Red Dead Redemption 2 Review: 7 Ups & 3 Downs

5. The INSANE Visuals

It goes without saying that this is one hell of a handsome game, and while there are certainly shinier AAA offerings out there, there are probably none that manage to be this visually stunning while boasting this level of detail on this scale.

Rockstar has sensibly created an incredibly geographically diverse world map, and while the most impressive locations are certainly best left unspoiled, they vary wildly in terms of topography, climate and technology. It gives the developers a ripe opportunity to demonstrate what the RAGE engine is truly capable of.

There are so many visual moments in this game that'll just force you to stop riding, take a breath and soak in the artistry before you, and again, that such a robust project can look so impressive on five-year-old consoles is a masterstroke of engineering and design.

There are certainly a few aesthetic concessions if you want to nitpick - hair looks surprisingly awful almost universally and HDR support is disappointingly washed-out - but the fact that the game's visual majesty doesn't lose its lustre after 30+ hours is pretty mind-boggling.