments that bring the outlaw fantasy to life, but thankfully, it’s not all gunplay. There’s plenty of time to ride across the open range and see what adventures await.

      You might go on the hunt for valuable plants or animal pelts; just be sure a cougar doesn’t make you its prey. You might find a stranger desperate for help; just be sure that her overturned cart isn’t hiding an ambush. Red Dead Redemption’s world is a dangerous one, but it’s also beautiful. When you see the sun setting over a broad bend in the river with the dusty hills rolling off into the distance, you can’t help but stop and stare a while. With the Wild West stretching out in front of you and the fantastic soundtrack setting the mood, this game is a living room cowboy’s dream come true.

      WHOA THERE!

      Marston’s lasso is one of the stars of the show, whether you’re roping and taming a wild horse, running down a man with a bounty on his head, or dragging an ornery varmint behind your horse as you trot through a cactus patch.

      Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

      PS3

      First Released October 13, 2009

      Of all the high-flying action movie heroes that video games have produced, Nathan Drake is the best. The star of the Uncharted series is handsome, charming, witty, and fueled by just the right cocktail of decency and rakishness. But he wouldn’t be such an appealing character if he didn’t have such an excellent supporting cast, and Sully, Elena, and Chloe aren’t simply one-dimensional foils. They burst with life onto the screen, excellently acted and wonderfully animated, enriching every scene they are in and making the story of Uncharted 2 a pleasure to unravel.