Red Dead Redemption 2

It is 1899. The Van der Linde gang has botched a robbery in Blackwater and is fleeing into the snowy mountains, chased by lawmen and Pinkerton agents. Civilisation is closing in on the Wild West, and the outlaws know it — even if their charismatic leader, Dutch, refuses to admit it.

Arthur Morgan

You play Arthur, Dutch's most loyal enforcer. He begins as a blunt instrument and slowly becomes a man questioning everything he has done. The performance and writing around him are the heart of the game; by the final chapters, decisions about honour stop being a mechanic and start feeling personal.

A world that pays attention

Red Dead Redemption 2 is famous for its obsessive detail. Horses need to be brushed and bonded with. Camp members comment on what you bring back. Snow deforms under every step, mud clings to your boots, and strangers on the road remember whether you helped them last time. Some players find the deliberate pace slow; others find nothing else feels as real.

From swamps to mountains

The map stretches from the frozen Grizzlies to the bayous around Saint Denis, a smoky, electrified city that shows exactly what is replacing the frontier. In between are towns like Valentine and Strawberry, endless plains and hundreds of small, unmarked stories.

The legacy

The game has sold well over 70 million copies, and its soundtrack — including Daniel Lanois's That's the Way It Is, which plays during one unforgettable ride — is still on many players' playlists. Give it time; it rewards patience more than any other open world.