Red Dead Redemption 2 Review: 7 Ups & 3 Downs

6. The Involving Story & Rich Characters

RDR2's story isn't as thematically rich or poignant as the first game's, but it's certainly a lot more ambitious, clocking in at around 30 hours on the lower end, and that's if you forego the side content entirely. Arthur Morgan, meanwhile, isn't quite the fan favourite charmer that John Marston was, but he's still an effortlessly classic Rockstar protagonist.

What really elevates the game however, as is usual for the developers' work, is the marvellous supporting cast of characters.

Especially engaging are gang leader Dutch van der Linde, Lenny Summers - who, in one of the game's best missions, has a drunken night out with Arthur - violent reprobate Micah Bell, vengeance-craving outlaw Sadie Adler and, of course, John Marston, who is cleverly re-contextualised within this new prequel story.

Even when the story has its heavy-handed or slack moments, the wonderfully memorable characters keep it on the right side of engaging.