derFeef said:
Hm, so how similar to GTA is this? I stopped playing GTA IV after some hours because I did not like it at. Will wait for some deeper impressions from you guys as the "holy shit this game is dope" posts do not satisfy me
After a few missions, I was surprised at how quickly the GTA deja vu kicked in. So far the mission setup and flow are very familiar. It helps that the checkpoints are alot better though. The biggest difference is that the minigames and diversions are fantastic, and the multi is much, much better than the last game. Standoffs FTMFW. Much more to do in RDR...feels more like Saints Row than GTA4.
It cannot be overstated how the detailed environment sucks you into that era. You'll read this sentiment ad nauseum, and you can watch vids all day...but you gotta witness for yourself the way the sky, the scrub, the lighting and music come together perfectly the first time you mount a ridge. Beautiful vistas with armadillos, rabbits and skunks scurrying around here and there. It's impressive. Don't know how long that will be a factor though, as GTA's busy metropolis impressed me initially in the same way. This just seems so much more intimate and detailed.
Anywho, more impressions:
-Poker minigames are nicely done. Your AI opponents all have different playing styles that you can pick up on, and the stakes vary from place to place. It always feels fresh.
-At night you can run into dudes camped, and can join them just to hear stories.
-The horse mechanics are a little weird and overly complex, IMO. You have to "tap" to increase speed, and hold to maintain. I liked AC's simpler horse riding a little better.
-Spawn camping in multi can be a pain.
-The lobby brawling is pretty cool but remember, the fight controls don't activate until you vote to start. Took quite a few ass whoopings before I realized this. :lol
