Really loving this game. Rockstar have crafted a beautiful, distinctive world that is both interesting and exciting - sometimes too exciting... stupid predators.
Outside of the main story quests, missions are just reasons to go to some point on a map, but not so much to complete your objective but see something new or interesting and have whatever adventures the game world will throw at you.
This many hours in the original RDR I'd had a dozen of the 'random' events (a lady asking for help, a couple of guns hiding behind a rock ready to ambush me) to the point where I just rode around the area in a wide arc but RDR2 is so much better. I've already had a couple of instances of helping somebody and it paying off big hours and hours later on that I'd almost forgotten the person I helped, and the game acknowledges this by having the person remind you what you did, where and when.
I like the pacing and the way the story (at least so far) never makes you feel there is tremendous urgency do any particular thing. Once you're out of the tutorial zone, it just opens up. Do that thing now if you want, or don't. Do it latter or never. Compared to Witcher 3 where it's greatly impressed upon you many times in the story that object X is critical. If my daughter's life is in danger why would waste time to help some old baggage find her lost locket?
Like Xbat, I like the way Arthur feels. He's a big guy, not Max Payne. He feels 'right'. And his character, which I'm playing as honourable, is warming to me. He's pretty much a blank slate at the start of the game but his interactions feel warmer now which I assume is a consequence of honour.
At first i was not really impressed, thought it was ok, or even rough looking at times. But once you leave the snowy area and settle in the second camp, it really takes off, the vistas are beautiful.
Starting in the snowy area is genius because it is still beautiful but moving into the heartlands is an absolute visual treat. And you know the next area you move into will look even better. I'm tempted to head into St. Denis, but I'm holding back until the game is ready to send me there for whatever reason.
There are so many things that baffle my mind that I can't list them all:
- Horse riding, following the gang by pressing X. Sometimes it seems to work, sometimes it does not. Pressing double X change position. Sometimes work, sometimes not. This is a system used 95% of the gameplay time so far...how can this be so clunky/glitchy?
This works consistently for me. Double-tap X to move up, R1 to drop back.
- and what about the crazy menus...you sometimes have to go down several layers in a menu...then use circle to went them up again
If you hold CIRCLE, you exit all the way out. Holding Options takes you straight into the map. There are probably some other shortcuts that the game doesn't tell you about because it hates you.
I've now got used to the menu system. I still don't like it but it no longer frustrates me and it's not something you're using a lot for the most part. However, I am now addicted to poker so my already poor campaign progression is about to get even slower. A real shame Liars's Dice doesn't appear to be in the game, I really liked that in RDR.
Weapons work very different in RDR2, similar to how their real world counterparts. 
I'm betting at some point, transport like trains and stagecoaches will become appealing and useful.
