Red Dead Redemption 2' is a huge, gorgeous waste of your time

Jess Joho of mashable.com writes.

This article contains spoilers for the entirety of Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2

Throughout the vast, sprawling, seemingly never-ending experience of Red Dead Redemption 2, I found myself asking the same question over and over again: Do I even want any of this?

[shinoff2183]

I enjoyed my time playing it so far

[tinchotin]

I enjoyed the first hours, until I noticed the real gameplay is very bad

[TheSinsibleOne]

Well you must be an new. When has gameplay EVER been good with R*, cept for max Payne

[Sunny_D]

@thesensible

That doesn’t make it okay to continue releasing bad gameplay and have people say “It’s R*! It’s what they do!”

[Tear111]

60 hours of gameplay = walking
20 hours picking stuffs
5 hours real gameplay

[neocores8055]

100% the controllers are stopping me from playing this gane. The lag latency they inputted is soo fuking bad

[carcarias]

I think your opinion will be far more commonplace as time goes on and the shine of this game wears thinner. At the moment people are still super-hyped and hoping for it to clean up GotY's.

Don't get me wrong, it is amazing in many ways but, as you point out, actual gameplay mechanics could be regarded as poor to mediocre, depending on how lenient the player is about these things.

Once things have died down though, in a year or so maybe, I think we'll see a greater chorus of more critical voices popping up in forums, comment sections and other gaming circles. They'll still praise the incredible world, detail and productions values but we'll see more people calling out the mechanics and therefore get a more well-rounded view of the games true merits. Imho anyway.

[ramiuk1]

games awesome to begin but becomes a real drag and towards the end its a fight to finish it imo.
its stunning throughout but things like horses which area huge part of the game are so awful

[fr0sty]

"Here's my opinion you didn't care to hear. Don't worry, it's extra controversial, gotta make sure a ton of you come into this thread and comment negative things to that temp goes up! Outrage is the best advertisement!"

[fonger08]

It’s a weird feeling playing something so beautiful and so well crafted, but have zero interest in the virtual world it’s set in. That being said I did enjoy the prologue far more than the main part of the game. I liked the missions and his story line far more.

[mkis007]

epilogue?

Also the reason for me is that it was too realistic and not enough of a blend of arcade. They should have had a second control scheme or play-style that played more like RDR. RDR had perfect cover, gunplay, and the travel system was forgiving. A game doesn't have to force us to be realistic to win us over.

[Profchaos]

I think the first games travel system took away from the world a lot I was an avid user of the quick travel system for my second playthrough I would quick travel between every mission I missed almost everything the world had to offer unless it was a clearly labelled stranger mission the entire game maybe took 12 hours tops.

But the world was also much more empty and the random events were more repetitive.

Rdr2 especially around lemoyne threw so much at me it would be a shame to skip it that being said towards the end of the game it would be useful

[mkis007]

Chaos

It isnt that I dont like the realism, it is just that sometimes I wish I could have had a choice to play a different way when I had limited time. Picking up each item individually was tedious. The horses just are not fast enough.

[fonger08]

Yes sorry epilogue. I agree having to press a button to do just about everything became a little tedious. I never could get into Arthur’s story arc really until the end when it seems his choices began to matter more. I’m glad a played it through, I just don’t feel the urge to be exploring it any further.

[Visceral89]

@mkis007 Isn't the cover and gun play basically the same as the first game? Honestly half way through the game, it did start to feel like a chore but the last quarter of the game was good. Don't ride your horse through Saint Denis, guaranteed to hit civilian and get negative honor if you kill them. The bank robbery's were also disappointing coming from GTA V. I know it's 120 years earlier so not as many creative options, but no planning or switching characters like GTA V heist missions, left them feeling weak.

