Red Dead Redemption 2: 5 Things We Loved (& 5 Things We Hated)
The original Red Dead Redemption was one of the best games of the previous generation and fans couldn’t wait for Rockstar to make a sequel. Red Dead Redemption 2 had a lot to live up to when it was first announced. This would also be the first game from Rockstar for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Fortunately, Red Dead Redemption 2 lived up to expectations. It managed to tell an even better story than the previous one and Rockstar still shows that they are magicians when it comes to crafting open-worlds. That being said, not every Rockstar game is perfect and Red Dead 2 is not different. Here are five things we love about Red Dead Redemption 2 and five things we hate. There may be some spoilers in this list.
10 (Hate) Too Many Animations
Rockstar has always made it their goal to make their open-worlds feel as realistic as possible. In Red Dead Redemption 2, they went above and beyond for this and achieved it, for better and for worse. One of the most annoying aspects is that there are almost too many animations that you have to sit through.
This can mess with the pacing and feels just plain boring. For instance, if you want to loot a body, you have to sit there and actually see Arthur search for everything. Another one is the long skinning process for animals. While these animations are “realistic,” they’re just not that fun. It does help with immersion but it doesn’t we have to like it.
9 (Love) The Attention To Detail
While the many animations can be annoying, there’s no denying that the attention to detail in this open-world is impeccable. The draw distance in the open-world is absolutely breathtaking and made it even more amazing that you can actually go to those distances. Everything from the footprints on the ground to the blood from an animal carcass staying on your clothes.
Open-worlds are Rockstar’s bread and butter. Every nook and cranny of this world feels handcrafted to perfection and it must be stated. They even went as far as having animal carcasses decompose after so long. Did Rockstar need to do that? Not at all but they did anyway.
8 (Hate) Not Much To Spend Money On In Story Mode
As Arthur, you’re always trying to make more and more money. By the end of the game, you’re going to have a lot. The problem is that there’s not that much to really spend it on. This is also an issue that happened in Grand Theft Auto V where you could play the stock market and earn billions, yet there wasn’t much to actually buy.
It would’ve been nice if players could maybe invest in businesses and properties. You’re basically just walking around with a huge pocket of cash but there’s nothing you really need it for. Another disappointing aspect is just the lack of player progression in general.
7 (Love) The Music
Music is another aspect that Rockstar excels in, especially in the first Red Dead Redemption. Going into the sequel, fans were wondering if any moment was going to live up to certain ones like José González’s "Far Away" when John first enters Mexico.
Thankfully, they did just as good a job, if not better than the original. There are two songs that stand out among the rest. The first one is when Arthur first makes it back from Guarma and we get to R&B legend D’Angelo make a return with “Unshaken.” The next is Daniel Lanois’s “That’s The Way It Is” as Arthur is riding back to camp to finally confront Dutch and Micah.
6 (Hate) Red Dead Online Prices And The Grind
This aspect is the opposite of what goes on in the story where we have too much money. In Red Dead Online, money is extremely hard to come by. To make matters worse, everything in the online mode has been priced way higher than the realistic prices of the story mode.
It’s clear why this happens since the online portion is meant to keep you engaged for a very long and money is basically your XP. You’re going to constantly be in need of money. It’s just shady that we can easily see how all prices have been dramatically increased from the story mode.
5 (Love) A True Living Breathing Open-World
The term “Living breathing open-world” gets tossed around a lot in gaming. In some cases, it’s been possible in games like Skyrim and The Witcher 3. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the world in Red Dead Redemption 2 is the most noteworthy example of this idea. Everything about this world just looks alive and you feel like once you turn off the console, this world will still be going on without you.
NPCs all have their own schedules and they typically will keep to it. They also even remember the actions you’ve done in the past. It’s a true achievement on what Rockstar has made and it has set a new standard for the genre.
4 (Hate) Gunplay Feels Clunky
It’s weird that the developer of May Payne 3, one of the best 3rd person shooters ever made, somehow made a modern game with terrible gunplay. Despite all the quality that Red Dead Redemption 2 possesses, the gameplay overall just feels stiff and clunky.
This is something Rockstar has been criticized in the past with GTA and it’s even more of a shame considering Red Dead is a western where the main character is an amazing gunslinger. You can either play the game with auto-aim and have no challenge or you can use free-aim were the controls aren’t very cooperative.
3 (Love) Storyline
Fans were hesitant when it was revealed that Red Dead 2 would be a prequel to the original. Luckily, it told a story that we didn’t know we wanted. John Marston in the original game always spoke about his time with Dutch’s gang, so it was a welcome addition to see how this once powerful gang eventually crumbled.
Each of the characters all gets their time to shine, especially Dutch. Dutch was only in the first game for its final act and it was nice to see what made led him down that dark path. It was also a completely different story from the original where camaraderie and brotherhood were front and center.
2 (Hate) Micah
This isn’t a jab at the quality of the game. Micah is a very well-written character. Still, just about anyone who’s played through this game will tell you how much they despise Micah. He’s just a slimy human being who will do anything to get ahead.
He’s unpredictable, dangerous, racist, and just about anything else you can think of that you hate. Hearing that Micah was indeed the one who ratted on the gang was not that surprising but still a punch to the gut since Dutch still stood by his side. Luckily, Micah is eventually killed in the game’s epilogue. It’s only a shame that the player didn’t get to do it as Arthur or John.
1 (Love) Arthur Morgan
Even though Red Dead Redemption 2 came out a year ago, no one can deny that Arthur Morgan is now one of gaming’s greatest protagonists. This was no easy feat, as Arthur had a lot of shoes to fill with John Marston in the original. To some, Arthur actually surpasses John in some ways. That’s a debate for another time.
Arthur was just everything fans wanted in a tragic character. He still maintains that gruff demeanor expected from an outlaw, yet underneath that at all was a truly good man. Once Arthur was hit with tuberculosis, everyone knew it would be his demise. The writing team truly made something special since, as a player, we wanted to truly give him a redemption arc in his final moments.
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