Red Dead Redemption 2 is a disappointment

Red Dead Redemption 2 is the biggest example of the old way of building video games. It builds on top Rockstar’s foundation, but it does nothing to shake up or question those underlying elements. I think it is the best game the developer has ever made, but it accomplishes that because it is also the “most game” Rockstar has ever made.

I’m enjoying Red Dead Redemption 2 (so is Dean, who wrote our review), but it’s also frequently disappointing. I was expecting something different. And I’m not talking about better controls — although I’d love that. What I mean is that I thought Rockstar would build a world that would react to players. But instead, the studio built an astronomical number of static, scripted events. And while that is impressive, I can’t help but feel like Red Dead Redemption 2 is stuck in the past.