Shame, I think a lot less could have been done in other areas to allow for the "typical RPG-like places" to make the world more meaningful. Crafting is a rabbit hole I feel could have been avoided, and while interesting, I think the Ashes of War convolute what I felt was better done in previous games where you found a weapon you liked and focused on it. ER is a great game, but to call it overwhelming in terms of its available options is an understatement; it's like having my head shoved into the troughs at an all-you-can-eat buffet when I only had a mild appetite.
I'll probably bite the bullet and give it a try, most likely when I hit the next brick wall in ER (which will likely be soon since I hear tell the next main areas I'm facing aren't very... accommodating.)
I think ER was definitely a bit too ambitious for its own good, but can understand how they got to that mindset after doing everything else. It’s basically a culmination of the past six games, along with having its own hook. More than ever most of the content is optional here though, and that was a smart design choice imo. It allows the player to kind of pick their way through it their own way, with only a handful of requirements progression-wise.
Being essentially a love letter to character building too, it has loot up the yin yang to trick things out however you want, so for me it’s been their most replayable game by far (NG+ mind you; I’ve never replayed any of these games from scratch and in that respect ER would be painful with my limited free time).
The big thing about both these games is the slow burn factor. Both worlds are tailored more towards something to “get lost in” vs tackle for completion status or anything progression related. Especially RDR2, where are so many neat hidden things and details that give it that “lived in” feel.
