Rockstar do it again
With the above said, when I first played it I don't think I thought much of it. In fact, there was a long lull as I put it down for a long while and only picked it up after several months. But then it really grew on me the more I played it!
The storytelling is terrific. The graphics and sound are great with lots of attention to detail to things like water and desert sand. You can also see the emotion on the characters faces. It has a spaghetti western feel to it due to it's soundtrack. It gives it that cheesy but exciting vibe.
The campaign is just as lengthy as the one in GTA IV and you will spend several days trying to reach the end. But as with GTA IV, the controls can sometimes feel a little stiff. It's no big deal and is something you get used to in a short while.
The difficulty in some of the side games can be a bit too hard, especially the dice game, but five finger fillet makes up for it with it's particular button combinations that are always the same, no matter what. There are plenty of side missions to complete but collecting treasure does not interest me, personally. Others involve some random characters that send you to do favours in exchange for cash, which are fun.
The problem with the cash in this game is that you don't get to spend a whole lot of it. You can loot dead guys for bullets, cash and whatever else and that will usually get you by but occasionally there will be a new gun that you can purchase from the gun store in the towns. Unfortunately, new significant items are sparse.
Combat play is fun and the developer have taken their time to deliver one that is mechanically sound. I thought the gun play was a little lacking on GTA IV. If you don't activate the cheats, that is. The Dead Eye feature is cool and you can shoot several villains all in one moment but it's not something that is a necessity and I found myself rarely using it. Occasionally you will get the chance to have a stand off with a character which can result in your death. But fear not, as this won't effect your main gameplay. You will just be bought back to wherever you were just before you entered the stand off. Here, it does involve some button mashing so you will need to be quick on the controls. I'm 50/50 with it. I win some, lose some.
RDR has become a classic in a relatively short amount of time and I can see why. It's a solid game that will give the player hours of fun in the campaign. The story delivers happiness, some funny moments and some sad ones which is a nice all round package.
Recommended.