[Silly Mammo]

I agree. All credit to R* for making such a high quality game, but I struggled to get into and enjoy the game. I'd find myself going days without playing it because for me it was too tedious. Again, they did an incredibly job with the game and I'm sure millions are loving it, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

[Spurg]

"Do I need my horse's dynamic testicle physics and shitting patterns? Does having to press R2 multiple times to drink a cup of coffee really add to my immersion in the world? What in god's name do mercilessly unforgiving collision physics contribute, aside from interruptions to story moments and YouTube fail compilations? How could details like oily and muddy water, custom mounting animations, and farting ever justify the cost of Rockstar Games employees' 100-hour work weeks?"
People like that just want dumbdown worlds like Farcry and Assassin's creed where everything is just a checklist.

[Prince-Ali]

no that's certianly not the case... it's not 'dumbeddown gameplay or smartened gameplay.. it's just gameplay design and mechanics that are supposed to balance realism and fun... and the simple truth is RDR2 gameplay realllyyy pushes on the hyper realism and it is certainly to the detriment of the fun factor of the game... the game just isn't fun to play and you chug through the game just to get through the story or (like me and quite a lot of people) you feel like you owe it to the game and purchase to see the game through because it is Red Dead after all.. but while you're playing the game if you ACTUALLY ask yourself the question "Am i having fun" the answer A LOT more often than not is.. 'No'... which is real sad.

[imtiyaz6]

This is so true. The game is no fun after you get over the gorgeous visuals. The controls are absolutely terrible too.

[william_cade]

RDR2 feels like a game to me - dead eye, take a billion bullets, auto aim, robbing a train solo etc A different feel but I don't think it comes close to realism (you don't have to do a lot of the stuff. Like you would in RL). And I have never had to ask "is this fun?" because the game is hard for me to put down. I forced myself to stop playing RDR2 to beat Ludwig in the Bloodborne DLC though XD

I think it comes down to the creators' vision and direction. Some people will enjoy it for the ride it is and some won't.

[Spurg]

"RDR2 gameplay realllyyy pushes on the hyper realism"
The game doesn't shove the realism down your throat, sure crafting can be tiresome but that's what makes it interesting. You can craft a whole bunch of stuff but the game makes a point of making it mundane so you don't feel like an overpowered machine by making 1000 fire arrows and explosive shotgun rounds which other games do. Same with hunting, they purposefully made skinning a long process so you don't shoot 5 pronghorn at once and skin them to exploit the game's economy.
This game should be appreciated for what does. I don't know what your meaning of fun is but if it involves doing a bunch of quest with a tacked on leveling system then RDR2 isn't the game for you. RDR2 has been meticulously crafted to be a game to be explored whether it's the hunting or the random events in the game RDR2 successfully achieves something that no game dares to even try and the closest thing RDR2 is The Witcher 3.

[DrumBeat]

Agreed. I asked that of myself a lot while playing. Ultimately I decided that the game play was pretty boring and kind of, well, bad. Pop, shoot, pop, shoot, pop, shoot. Loot this, loot that, loot this, loot that. After three hours you may feel dazed, unaccomplished, and unfulfilled. I know I felt this way.

I appreciate this more as art, and less as a video game. It's drag. It's drudge. It's like walking through sludge. I completed Arthur's story, and I'm halfway through the epilogue, but I don't really have a desire to continue, much less go online with it.

[MajorLazer]

RDR2 realism is flawed but I honestly would not have it any other way. Love the story and the realism adds to the storytelling without being overburdening (bar the constant button mashing for everything). The RPG mechanics were there but you could easily just ignore them if you weren't bothered The controls are clunky af though.

[Amplitude]

What the heck is wrong with you people this game is amazing and one of the most fun single player games I've played in a looong time

[starchild]

@dembutty

Yep, I've noticed the same pattern. They see every big multiplatform game as competition to their precious exclusives and feel the need to downplay them any way they can. Basically every big multiplatform game gets nitpicked to death. Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Battlefield V, Anthem and Red Dead Redemption 2 are just a few recent examples. But somehow the exclusives are never held to the same standards or raked over the coals in the same way. If the principal userbase of this site was used as a barometer for what's good and bad in gaming I would be led to believe that Sony exclusives are all amazing and every thing else ranges from mediocre to plain crap, which is veeery far from the reality.

