While I don't think it matches Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, it is definitely one of Rockstar's best games.
When I first heard media dudes talk about this game while it was in development, it really caught my ear, and it ended up being one of the few times a game like that didn't disappoint.
It's just as fun to ride a donkey through the woods and spend hours hunting animals as it is to play through the story. For the most part. It seems like each character arc you complete (if you are not familiar with GTA games, you meet various dudes who then hand out some missions to you until you help/kill them) is one or two missions too long. And at times trying to run through the woods on a donkey will be constantly interrupted with random mission encounters; I'm sure sane people can pass these up, but I always feel like I need to complete them, and this can turn a small trip into quite an ordeal if these start to stack up, which can be frustrating.
The mechanics of the gameplay themselves are good. A lot of the problems in GTA IV have been improved. Using your weapons and vehicles is easy and fun. I very rarely felt like I failed a mission because of the controls which is actually pretty rare in Rockstar games. It's also a lot of fun to look at, with interesting locations to visit and amazing skies. They also do a good job of making one part of barren desert completely distinct from another part of a barren desert, which is impressive. Normally one argues that you do not go to Rockstar games for the graphics, but I think this is a game that will hold up.
The multiplayer builds on a lot of the things they had in GTA IV, and made them better. Which is saying a lot because I sunk a lot of hours into that multiplayer.
Possibly the best thing about the game is the thing I can talk about the least. The ending is top notch. I read an article on the internet that said it serviced the narrative above all else and I can't say it much better than that.
All in all Rockstar made a great western. Considering the cross-generational appeal of that genre, I think this could be a great game to use to introduce someone to games who may not be into the usual subject matters they cover. Thus despite its imperfections, I think this is a game that belongs in almost everyone's collection.
