If you have ever played a video game, then chances are that you have also come across artificial intelligence. Regardless of the type of video game, in some form or fashion artificial intelligence is contributing to your experience as a player. In recent history, developers have been working on producing artificial intelligence that would be able to learn a specific game and then train and learn enough to defeat the world’s top player. An example of such is seen in the AlphaGo program in which the artificial intelligence managed to defeat the world’s top Go players. This kind of achievement has some wondering just what else is artificial intelligence capable of outperforming humans at? And it is these kinds of questions that can instill fear in people and just what artificial intelligence brings. While the world may fear the capabilities of artificial intelligence in other fields of life, there is no question that artificial intelligence in video games has always served to enhance the experience one has from playing the game. With that being said artificial intelligence in the world of video games has come a long way from its humble beginning. Red Dead Redemption 2 has thus far proven to boast the most advanced artificial intelligence we’ve seen in a video game to date. In this paper, I will evaluate just how revolutionary this artificial intelligence is and what it means for gamers and the future landscape of video games.

One of the earliest and most common implementations of artificial intelligence in video games was through the use of the Finite State Machine algorithm. This algorithm allowed game developers to create a very general array of situations in which an NPC or non-playable character would encounter, and from there pre-program specific responses to those situations. Call of Duty is one of many games that implement this system. For example, if an enemy were to get shot and sense that their health was low, then their command would be to retreat. While if they sense the player has low health, then they would proceed to attack more aggressively. As revolutionary as this system was when it first came out, its weaknesses were obvious. With such a finite number of responses, one could see that a gamer would eventually get bored with the game after encountering the same responses time after time. From the Finite State Machine, the Monte Carlo Search Tree algorithm was born. This Monte Carlo Search Tree proved to be a major leap forward from the Finite State Machine. As the algorithm did not simply look at current situations, but as well as the possible outcomes after that. From there, the algorithm evaluates each possible choice to the current situation, weights the risks and rewards, and then proceeds to choose the most beneficial choice. And then, from that choice the algorithm would repeat the same process. This algorithm is mainly seen in real-time strategy games, such as Civilization.  Where players are tasked with developing cities through a myriad of ways. The artificial intelligence essentially decides whether they want to defend, build, or attack the player depending on the current situation and possible proceeding situations.With this algorithm, video games became less predictable and proved to be a more varied and refreshing experience for gamers.

As advanced as these algorithms were, developers felt as if there was an element that was still missing from these artificial intelligences. That element was the artificial intelligence’s ability to learn. Even with the multitude of possibilities that could be created using the Monte Carlo Search Tree, developers still felt that in the end all these responses were still pre-programmed. They wanted for the artificial intelligence to be able to evolve on its own based on the gameplay style of the player. Shockingly, it is not a matter of money or hardware to be to do such a thing. Some developers oppose the idea of such a technology due to the fact that with its implementation they could possibly not have any control as to how the artificial intelligence would react on its own.

Enter Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar Games’ latest sandbox open world role playing game. It has been eight years since it started development, and many would say that those eight years were well spent and well worth the wait. As it is considered the most beautiful game Rockstar has ever released. Now these breath-taking graphics also plays a role in how the artificial intelligence works in the game believe it or not. Non-playable characters have more or less always been part of video games, as they provide more visuals and realism to a game. However, they have always been considered fluff for a video game as most times they do not provide any real depth to the game other than a couple pre-programmed responses. Red Dead Redemption 2 on the other hand, has taken the role of non-playable characters to a whole other level. As players are actually able to interact with each and every single non-playable character in the game. Not only are players able to interact with them, but each interaction can be completely different based on a multitude of factors. The non-playable characters take into account “your clothes, blood stains, mud, location, what they’re currently doing, how much alcohol you have consumed…” as well as other factors. Not only do non-playable characters react organically to the conditions around them, but they have the ability to remember past events and use that as context for future interactions. The game is set in the wild west after all, and so it goes without saying that gamers will come across wildlife. And before you even ask, yes even the animals are under influence of this advanced artificial intelligence. As they will also naturally respond to their environment. You may see herbivores running away from predators, vultures scavenging a carcass, or even a predator running away from an even bigger predator.

