Sights & Sounds
- Everything in the game, from the architecture, to the characters, animals, and environments, is impressive to look at.
- The attention to detail, particularly in the character designs, is lovingly crafted. The textures and movement on hair and clothes are all notably well-done. I did notice some minor clipping here and there, but it wasn't enough to be distracting
- The music is all excellent, from the calming strings on the open prairie to the uptempo drums that beat under Arthur's shootouts
- The voice acting is stellar, lending additional depth and personality to each character
Story & Vibes
- Without delving into spoilers, the plot follows Arthur Morgan, a high-ranking member in a gang run by the notorious Dutch Van der Linde, and his compatriots as they search for a place to settle down and get the heat off of them after a heist gone wrong. I think this is a smart narrative choice by the game's writers, as it leaves the plot fairly open-ended and provided them a lot of freedom to explore the game's themes
- The major theme of the game is a search for identity and purpose in a rapidly changing world, where the way of the gunslinger is fades into the background behind the forces of industry, technology, and civilization. The writers often play the two sides of that dichotomy against each other to great effect
- Each major character you encounter is interesting in their own way. These side characters aid in filling out the world and carrying along the story while providing a great deal of flavor to both
- You can probably safely skip most of the random encounters (indicated by a "?" on the map and usually an auditory cue), but do try every side mission you can. They're all fun and provide some variety to the gameplay. The only side missions I didn't really enjoy were the hunts or anything involving driving a wagon
Playability & Replayability
- In spite of the game's many strengths, combat can feel a bit bland. Gunplay is either performed on foot with a basic cover system or on horseback where you're pursuing or being pursued, with the horseback portions being a bit more frantic and fun. You have some AoE weapons like dynamite and molotvs to aid you, but enemies are not often tightly grouped enough to justify it. You can just switch to bullet time and pop off a few headshots just as easily
- The horse riding in this game, which there's predictably a LOT of, just plain feels good. Even simply riding around the grasslands and taking in the sights and sounds is relaxing
- It wouldn't be a Rockstar property if there weren't addictive minigames. I spent more time than I care to admit playing dominoes and poker
- My only two major complaints: I didn't like herding animals (though this was rare), and driving wagons is a boring chore. Every time a character asked me to take the reins and drive them somewhere, I audibly sighed.
Overall Impressions
- This is definitely a game you're going to want to experience. I would recommend it to anyone. The story and characters are so good that it feels like a well-made 3-day long movie. It's one of the rare cases where the story, theming, and missions in a game are sufficient to make up for the minor blemishes in the gameplay
- If you're averse to Western themes, I'd still recommend giving this game a shot. It's that good
Final Verdict
- 10/10. Its minor flaws are forgivable when the rest of the game is so good
- Everything in the game, from the architecture, to the characters, animals, and environments, is impressive to look at.
- The attention to detail, particularly in the character designs, is lovingly crafted. The textures and movement on hair and clothes are all notably well-done. I did notice some minor clipping here and there, but it wasn't enough to be distracting
- The music is all excellent, from the calming strings on the open prairie to the uptempo drums that beat under Arthur's shootouts
- The voice acting is stellar, lending additional depth and personality to each character
Story & Vibes
- Without delving into spoilers, the plot follows Arthur Morgan, a high-ranking member in a gang run by the notorious Dutch Van der Linde, and his compatriots as they search for a place to settle down and get the heat off of them after a heist gone wrong. I think this is a smart narrative choice by the game's writers, as it leaves the plot fairly open-ended and provided them a lot of freedom to explore the game's themes
- The major theme of the game is a search for identity and purpose in a rapidly changing world, where the way of the gunslinger is fades into the background behind the forces of industry, technology, and civilization. The writers often play the two sides of that dichotomy against each other to great effect
- Each major character you encounter is interesting in their own way. These side characters aid in filling out the world and carrying along the story while providing a great deal of flavor to both
- You can probably safely skip most of the random encounters (indicated by a "?" on the map and usually an auditory cue), but do try every side mission you can. They're all fun and provide some variety to the gameplay. The only side missions I didn't really enjoy were the hunts or anything involving driving a wagon
Playability & Replayability
- In spite of the game's many strengths, combat can feel a bit bland. Gunplay is either performed on foot with a basic cover system or on horseback where you're pursuing or being pursued, with the horseback portions being a bit more frantic and fun. You have some AoE weapons like dynamite and molotvs to aid you, but enemies are not often tightly grouped enough to justify it. You can just switch to bullet time and pop off a few headshots just as easily
- The horse riding in this game, which there's predictably a LOT of, just plain feels good. Even simply riding around the grasslands and taking in the sights and sounds is relaxing
- It wouldn't be a Rockstar property if there weren't addictive minigames. I spent more time than I care to admit playing dominoes and poker
- My only two major complaints: I didn't like herding animals (though this was rare), and driving wagons is a boring chore. Every time a character asked me to take the reins and drive them somewhere, I audibly sighed.
Overall Impressions
- This is definitely a game you're going to want to experience. I would recommend it to anyone. The story and characters are so good that it feels like a well-made 3-day long movie. It's one of the rare cases where the story, theming, and missions in a game are sufficient to make up for the minor blemishes in the gameplay
- If you're averse to Western themes, I'd still recommend giving this game a shot. It's that good
Final Verdict
- 10/10. Its minor flaws are forgivable when the rest of the game is so good