Red Dead Redemption 2: 9 Reasons It's Not Game Of The Year 2018

9. Controls & Interactivity Are Occasionally Terrible

Much has been made of Red Dead 2's wading-through-treacle animation system, and though you can argue this languid, lumbering approach factors into the overall story and tone, it's almost a requirement to delve into the game settings and make everything more responsive.

Speaking of controls specifically, at any given time Red Dead 2's "pick up" or "interact" button can be one of three face buttons. And if you're trying to pick up a gun, it's L1.

Why? Because Rockstar.

For the most part you're given a contextual menu, but you never - from moment one to hour 100 - get into that video game sense of flow where you can approach a scenario and instinctually press the right button.

In combat, things get sporadically worse. The auto-lock cover system will bolt you to the side of a surface, now in open fire, resulting in an awkward sprint back out and around into safer ground. Manoeuvring around enemies, looting bodies, being in the right place to pick up the spoils of your last duel is all delayed or otherwise affected by animation priority.

You do fight with these systems for so long that frustration gets minimised over time, but you shouldn't have to, plain and simple.