Red Dead Redemption 2 is an instant classic and fine successor to the first. The game starts off with a snowy scene, and depicts the main character as a part of a small cowboy gang running from the law and fighting for their lives. This prologue stands around two hours, and takes place in a winterous environment. The intro drags on at a slower, yet enjoyable pace; after that, the game throws you into the massive open world. It gives you the option to play main missions and experience the cowboy life, or to just explore the massive open world and experience its many wonders.

One of the ways you can truly see the density and richness of the open world is by going into one of the many towns. Once you enter a town, you can see npcs living their everyday life: drunkards in the saloons, builders building houses, and shepherds leading sheep. You can step into the general store and buy anything you see, go to the gun store and customize your rifle,  you can do nearly anything. And the best part is, you can interact and talk to anyone you see. But with the jam packed towns comes a spacious, yet full wilderness. When exploring the less populated wilderness, your surroundings feel vibrant and alive. With many random events and hidden characters, it gives you a variety of things to do while exploring this thriving open world and makes the world of Read Dead Redemption 2 feel just that much more full.

With this being a cowboy game, you would only expect a hard and unforgiving desert, yet you get quite the opposite. In Red Dead Redemption 2, you can explore great snowy mountains, dense forests, flooded swamps, and open plains. In these biomes there are a variety of animals ranging from bears to snakes, but with this open world comes a rich story. Though you would think the old cowboy western would be stale and dry, with meticulously crafted dialogue and clever character development, the story stands as the cherry on top. With the game’s realism and its ability to keep you entertained no matter what, I believe that it has easily taken the spot of the best game of 2018.