Review: Finally, a game that's quick on the draw

★★★★ out of four stars

Publisher: Rockstar Games.

Systems: Xbox 360, PS3.

Price: $60.

Rating: Mature; blood, intense violence, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content, use of drugs.

Concept: Transpose the "Grand Theft Auto" game-play template into the Wild West.

Graphics: Breathtaking scenery, unrivaled horse animations, and vastly improved cinematic cut scenes over "GTA IV" make this the best-looking Rockstar game to date.

Playability: The airtight aiming and cover system will be familiar to anyone who has played "GTA IV." The horses control better than those in any other game.

Entertainment: Rockstar ably re-creates an expansive send-up to frontier life and gives players enough variety to keep cowboys engaged for several fortnights.

Replay value: High.