Rockstar has seemingly outdone itself again which seems near impossible with the bar they had set with their previous release of Grand Theft Auto 5. As it has long eclipsed the sale of a 100 million copies worldwide making it the best-selling entertainment product ever with over $6 billion dollars in revenue. It has been 5 years since its initial release and it is still regarded as the king of its genre, and so consumers had plenty of reason to be excited about the potential that Red Dead Redemption 2 had. Developers had a chance to test the limits they could reach with Red Dead Redemption 2 with the eventual release of the current generation of consoles and remastering Grand Theft Auto 5 to fit those consoles. By doing so, they were able to gauge what could be achieved on the current consoles and adjusted accordingly in their development of Red Dead Redemption 2.

As if the plethora of possible player interactions was not enough, Rockstar has appeared to also provide true depth to their non-playable characters as they actually have a life within the game. For years non-playable characters simply walked around, did a few animations, and the cycle would repeat. However, one YouTube channel by the name of DefendTheHouse decided to follow around three different non-playable characters and see what they did throughout an in-game day. Surprisingly, they acted as organically as a non-playable player possibly could. As they would sometimes grab a drink from a saloon, proceed to go to do actual work such as farming in no particular order, and then go back home at the end of the day to sleep.

As if consumers needed more reason to hop on this hype train, Red Dead Redemption has already been deemed the “highest rated game of this generation” according to Metacritic with a score of 98 and 97 on the Xbox One and PS4 respectively. In addition, IGN also has the video game rated at a ten out of ten. Stating that the game is on par with the greatest games of all time, the best story telling of any Rockstar game, and its replay ability is virtually endless. With their given track record of games and the current high the company is riding, consumers have more than enough reason to continue to trust Rockstar and the products that they put out.

It is apparent that Rockstar has exhausted nearly every possible resource at their exposal in order to develop Red Dead Redemption 2. For years game developers have been working to produce a game that provides the most organic and immersive experience for gamers. As detailed as this game is some may feel that this kind of game is only for the most experienced gamers, but if anything, this amount of detail has provided opportunities for even the most casual of gamers. With such open-ended gameplay, you the gamer essentially get to dictate your experience with the game. Rockstar has somehow managed to take the Finite State Machine and The Monte Carlo Search Tree mix them together and created something the world has never seen in video games. Red Dead Redemption 2 has without a doubt become the new standard for video game developers. And with that being said, gamers should easily be excited for the future landscape of video games, as the only place to go from here is up. Red Dead Redemption 2 is the first beast of its kind, so one can only imagine the endless possibilities future video games will provide. Regardless of what the future may hold, I think we can all agree when I say that Red Dead Redemption 2 has become the pinnacle of modern-day gaming and it will remain at the top for the foreseeable future.  

Works Cited

1. “Best of 2018: Red Dead Redemption 2 – How Advanced AI and Physics Create the Most Believable Open World Yet.” VG247, 12 Dec. 2018, www.vg247.com/2018/12/12/red-dead-redemption-2-physics-ai-euphoria-phil-hooker-interview/.
2. “AI in Video Games: New Promise with Red Dead Redemption 2?” Enlightened Digital, enlightened-digital.com/ai-in-video-games-new-promise-with-red-dead-redemption-2/.
3. “AI in Video Games: Toward a More Intelligent Game.” Science in the News, 28 Aug. 2017, sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/ai-video-games-toward-intelligent-game/.
4. “A Day in the Life of a Red Dead Redemption 2 NPC.” RockstarINTEL, 29 Nov. 2018, rockstarintel.com/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-red-dead-redemption-2-npc.
5. Morales, ByGreysun. “Red Dead Redemption 2 Is Now the Highest Rated Game of This Generation, According to Metacritic.” Twinfinite, 25 Oct. 2018, twinfinite.net/2018/10/red-dead-redemption-2-is-now-the-highest-rated-game-of-this-generation-according-to-metacritic/.