This is easily one of, If not the, best narratives in a game, ever. The story is so gripping, and every single step pulls the rope tighter and tighter. By the end, you have consumed an epic. So much has happened
At the same time, though, this game's length bothered me. I found myself far more interested in the story than anything else, so I rarely explored or did much else other than story past the first chapter. Part of that is because this game took me a month and half of rushing to beat. It's insanely long. And unlike some more recent games like Elden Ring, where exploration is constantly giving you new items that change the way you play and make you stronger, exploration in Red Dead 2 largely just exists as a tour of a beautiful setting, where you might encounter a few funny characters, or an interesting scene. Maybe I'm just impatient, but unless I was really in that "let's roleplay as Arthur and go on a fishing trip" kind of mood, I felt as if I was wasting my time exploring the world. The missions, at some point, also started to get repetitive. Almost every mission has the same structure: Cutscene -> task -> task inevitably devolves into a shootout -> escape from shootout. Don't get me wrong, the gunplay in this game is amazing and immensely satisfying and really channels the feeling of badass gunslinging cowboy, but when every mission is essentially the same fight in a different place, it can get slightly stale.
Overall, though, this game comes highly recommended from me. I may have sounded very negative in my middle section, but I promise I do love this game. I enjoyed most of the time I spent as Arthur Morgan mowing people down with my dual pistols. I enjoyed the shear amount of detail this game had to offer. While I didn't do it often, the hunting and fishing this game offers is actually fun, unlike many other games. The open world, while I personally didn't spend much time exploring it, was incredibly beautiful and filled with details. And what really shines is the absolutely incredible story this game tells. You will likely be doing impressions of Dutch and Arthur for years after. You won't forget it. Along with The Last of Us, this game contains one of my favorite stories I've ever played. All I can warn is that you should not expect this game to be short, especially if you end up exploring and doing the optional content. You'll be here for a while.
At the same time, though, this game's length bothered me. I found myself far more interested in the story than anything else, so I rarely explored or did much else other than story past the first chapter. Part of that is because this game took me a month and half of rushing to beat. It's insanely long. And unlike some more recent games like Elden Ring, where exploration is constantly giving you new items that change the way you play and make you stronger, exploration in Red Dead 2 largely just exists as a tour of a beautiful setting, where you might encounter a few funny characters, or an interesting scene. Maybe I'm just impatient, but unless I was really in that "let's roleplay as Arthur and go on a fishing trip" kind of mood, I felt as if I was wasting my time exploring the world. The missions, at some point, also started to get repetitive. Almost every mission has the same structure: Cutscene -> task -> task inevitably devolves into a shootout -> escape from shootout. Don't get me wrong, the gunplay in this game is amazing and immensely satisfying and really channels the feeling of badass gunslinging cowboy, but when every mission is essentially the same fight in a different place, it can get slightly stale.
Overall, though, this game comes highly recommended from me. I may have sounded very negative in my middle section, but I promise I do love this game. I enjoyed most of the time I spent as Arthur Morgan mowing people down with my dual pistols. I enjoyed the shear amount of detail this game had to offer. While I didn't do it often, the hunting and fishing this game offers is actually fun, unlike many other games. The open world, while I personally didn't spend much time exploring it, was incredibly beautiful and filled with details. And what really shines is the absolutely incredible story this game tells. You will likely be doing impressions of Dutch and Arthur for years after. You won't forget it. Along with The Last of Us, this game contains one of my favorite stories I've ever played. All I can warn is that you should not expect this game to be short, especially if you end up exploring and doing the optional content. You'll be here for a while.