[Razzer]

lol.....yeah, the problem is Sony's exclusives. Cuz that makes sense. smh

"They see every big multiplatform game as competition"

"They" do? Who is they? How about some names? Or do you just want to blindly generalize? There many who love Sony exclusives and multiplats alike. I'm one.

[starchild]

@Razzer

I never said Sony exclusives are a problem. Some are great, some aren't, just like any other type of game. But games aren't the problem.

The problem is with the way Sony exclusives and multiplats are portrayed respectively by the main group of fanboys that frequent this site. I'm not going to name names, because the overall pattern is obvious and those guilty of it know who they are.

Moreover, if I pointed out individuals I'm sure some of them would say "no, look, I said good things about "X", so that proves you wrong". Even though it really wouldn't. It's obvious that even extreme fanboys might have a soft spot for particular multiplats, but that doesn't change the fact that the overall tendency for most Sony fanboys on this site is to downplay multiplats much more than any other group of fanboys or gamers.

If someone doesn't engage in this behavior or other related fanboy behavior they have no reason to feel included in that group. There are plenty of normal gamers that choose to game on Sony platforms. I myself have owned every Sony console and I have enjoyed quite a number of their exclusives. However, being an owner, or even a fan, of something doesn't mean you have to be a fanatical one-sided fanboy.

[Sunny_D]

@starchild

It’s kind of ironic that you’d say that about Sony fanboys but then ignore the Xbox fanboys who will kiss the ass of any multiplatform game knowing full well it’s probably not that great of a game. That’s probably cause their console of choice doesn’t provide actual substance (aka: exclusives) so they cling to whatever they can get?

[zackeroniii]

Stop lying to yourself. Take off your fanboy goggles that you people view rockstar games with that controls are trash and if playing a game feels clunky, sluggish, and like a nuisance and chore and like you're wrestling with the game to control the player...then the game is purely just that a chore. You can't really tell me that RDR2 is fun and believe it...

[trouble_bubble]

WTF have you even played this? There’s checklist gameplay everywhere LOL!

Every frikkon mission has a challenge checklist if you want a gold. A list. Of checks. A check list. Kill this many guys from the hip, get there in three minutes. Worse than AC synchronization.

Camp is all checklist. Chicken coop, boat, fetch this guy a watch fetch that girl a pen fetch this boy a book. Checklists

Outfit and gear crafting at the skinner guy. Satchels. Wanted and Legendarys. More checklists for pelts and guts than anything I seen in recent memory. Frikking horse checklists, animal checklists, compendium checklists, trinket checklists, treasure map checklists, mission checklists. Why am I playing debt collection part V?

Why would they care if you hunt five deer at once? Look at the checklist they give you. If you don’t, you’re not crafting anything. So I stopped trying. Don’t tell me how to play

You are overpowered lol. You don’t need explosive ammo. Wtf you’re not fighting cyborgs lol. Auto-aim headshot. Done. I have more money than I need for infinite ammo.

Come on people. Come the frikk on. I just did a mission for the carnies that was all checklist. Catch a zebra here, a lion there, a dog here, bring zebra back here, fetch fetch fetch. If you think this is revolutionary game design worth dissing other games over you’re a newb.

[Gardenia]

They should have made a completely different setting and story with new characters and further back in time. Imagine riding with a small group and suddenly in the distance hundreds of Indians riding towards you.

But I guess the technology isn't ready for that yet

[mkis007]

I have a feeling they are telling the story of RDR backwards. The next game will end with the riverboat shootout and your character dying.

I just want to play as an Indian.

[warriorcase]

I get that feeling too. A trilogy going backwards. Unless its planned dlc, there was alotnof talk from rd1 and rd2 about the black water massacre which we never saw,the job that went wrong, and the woman that dutch shot that had camp members confused. Would maybe give further insight into dutch also.

