This game can not be overratted, it's simply pure awesomeness!!!
This masterpiece sandbox has been done so well, so perfectly i find it a next gen GTA. Classic R* gave such attention to details that you "ride" in harsh deserts, snowy mountains, paved cities and tundras as well as rivers, lakes, cliffs. Everything works for it's reality, you have an entire encyclopedia of animals and plants you can pick, kill, catch, skin and then sell their skins, horns etc.
You can buy horses, guns, medicine etc. participate in wagon or horse racing, card and luck games, robberies, fights and off course head to head draw duels. You meet a hole variety of people from mugs, drunks, revolutionaries, government agents and soldiers who take you trough this huge world of Wild West with a well paced and told story that will I REPEAT it will leave your jaw on the floor!!!
It takes you around 20 hrs to complete but then similar to GTA you have many side quests and missions to complete which are as far from boring or dull as possible and with all that you get an awesome multiplayer experience.
The graphics are amazing ( you can see horse muscles moving) , the sound and the music will bring all the needed atmosphere (classic Clint Eastwood western tunes) and the
stuff like day and night, weather, surroundings and encounters with vivid wildlife will keep you playing this game until your PS3 system YLOD's :)
This game deserved it's 10/10 status, it moved to new frontiers of gaming experience. Some may not like it but it cannot be overrated.
I highly recommend anyone who ever played GTA or watched westerns as a kid to get this game. You will not be disappointed. Hell it's so good it might make it to be a bigger addiction from WOW ;)