My turn.
Have played about 6-7 hours total (about 5 hrs. SP).
First impressions:
The game is just visually stunning. It is so evocative of a bygone era that it makes you almost nostalgic about such (un)developed society. The life in the wilderness.
The horse-riding mechanics were a little quirky in the beginning but they get better as you play more. This is very similar to the GTA car physics.
The combat, especially shooting on horseback I have struggled with. I seem to have to slow down to a snail's pace before being able to lock on and blast fools. It seems quite hard to keep going at a good pace and then turn and blast as you need to hold "A" (xbox360) to keep going and also need to steer; kind of hard to do when you're turned around! LOL...
I just love riding out into the wilderness and being with the stillness of the plains. The cricket sounds and other animals are so cool and realistic.
Most of the game-play is identical to GTA IV. There are a few differences but if you know how to play GTA IV, RDR is all go.
The missions, honestly, suck for the most part. They are stilted and canned which makes the whole idea of spontaneous game play null and void.
This game would be top notch, IMO, if they have a co-op SP game. I guess Free Roam is like that, but the missions in MP are severely lacking. I found myself doing 4 "Gang Hideout" fights with a buddy. Other than that, you just ride around and blast some birds/skunks etc. It gets boring really fast. Also, if you go to a 'public' server, there are so many idiots who even though are "in your posse", will just shoot you for the hell of it. This is the worst thing about playing with people you don't know! 🙁
I would like to try an 8-person posse and tear shit up but do things cooperatively; hunting, blasting bandits, gang fights etc. It is too easy for one moron to ruin the fun. Of course, a "private" xbox LIVE match is really fun. We just need to have 16 "friends". lolol..
Glitches and faults:
Online, although I've played only for about 2 hours, is redonkulous. So many glitches and weird things going on. I was riding my horse and the horse wasn't there! lol... guns disappear and some animations are weak.
When you get shot/killed, it makes you respawn in McFarlane's Ranch (in SP). This is a major PITA for me as I was in Ridgewood once and I had to ride for 15 mins to get back. Is this normal? Do you have to respawn at that Ranch every time or can you change it?
Overall, I think Rockstar has again hit the ball out of the park with RDR. It brings a fresh perspective to the 'western' idea and can be loads of fun. It is a definite "BUY" IMO and $60 is well worth it.