Guess we'll find out in 10 years or more after the next gta or whatever else they turn out next

[StrawberryDiesel420]

Highly agree there should be more indian killing action but unfortunately in todays PC world that will probably never happen.

[pcz]

I doubt a game where you participate in a genocide would be well received.

That aside, the current gen is superficial. There has been no real advance to gameplay in videogames since perhaps the PlayStation/N64 era where we saw the move from 2D to 3D.

In essence, all of these games, red dead included are merely glorified PS1 era games with a new luck of paint.

It seems the industry just wait for Nintendo to bring about the next innovation.

[neutralgamer1992]

Since GTA:SA it feels like R* are going for more realism than fun

Sadly they won't change because of their games generating so much

[Prince-Ali]

10000% HOWEVER at least with GTA IV they built a very good story with Niko Belic and then the multiplayer was amazing! GTA V was when the ball was truly dropped and hope lost.

[Profchaos]

GTA v felt incredibly arcady I thought the realism was abandoned in v for over the top antics and a rediculas story. GTA IV had bank robberies sure but the escape was much more realistic compared the v and the big one.

In IV your a street level gangster who wants to get his head above water it's incredibly dark and gritty but v well your a errand boy for the fib running government ops at parts while planning g bank robberies it was like saints row and GTA IV had a baby and settled on a middle ground

[starchild]

Can't agree. I enjoy Red Dead Redemption 2 far more than I ever enjoyed GTA IV.

[Hungryalpaca]

Now ask yourself WHY their games generate so much.

Is it because they’re boring and painful to play?

[l33t_haxx0r]

Agreed. Didn't deserve the scores it got, boring empty game if you ask me

[Prince-Ali]

honestly... this is so true... I LITERALLY just finished the story like 15 minutes ago and i come on N4G and this article echos my sentiment exactly... this game is a gorgeous tech demo and has a serviceable storyline but honestly this game is NO WAYYY GOTY this game is SUCH A CHORE TO PLAY! And then the games story and characters are so undercooked and underwhelming in quite a few ways... the game is certainly a thing of beauty a a technical showpiece and as an overall package id score it 8.5-9 out of 10 but this game is certainly not this 'greatest of all time' people keep throwing out there...

[nyu1]

Game just isn't for you then.

Plenty of people love the game for the same reasons others don't like it - detail and simulation rather than just checklist gameplay.

[Whatever234]

What are you talking about ? He likes the game,he finished it and gives 8.5-9.I give it 8.5 but no more then that and definitely not as amazing as the critics score it ???????? Its just weird to give this game perfect scores.

[Angelin]

Did you play the game? It’s filled with checklists

[DrumBeat]

What really gets me is the way Arthur is written.

For about five or more straight missions, Arthur laments Dutch's decision making. He tells fellow gang members that Dutch is losing it, and that he disapproves of the path he's on. Rebuke after rebuke of Dutch by Arthur. In the end, he just goes with it. It makes no sense at all. Principled Arthur turns to pussy-assed Arthur on a dime!

This kind of nonsense goes on throughout the entire game, though. Arthur just goes against what he believes in time and time again.

NPC: Wanna do (something dangerous) Arthur?
Arthur: No, that sounds like a fiiiine way to get ourselves killed.
NPC: This that, this that.
Arthur: Oh, what the hell.

This theme kills Arthur as a character for me.

[MajorLazer]

The theme they explore is Arthur's flawed loyalty to the gang. He was always loyal, even when he shouldn't have and it was against his own morality. Right to the very end he was loyal 😢😭

[Hungryalpaca]

It seems you missed Arthur’s point then. That is his FLAW. He’s too loyal to the point of betraying his own principles.

[DuckOnQuack35]

Uhm he kept going because he knew he was going to die and he wanted to get the good people out safely before he did. I guess you have to actually pay attention to understand the story.

[SCW1982]

I am about 70% through the story and I have to say this game is getting really hard to finish.

[lelo2play]

As a PC gamer I guess I'm not missing much. Lot of people think the game is pretty, but boring and over-hyped.

