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

2. It's Impressive, Not Entertaining

"Look at Arthur's ear cartilage, you can see through it!"

"If you shoot boats, they'll sink!"

"A horse's balls shrink in the cold!"

All of these things - and PLENTY more - are testament to just how much time and money Rockstar have at their disposal, and in an inverted way, it is impressive on a scale we can barely measure as to how much of an accomplishment Red Dead Redemption 2 is in this regard.

That said... none of these things are anything more than a "Oh, that's cool!" reaction. Bar leaping to vehicles and the occasionally-does-what-you-want dialogue system, there's not a single new meaningful gameplay mechanic in the entire game.

Instead, Rockstar spent their time fleshing out and extrapolating the open-world side of things. The skinning animations, bullet holes in hats, clothing deterioration, hair growth, etc.

It results in something that is forever impressive and brings the wow factor every time, sure, but it's in every area OTHER than gameplay.