In some ways, the absolute pinnacle of interactive narrative entertainment to date. Especially in its early hours, the band of NPCs you live with feel more naturally characterized and fleshed out than anything else I’ve experienced. The world is so lovingly crafted and beautiful.

The only knocks against it are that A) it considerably overstays its welcome, and B) the fundamental mission structure and basic “map game” open-world construction feel like Rockstar resting on its laurels. A world this subtle, rich, and nuanced deserves—almost demands—a game structure that feels more naturalistic. Arthur’s journal, a painstakingly detailed little filigree, is basically pointless as the GTA-style map and menu interface makes it 100% explicit what missions are available to you and where you can walk to trigger them. It’s a nitpick, but I wish the game preserved a little more mystery. I wish, like classic Elder Scroll entries or something, you had to interpret the journal notes, forcing you to explore more of the nooks and crannies of this expansive world in order to find that person you’re meaning tot all to.

I criticize only because it can take it. Because, apart from dated mechanics, it’s a strong contender for GOAT.

Writing: 5/5
Gameplay: 3/5
Art Design & Visuals: 5/5
Voices & Sounds: 4/5
Atmosphere & Immersion: 5/5

I will never ever like Rockstar's gameplay choices. The amount of times I accidentally pointed a gun at people or punched them (or my horse) when I just wanted to get in the damn saddle or greet them was embarrassing. And amusing of course.

I had too much fun hunting innocent wildlife I think but I got eaten by bears often enough to balance my in-game karma I guess.

Some mane color options that looked a bit more natural would have been appreciated too. I mean: It's easy to find your horse if it's got a blinding white mane wit purple tips but that was a weird break in immersion that I don't get why it exists.

I waited 8 years for this game and would have gladly waited 8 more years if in exchange for no one in the developer team having to do crunch time. It makes me furious to think about that.
Because yes, this is a masterpiece and I love it and cherish it and own the ost and limited box and all the jazz but I have played other games that were MORE memorable for me, who I own MORE merch from and wrote fricking FF for and I highly doubt that that the development of those games was as shitty as that of rdr2.

It's also really a downer story. Why do people think "grown up" or "adult" stories have to be depressing...?

Also, you can't pet the cat and there's only one breed of them. What the fuck, that's cat erasue.
The dog's are cute tho.

Beside that I had much fun playing my little pony with this one. Probably wasn't the intention but here we are. Insert shrug emoji.
We need emoji's here.

Fuck man I loved this game. Extremely engaging and very well made with an almost ridiculous attention to detail, especially for a big ass open world game. The characters were very memorable and the actors gave their all, even the minor NPCs you see strolling around town or riding their horses are well realized. Arthur Morgan is probably the single best video game protagonist I've ever seen, he's just such an interesting character. When the music kicks in, its amazing and compliments the on screen action greatly, graphics wise this is legit the first game that has made my jaw drop at how fucking beautiful it is at times.

The shootybangs are okay, but that's all. Guns sound great and they kick like a mule, but shooting them is kinda mediocre. The default autoaim snaps like a hungry shark and you can snipe anything on the same postcode as you with a shotgun, and I never found a specific set of tweaks in the options menu, things like reducing the autoaim or the sensitivity that made the combat fully click for me. Speaking of not clicking, the first person mode. It was cool for exploring sometimes, but for combat it was just awful, no matter what I did in the options, it still felt off. Its basically impossible to control your horse, the camera feels way too cramped even at the maximum possible FOV, and even walking or running feels like controlling a camera taped on top of a roomba. Despite this, I still adore this game and from all that I've played this year this might as well be my GOTY despite coming out on 2018

At first glance one would have to say this is better than RDR1. Everything from the graphics, game play, production values, etc. But after playing it and reflecting upon it there is something that RDR2 that didn't quite hit the same note as its predecessor. While RDR1 had that Faulkner/Hemingway-esque attitude and story telling to bring... RDR2 seems way too romantic or hollywood driven? If that is on purpose than it must be that it really isn't up to my tastes. On the other hand, this game undeniably great in its game production. I may have made it sound like the story may have been a downgrade but it is leagues above anything that I have mostly played in my life. Perhaps, because of its open worldness I that I've must of missed a lot of detail in the game and in its characters. Would still recommend if you aren't even a fan of the genre though.

I've completed this game twice and am on my third play-through and the game still manages to amaze me, the game is so detailed in the sense of world building you can find things you missed even after three play-throughs or more. Rockstar's best game imo, and their best graphiced game too. The characters are way more easy to sympathize with than any other of Rockstar's titles. RDR2 was the first time I ever cried over a video and for that I give it 5 stars, as well as my favourite game of all time.