Well Rockstar, you can keep your game.

[TheColbertinator]

Would love to play it on PC in the future honestly.

[lelo2play]

Definitely not at full price. Rockstar lost their chance for that... would probably purchase it on a heavy discount, but like I said, if it doesn't come to PC wouldn't be missing much.

[Angelin]

I’m very sorry for buying itday one 😞

[Hungryalpaca]

Only on N4G. Go pretty much everywhere else and people love it. If it ain’t Sony its not worthy of being great. Funny pattern I’ve noticed on here.

[AspiringProGenji]

Is that why the user scores in MT is around 7?

[DrumBeat]

I'm well aware of the Sony lean on this site, but this comment is a load of bull. People are lamenting this game all over the internet for many of the reasons people have given here. It's not as universally adored as some think.

People all over have grievances, from the clunkiness, to the boring gunplay, to the long-ass horse rides.

[Tankbusta40]

I really think they need a normal fast travel system. I like open world games but after the first 15 hours Ive seen the world and don't want to waste my valuable time gaming staring at the world instead of playing. I stopped playing because of the 15 minute horse rides to missions...then a 5 minute mission then another 15 minute horse ride.

[william_cade]

I have spent hours upon hours playing RDR2 and have enjoyed more than most games I have ever played, and I think it justifies itself as a well fleshed out open world game that looks amazing.

Also I don't mind the existential concepts that play in the background, but I have found nothing to be nihilistic in the game. For Arthur he questions the meaning of being an outlaw but he puts meaning in John, the boy and loyalty to a fault.

The game's vision is evident and people will not agree with it.

[DuckOnQuack35]

I think the story was amazing. I really felt for Arthur in the end.

[william_cade]

Same here - and his horse :/ It was one of the saddest endings :/

[Razzer]

I have no idea why anyone thinks R* makes games worth playing. That's me again just like I was with Zelda: BOTW. Everyone thinks the game is awesome and I can't bring myself to care about even starting any of their games up. To each their own.

[Orionsangel]

That's like saying all Games are a waste of time. Books and Movies are a waste of time. Only no none of them are a waste of time If you enjoyed them.

[starchild]

Exactly. I've loved my time in Red Dead Redemption 2 and that's all I care about. It's hilarious to see some gamers telling other gamers what they should play or what's a waste of time. Most non-gamers would say all gaming is a waste of time.

[-volt-]

It really is sluggish gameplay and far from the best looking game. It was hyped up a bit much.

[starchild]

I think it's the best looking open world game I've ever played. What more could we want? Only open world games that come close are The Witcher 3, Horizon Zero Dawn and Assassin's Creed Origins/Odyssey. And I still think Red Dead Redemption 2 is more detailed, more technically advanced and more interactive and believable than those others.

[Skankinruby]

Best rockstar game to date, although with their history of pointless storylines that's not saying much I guess.

[Veneno]

LA Noire has a fanstastic story and narrative.

[Razzer]

Only R* game I really enjoyed honestly.

[Skankinruby]

Forgot about that one actually, also a great game

[mafiahajeri]

The gun play was really dissapointing.

[Angelin]

Similar to Gta V... clunky

[marioJP87]

It's way too boring for me. Especially those super long ass horse rides to your destination.

[Tze_Viper]

Biggest mistake of the game for me was not setting the game a bit further back in time, during the golden age of the wild west. It would have allowed far better mechanics like building your gang, buying land and whatnot. The whole "the wild west is ending and we are being crushed by the state" didnt work for me.

I just wanted a "real" AAA wild west open world game. I honestly did not like the fact they are always on the run, having to live in a fucking camp, being chased and eveything going to shit all the time. sure hope the next one goes at least 20 years back in time and has a different "feel" to it.

Plus, the setting of rd2 is far too simillar to rd1. Both are a depressing tales of the end of the wild west. In rd1 it was already dead, but it was a story about an outlaw trying to escape its past and in rd2 its simply the final nail on the coffin for that era. When rd1 did it it was genius but with the technology we have now i really hoped they would go for the golden age of the wild west.

