Although this is said of almost every single new Rockstar product, Red Dead Redemption is arguably their best effort to date, if only because it distills all of the lessons they’ve learned from their previous titles into an engaging, expansive, and enthralling world. But the best part of Rockstar’s open-world oater is its honest and open appreciation for the iconic Western genre.

A gumbo of immaculate gun play, a story that stays stimulating until the very end and one of the most remarkable worlds seen in any game combines into this fantastic symbiosis. The sandbox genre has a new king, and his name is John Marston.

It’s tempting to say that Red Dead Redemption is ahead of its time, but the reality is that this is a game of and for the times. Rockstar shows an uncanny ability to hold a mirror up to society and remind us that present day hot button issues like racism, immigration, federal government power and personal freedoms are not only nothing new, they are deeply ingrained in American society. They are forces that helped to shape America into what it is, and their inclusion in Red Dead Redemption gives it a sense of authenticity that videogames in general lack.