Finally played this classic that gets a lot of love online. While it didn’t quite reach the legendary status for me that it has for some people it’s still a really solid western game that knows how to tell its story.
What struck me most is how the game lets things breathe. The world is huge and empty in a good way. You’ll ride for minutes across the desert with nothing happening and it feels intentional. When a shootout finally breaks out it has real impact because of all that quiet buildup. Not every game needs constant action and this one gets that.
The gameplay is simpler than I expected from all the hype. Combat basically comes down to using Dead Eye to slow time and mark targets. The lasso is fun for capturing bounties alive. Missions are mostly riding somewhere and shooting people or chasing someone on horseback. It’s not complex but it works for what the game wants to be.
Side activities help break things up without feeling like padding. Playing poker in a saloon feels right for the setting. Hunting animals for pelts gives you something to do while exploring. Random encounters keep rides interesting when someone needs help or bandits try to rob you. Everything fits the western theme perfectly.
John Marston’s story of hunting down his old gang members is well told even if it moves slowly. The game takes forever to really get going but once you hit Mexico and start meeting more characters it picks up. That ending sequence hit me pretty hard. Without spoiling anything the way it wraps up John’s story and then keeps going with the epilogue was unexpected and effective.
The world itself is the real star though. Riding through different regions from the snowy mountains to the Mexican desert each area feels distinct. Towns have their own character and NPCs go about their daily routines making everything feel lived in. The attention to detail in creating this version of the dying Old West is impressive even now.
Playing on Switch works better than I expected. The port runs smooth enough and being able to play this handheld is pretty cool. Load times are fine and I didn’t have any major technical issues. Graphics obviously aren’t as good as other versions but it still looks decent for what it is.
I get why people love this game so much even if it didn’t completely blow me away like it seems to for others. The story is genuinely good and the way it captures that western atmosphere is excellent. It’s a game that respects your intelligence and doesn’t rush you through everything. Worth playing if you want a different pace from modern open world games that throw icons at you every five seconds.
20 hours well spent even if I probably won’t replay it like some people do. Good game that tells its story and gets out.