Red Dead Redemption, I think, runs itself a little thin.
The first act is a fun enough "heist-like" story line of getting into a fort. Gathering allies and supplies to support it, meeting likeable characters, all spear-lined by the very enjoyable protag that is John Marston.
Once it reaches Act 2 (Mexico), it is still going for a little bit, but it ultimately feels like a fucking slog. Maybe that's on purpose to get us to feel like Marston, because god knows he's just as frustrated as being led along by a bunch of unlikeable characters. The Landon Rickets missions have the only really enjoyable character in all of Mexico; the army's leader is a terrible terrible facist, and the revolutionary's leader is also just weirdly gross too. Not a lot of gameplay variety with the missions too, and the game wears itself very thin. The horse riding mission to mission isn't very engaging, I don't really think its bad for their realistic cowboy sim, but it doesn't engross me.
Act 3 is good, feels a little short for how important Dutch is. Also just got angry with the normal Rockstar'd in some missions here (and in Mexico). You know what I mean, I want to try and experiment in a mission, but I can't. There should be way more options for non-lethal. The lasso is extremely fun to me, and I can barely use it in the main missions. Hell there was even I side mission where I had to duel someone, and was forced to kill him instead of shooting the gun out his hand. Its just frustrating.
Act 4 is a good bookend. I like seeing Marston engaging in dialogue with his family, having likeable people again. It does feel short however and the ending kind of just happens. I do think it is kind of kino how that switch plays out, but the story does kind of just peters out.
Overall, yeah this probably is quintessential cowboy media if you want to do a realistic cowboy sim (Red Dead 2 is probably even better than this for that), but I barely even engaged with the open world aspect. And if I didn't really engage too much with the world, I don't see what I really gained from this except seeing what was up with this 7th gen mega hit.
The first act is a fun enough "heist-like" story line of getting into a fort. Gathering allies and supplies to support it, meeting likeable characters, all spear-lined by the very enjoyable protag that is John Marston.
Once it reaches Act 2 (Mexico), it is still going for a little bit, but it ultimately feels like a fucking slog. Maybe that's on purpose to get us to feel like Marston, because god knows he's just as frustrated as being led along by a bunch of unlikeable characters. The Landon Rickets missions have the only really enjoyable character in all of Mexico; the army's leader is a terrible terrible facist, and the revolutionary's leader is also just weirdly gross too. Not a lot of gameplay variety with the missions too, and the game wears itself very thin. The horse riding mission to mission isn't very engaging, I don't really think its bad for their realistic cowboy sim, but it doesn't engross me.
Act 3 is good, feels a little short for how important Dutch is. Also just got angry with the normal Rockstar'd in some missions here (and in Mexico). You know what I mean, I want to try and experiment in a mission, but I can't. There should be way more options for non-lethal. The lasso is extremely fun to me, and I can barely use it in the main missions. Hell there was even I side mission where I had to duel someone, and was forced to kill him instead of shooting the gun out his hand. Its just frustrating.
Act 4 is a good bookend. I like seeing Marston engaging in dialogue with his family, having likeable people again. It does feel short however and the ending kind of just happens. I do think it is kind of kino how that switch plays out, but the story does kind of just peters out.
Overall, yeah this probably is quintessential cowboy media if you want to do a realistic cowboy sim (Red Dead 2 is probably even better than this for that), but I barely even engaged with the open world aspect. And if I didn't really engage too much with the world, I don't see what I really gained from this except seeing what was up with this 7th gen mega hit.