It was THE most anticipated gaming release of the year, and specialist websites were unanimous: they all rated Red Dead Redemption as the ultimate open-world video game.
At Squad, three of us tried out Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2) and our feedback is... more nuanced.
The open world and its graphics.
Without getting into technical jargon, you can tell from the very first few minutes that RDR2 is a heavyweight and that the developers have taken great care to fine-tune the experience. It's easy to get lost in the highly immersive landscapes, and we love the nuances of the weather effects and the gradual transition from day to night. It's obvious that the eight years between the two installments are greatly justified in this regard, which is—let's note—the main selling point or marketing argument. The rave reviews of the game focus heavily on this "wow" effect.
What about gameplay?
Once again, let's not be too harsh: the gameplay remains fairly smooth... although. You can sense that there are some issues as the game progresses. For example, the ultra-realism of the obstacles represented by each tree, stump, descent, rock, etc. can drive the player to the brink of a nervous breakdown, as the gameplay requires surgical precision.
As for the (very) long horse rides, while they encourage immersion in the aforementioned graphics, they remain lengthy stretches that unfortunately slow down the pace of the game, especially since the open world is gigantic.
In practice, who is RDR2 aimed at?
So yes, fans of games like Morrowind will find something to enjoy here. However, for more casual gamers, two factors make this journey to the Far West seem like a rather difficult trip to an exclusive universe:
- The multitude of missions, commands, or actions can become a hindrance to immersion. For example, to get a larger carrying bag, you will have to hunt two specific animal species... out of the 250 or so that exist.
- The graphic overload, the appropriateness of the storyline at times, the pointillism in the abrupt reaction of the universe, and the myriad of possible actions sometimes make us think that—if Red Dead Redemption 1 was already rated 9/10 by GameKult, the second installment would deserve a rating that is, at most, equivalent.
In the end: "Must have" or "Publicity stunt"?
Our opinions are rather mixed on the matter. Probably a bit of both. After hearing (too often) from gaming bloggers that there would be a "before" and "after" RDR2, it's clear that "yes," it's a very well-finished game and exactly what we expected from Rockstar for asecond installment. Despite this, let's not overlook other existing games (set in other eras) in the open-world format. We're thinking, for example, of the latest Assassin's Creed and even GTA, which remain essential titles in the genre.
We are not the only ones who have had a more decisive view of RDR2. See also this fairly explicit video on the subject by Sheshounet.
