Probably the most authentic feeling sandbox I have ever played. The characters are compelling and the narrative invokes complex emotions. You are really not sure how you are supposed to feel, because each character is in a different bracket of grey morality. I agree that it can be a bit dry at points, but it is still an amazing game and well worth trudging through. It is also visually and technically a masterpiece.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is Rockstars masterpiece. The most realistic game I've ever played. The story is one of the best you'll ever play through in a video game, the action is intense and fun, and the game is incredibly immersive. This was THE beat game of 2018 and I absolutely recommend giving it a play through or two.
What stands out the most to me with RDR2 is the amount of polish that went into it. It's incredibly detailed in terms of the mechanics, missions, and just the general interactions you have with NPCs and the world. The story and voice acting is topnotch, although I'm in the camp that feels that Dutch did get a little repetitive at times. There's also something that is so satisfying about the freedom you have to explore and decide how you want to interact with the people and places you discover. And the landscapes are drop-dead gorgeous.
Astounding world and encounters that never repeated in the near 100 hours I put into it. Memorable characters, an impactful story, and satisfying gunplay. This game is a benchmark for games as a storytelling medium. I tend to dislike Rockstar's game design, such as how buttons are always changing the actions they perform, so you can never truly feel like you've learned how to play the game. You are taught in the early game that pressing triangle is to pick up an object - like your hat on the floor. Later, you see some other object on the ground you wanna pick up? Well you have to press square to pick up that object, fuck you.