Maybe in 10 years...

[King_Noctis]

Who wrote this stuff anyway.

[AK91]

Thank you for exposing yourself Mashable I’ll be sure to ignore you from now on.

[DrumBeat]

Actually, she's right on the money.

[WillyC009]

No, she's really not. Maybe you agree but I certainly don't. On my second playthrough.

[jairusmonillas]

They should've just went with GTA 6 instead of this boring cowboy simulator (and i played this game https://psnprofiles.com/Jai... only to quit due to how boring and how slow it controls). If they didn't make this game we are probably only 2+ years away from GTA 6 instead of another 5+ years.

[BRAN117DON]

This is one of the best games ever created. Who doesnt like this game is not a true gamer and doesn't appreciate the work that the developers have put in. 122 hours in the game and im still finding new things to do. Well done Rockstar for this masterpiece of a game.

[FunAndGun]

I will gladly turn over my gamer card instead of playing this pop and shoot whack-a-mole cowboy simulator.

[Tzuno]

In these days when i play games i go straight story because secondary quests are the same in every game, go kill, fetch etc boring stuff, i am tired of their garbage, straight story and bye bye.

[DuckOnQuack35]

Wrong. Alot of people skipped the secondary quests. Most of them were close to the Witcher 3 side quests which were very good

[Artemidorus]

It's a good game just feels empty at points.

[Jojo1984]

This game didn't sell a ridiculous amount of copies just cuz it was made by rockstar. It's a really good game with a?really good story
Picking stuff up didn't need to b so slow but other than than that I don't have any real serious complaints. I was know what people would do differently when it comes to all the other shit people are complaining about. Constructive criticism please. Stop it hung n whining with out offering what u think would improve your complaints. This is one of the best games I ever played. The story is the best in a game in a long time.

[DuckOnQuack35]

Exactly.

[DuckOnQuack35]

Although GoW story was pretty good, just wish they would've finished the story instead of just cutting it short.

[HardcoreHDGamer]

You all seem to not appreciate what you have these days. RD2 is an absolute joy to play, I have played it slowly, enjoying all it has to offer, appreciating the hard work in the visuals, the immersive conversations by random passers-by and the effortless feeling that every new place I visit, there is lots to see and do.

I think the main problem these days with gamers is that you all want an instant gratification of an to unlock, an achievement or some form of reason to keep playing, other than actually just enjoying a game for what it is.

I am grateful that Rockstar does not cater to this call-of-duty age of repetitive gratification. They care enough to know that there are still people out there that appreciate feeling like they are part of a film.

So far, I have been blown away by everything this game has shown me.

[BoneMagnus]

I see your point, but video games were built on instant gratification from the get go - think Pac-Man and Galaga - it was all about getting to the next level and a higher score.

With RDR2, there are no levels, except for improved health and dead-eye - but those haven’t really made a difference in the way that hitting a new level in another game allows you to finally use the sword you’ve been carrying in your inventory.

There are better weapons, but they are limited by reality - and rightfully so.

GTA games at least are so over the top that you get to do some crazy things - and the shooting and driving levels seemed to make a difference.

For me RDR2 is the game to play when, like last night, I was too tired to be competitive online or play something intense like Dark Souls. I just did a few missions, advanced the story, got a bath, and put some rifling on my Springfield.

[william_cade]

Arcade games where built to get as much money out a person as possible. Packman never really ended? Did it? I fail to see games like Galaga gratifying - they were something to do while you were waiting for someone...Sunday fun

[EricLane]

I like the game a lot but I can't play it unless I have a solid 3 hours to commit to a sitdown. Those 3 hour windows come by rarely as a single parent. Hard to appreciate or enjoy something when you can't relax. Like a taking a dump.

[jeenyus]

The clickbait is strong.

[BoneMagnus]

I’m starting to lose interest - I’m at 22% completion.

