I really wish that these opening deliberations would focus solely one the positives of each game and leave the nitpicking for deliberations later. The Division 2 discussion was dominated by those who had barely played the game.
Listening to Dan trash Red Dead earlier in the year I decided I wasn't going to watch GOTY. Looking at the list I'm very glad I didn't. Putting the game in the Most disappointing category is just madness.
@sharbok: I really disliked the controls for the first four or five hours of God Of War but it ended up being maybe me favourite game of the year. There are a number of other games that I have not enjoyed in the opening hours but gone on to love. If my job was in the games media I would have thought that there is an imperative to persist at least a little longer than your average player if you want your opinion to be taken seriously.
I'm now in Chapter 6 and just as riveted as I have been since the get go but listening and reflecting on Dan's criticisms I think he has some valid points....
RDR 2 offers you the illusion of freedom with its open world but is actually designed for you to tackle exploration of its world in a specific way. Most of the map is open after the first few hours but it is actually detrimental to the experience if you rush off and explore all of it straight away. As the story missions progress you are lead to each new corner of the map. The game even defines the chapters of its story around geography. The long trips that bookend each mission are intended to be your introduction/showcase of each new area. If you have already visited the region and spent a whole chunk of time there then naturally these will have less impact and will seem redundant and frustrating.
Similarly the story mission are often trying to dictate the pace at which you tackle the game's main plot. There are clearly mission that allow for breathing space between them (encouraging sidequests and other activities) whereas at other times it is clear that the plot is driving you to complete a sequence of story missions in quick succession. The developer is leading you through an 'ideal' playthrough of the game. The issue is, if you deviate from the formula things feel unnatural or lose emphasis.
It's a contradiction that I have found across the GTA and Red Dead series; by nature the game offers you almost total freedom but this freedom sits at odds with the experience the developers intend. This philosophy extends to the character of Arthur Morgan; you have a choice of how he can be played yet there is clearly a preferred story arc for him.
The part that I struggle with in Dan's criticism is how he discusses his love for the first game. These aspects have been common across all of Rockstar's games, particularly Red Dead Redemption so it is difficult to see how someone would only be taking issue with them now.
In my view, to get maximum enjoyment out of the single player campaign you need to follow the 'ideal playthrough' and I would recommend this approach to those who haven't started the game yet, but I can also understand people feeling frustrated by this aspect of the game and deciding it's not for them.
Wow, it's really hard reconciling these negative comments about RDR 2 with my own experiences of the game. I have had to tear myself away from it at the end of each session for the last three weeks. I'm at the end of Chapter 4 and have loved every story mission so far. It's particularly hard to understand how people who loved the first game are not enjoying this one, it really is a very similar experience in most regards. Can't wait to dive back in tomorrow.
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