I'd like to preface this review by saying few things. This is gonna be a SPOILER FREE review and it will be based entirely on the story mode of the game. The review is my personal take on the game as a whole. So it is quite natural that some of the multitude of other players who have played/been playing this game may differ with what I am gonna write. Opinions are subjective and I am sure everyone understands that. Last but not the least I am writing a review after a long time. So bear with me. Having said all that, let's dive right into it.

OPEN WORLD

Red Dead Redemption 2's open world is arguably the best open world I have ever been a part of. It is a dynamic world teeming with life in every nook and cranny. From livestock towns to marshy swamps to hustling and bustling metropolis to snowclad mountains to barren desolate deserts the game presents you with amazing and varied environments and vistas to explore. The seamless blending of all these diverse locations as you traverse through the sprawling open world is truly impressive. There are no annoying loading screens which makes it all the more immersive.

GRAPHICS

The visual fidelity of the game is absolutely gorgeous. Not only the game presents you with breathtaking vistas but also the subtle effects as in the ears glowing red when sunlight falls on it is something I have never seen in a video game before. It is mind boggling how Rockstar have meticulously put such details into the game. The PC version truly shines in this regard.
Here are some screenshots:-
https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2025194373
https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2037065801
https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2006227680
STORY

I'd just like to give a general overview here. The story spans across a prologue, six chapters and a two part epilogue. It is well and truly one of the most memorable stories I have seen in a video game making the players go through a rollercoaster ride and experience a wide range of emotions. The characters are all fleshed out, the voice acting is impeccable and you really feel the bond growing with almost all of the gang members as you progress through the game. Overall it feels like a really well directed movie with an engrossing plot complimented by excellent writing. You just have to experience it for yourself.

GAMEPLAY

The gameplay is fairly simple but has some certain nuances about it. It is essentially a shooter as you gun down a large number of enemies in majority of the missions. There's the dead eye system which basically slows down time to take out multiple enemies in one go. Initially you start off with a very basic form of it but as you keep progressing you'll eventually unlock more advanced forms of it. There is also a cover system which is appreciated but imo it felt kind of clunky albeit it works fairly well. Stealth at times is a viable option with bows, arrows and throwing knives. However the inventory management is atrocious. It feels clumsy and dated. The horse AI is awful in this game as well. It is very poorly implemented. Talking about nuances since you'll be exploring the aforementioned diverse locations throughout your playthrough you'll have to dress up accordingly. For instance if you're high up in the mountains you'll have to wear warm clothing in order to prevent your health core from draining out and vice versa. Again the fact that you have to periodically clean the weapons in order to keep them functional is very cool as well. The game also offers extensive gun customization too. Having said all that, the most important part of your entire playthrough will be the gang's camp. As much as one would love to go out exploring and do missions, I was so hooked to just stay in the camp talking to all the gang members, listening to the conversations, their thoughts and the stories they had to share. There'll be times when the gang will be celebrating on some occasions and boy were those times so gratifying. It all felt so organic, spontaneous and natural. Last but not the least there's an honour system in game which basically is a scale to measure the good deeds (like helping people, offering alms etc) and bad deeds (stealing, killing innocents etc) and depending on your honour in game you'll be able to unlock various outfits, interesting encounters and even missions.

SIDE MISSIONS, ACTIVITIES AND EXPLORATION

There are a plethora of things to engage yourself with in this world. The best part about Red Dead Redemption 2 is the unforced exploration. The map is full of unmarked locations and Easter eggs that the players are free to explore at their own pace and it is rewarding especially the treasure hunts. Secondly, the side missions in game are so good. They are funny, well written and feature a wide range of diverse and memorable characters. However some side missions revolve around collectables and I am pretty sure those wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. Apart from those few tedious collectables all the side missions are genuinely good and all worth doing and there are quite a few of them. Lastly the random encounters in the game are equally brilliant and they are so varied and satisfying. For instance I helped a guy by giving him medicine who was dying in the forest after being bitten by a snake and later I met the same guy calling me out in a town and talking to his friend about how I helped him. As for reward, I got to buy a gun from the gunsmith for free. Very rewarding indeed! There are so many different types of these encounters scattered throughout the world and each and every one of them is rewarding in its own way. There are also theatre shows that you can watch and I was literally spellbound by the sheer quality of what I got to see. It is mind boggling to see the amount of effort that has gone into making this game. There are also mini games like Blackjack, Poker, Dominoes etc to partake in.

HUNTING

Now Hunting in this game is entirely optional but it is actually a full fledged side activity in itself that requires patience but it is extremely rewarding and satisfying. There are 178 different species of animals and birds in this game and a large number of them resides in their own natural habitat. Not only is hunting required to amass food for yourself but also providing the same to the gang. It is also required to craft satchels, outfits and even some of the aesthetic camp upgrades. The subtlety of hunting different species of animals with different weapons and ammo gives it a somewhat realistic touch. There are a large number of legendary animals to hunt too and each provides a unique perk after successfully hunting one. Same goes for fishing too.

CONCLUSION

I'd like to point out some things that has actually hindered my overall experience. The performance and optimization of the game is not good. Although there are many options to tinker with in the graphics settings, overall it just is a sub-par port in my opinion. Secondly the Rockstar launcher is a bad piece of software. Now I personally crashed only once to desktop while playing in my 200 plus hours of gameplay but the most annoying thing I have encountered is the bug where the game would crash right between the transition from loading screen to loading into the open world. Rockstar's official solution to that problem didn't work for me. However fortunately I did manage to work my way around it. Moreover connection issue kept bugging me too. It all stems from that travesty of a launcher. This is completely unacceptable for a AAA game. All the criticism and flak that the PC port has received are completely valid. Despite all that this is a game that I thoroughly enjoyed every minute that I was able to play and it was a journey that will forever be etched in my memory. I recommend it to everyone to try it out and see if it works for them.