I just don’t have the desire to explore - there’s just more land. I don’t have any desire to hunt or fish or search for the other things some people have you searching for. It just seems pointless.

I’ve just been completing story missions - which are decent.

I regret buying it digitally - now I can’t sell it.

I can see where some people love the game - guess it’s just not for me.

[BrettAwesome]

It might be a waste of YOUR time... But not of mine... unless you consider video games in general to be a waste of time.

[BrettAwesome]

You are a sorry bunch of cunts, aren't you? So you dumb fucks actually agree with the author that playing RDR2 is a waste of my time? What, I'm not allowed to enjoy it? If you all think it sucks that much, why did you buy it? You didn't remember what rockstar games feel like?

[_LarZen_]

Never cared much for these "me me me me" type of articles or blogs. It's a fantastic game and no one cares why you dont agree with the wast majority. Who are you anyways? That's right. A nobody like the rest of us.

[Jon_Targaryen]

I must've played a different game.

[Germaximus]

It is the most unfun game I have played since Ghostbusters.

[BrettAwesome]

You played Ghostbusters? Why? Couldn't you see a mile away that it was a shitty game?

[Germaximus]

LOL I'll usually try any game. =P

[sampsonon]

lol
i like it, but find it hard to play because it feels like a chore. still like t though, but it will take me a half a year to finish the story.

[SpinalRemains138]

It's definitely an enigma. The amount of time and love that R* put in to the game is apparent, only they put a majority of it toward the wrong things.

The game controls are bad. This is not debatable. Prompts appear and disappear which lead to things the player did not want. Like shooting an innocent, or doing other such actions. The incessant walking through tar scenes was entirely frustrating and the idea that pressing X to build things is fun, is wrong.

I did enjoy the game, but it could have been so much more.

[theshredded]

I bet 90% of the critics are pc gamers who haven't played the game....and the other 10% are people with short attention spans. Learn what you like and buy what you like, if not then gtfo with your bs opinion about good games. Games are different. And I'm glad this game is selling a lot and a lot of idiots and kids thinking this was GTA were disappointed and lost money.

[Dom_Estos]

Seriously, whatever happened to just fucking playing a game and enjoying it for what it is these days?

Today we have to have a 100 under the microscope articles, deconstructing and going through it with a fine tooth comb to be cynical and find negative points to it all.

[derek]

I'm sure what is there is top quality, but I just cant usually commit that amount of time to any game anymore.

[yay111]

Sigh, I think I've had enough of this website

[moomoo319]

I feel like this describes most every open world game. Its whether you enjoyed that wasted time I guess.

[DasTier]

Your opinion is bad.

Realistically you could also argue that all video games, or even just games (also movies & books) for that matter are a waste of time.

[drunkenspy007]

aren't all video games a waste of time? Doesn't stop me from playing them...

[akuarius87]

You are a gorgeous waste of time my friend.

[KaoSouL]

I had to force myself through to the end of the story. Luckily a beat it within 2 weeks and sold it on Ebay for $58... So the whole experience only cost me $1.99 + $3.25 in ebay and shipping fees.

[dennigo]

well it's nice to know i'm not alone, the world is gorgeous, the story is good up until a point and then it just drags on and on. and then it hits you you're wasting your time with this horse simulator where you spend more time riding your damn horse than actually doing anything fun!

[_FantasmA_]

Just like all of the GTA games, except for Vice City and Vice City Stories. Those were classics!

[hiawa23]

I am 32% through the game and honestly, I am blown away. This is my GOTY for 2018. Not a waste at all for me. Just so much to do.

[Traecy]

Haven't made it past chapter 2 yet because I agree that it's boring so I've been playing other recent games that came out. I'm about to start a month vac from work so I'll have plenty of time to get back to it. If chapter 3 is boring I won't even bother finishing it,I'll trade it in towards RE 2:Remake

[BrettAwesome]

N4g isn't about games anymore. It hasn't been in a long time. It's the place we go to be dicks. It's where we get our anger and frustration out. N4g is a sad place, and we're a bunch of wankers.