5 Things We Don’t Want in Red Dead Redemption 2

I’m very excited for Red Dead Redemption 2 when it releases on the 26th of October – shocker. Who isn’t? If you’ve played any of Rockstar’s recent releases, you’ll know just how highly polished their open-world experiences have become. And with the first Red Dead Redemption being as iconic as it is, this sequel will likely sell by the millions.

But, there’s a handful of issues that Rockstar have picked up along the way, which could plague what otherwise looks to be a phenomenal game. Here’s just five of those, in no particular order.

 

1. Huge Dependence On Microtransactions

Anyone who’s played GTA V’s GTA Online will know that in-game currency is crucial in being able to fully experience what’s on offer. That would be fine if it was easily obtainable, but the slow grind of completing tasks and heists means that buying those high ticket items requires spending real-world money on ‘Shark Cards’; DLC that bolsters your in-game bank account.

Two years ago, it was revealed that Rockstar had made $700 million on these cards. In April of this year, it was announced that GTA V is the highest earning entertainment product of all time. Coincidence? Maybe, but it’s doubtful that the higher-ups at Take-Two Interactive are planning on reducing their revenue for Red Dead Redemption 2.

What this could mean is that RDR2’s currently unknown online portion is littered with the same predatory microtransactions as GTA: Online. After all, it was only last year that Take-Two commented on how “recurrent consumer spending” is the way of the future. If I have to fork up $100,000 for a ‘prestige horse’ (taking inflation into account – it is 1899, after all), then I won’t be too happy.

 

2. Ridiculously Long Loading Times

Another GTA: Online issue that we don’t want to see carried over: loading times. Every game (almost) has them, and they’re a natural part of the online experience. But with GTA’s online segment, they are an absolute joke.

Join an online session? Load. Join an event lobby? Load. Kicked from the lobby? Load. Each of these intervals can take literal minutes, meaning that a quick 30-minute session with your friends could contain 5-10 minutes of loading screens. I appreciate that it’s a huge open-world game, but something like Fortnite encourages constant motion through minimal loading screens and maximum action; its appeal is in its immediacy.

Here’s hoping Rockstar finds a way to cut down on these ludicrous load times. Otherwise, some on-the-fence players might not even bother.

 

3. Too Many Playable Characters

Don’t get me wrong: playing as Michael, Franklin, and Trevor throughout GTA V’s story was a great experience. Seeing how the three personalities bounced off each other was fun, and their varying stats and attributes led to some nice variation in gameplay.

However, let’s not go wild. This is purely speculation, but the above marketing image for RDR2 features seven members of the Van Der Linde gang. In total, on Rockstar’s website, twenty-three members are listed, each with a small biography and image. I’m not claiming that you’ll play as all twenty-three, but the possibility of playing as the core seven isn’t out of the question.

But please, Rockstar: don’t. Frankly, I’d prefer to play the entire game as Arthur Morgan, so that we delve deep into what makes him tick, and can develop him as a character through out actions and interactions with NPCs. Saturating the gameplay experience with multiple playable anti-heroes could add some flair, but might result in a much shallower narrative experience.

 

4. No Single-Player DLC

A bit of a double negative, but you get the idea.

As much as the main game of Red Dead Redemption was outstanding, I’d offer the (potentially controversial) opinion that its DLC expansion, Undead Nightmare, was just as enjoyable.

Introducing Western zombies and an entirely separate storyline, the Undead Nightmare DLC stands among one of the best ever released – and definitely one of Rockstar’s best to date. But many were disappointed by how GTA V had nothing in terms of single-player additional content, beyond bringing some of the new online vehicles into offline play.

Come on, Rockstar. Give us what we want. Additional content to the no-doubt lengthy narrative in RDR2 would be amazing, but wild spin-offs like Undead Nightmare could draw in hordes of fans.

 

5. Wide Expanses of Absolutely Nothing

Okay, hang on. Before you criticise me, hear me out.

I understand that the old West wasn’t a bustling hive of activity all the time. There’s going to be huge spans of nature in Red Dead Redemption 2, and it’s going to be beautiful.

But let’s not have lots of dead space with little to actually do, okay? Travelling between locations on just a horse will likely be an almost meditative process some of the time, but little interaction beyond being attacked by angry wildlife just isn’t my idea of fun.

I’m not saying to introduce cars or unnecessary bandit attacks, but using a creative license to make the wilds of RDR2 a little more dense wouldn’t go amiss.

So there we have it. Is there anything you definitely don’t want to see in Rockstar’s upcoming open-world adventure? Or do you aggressively disagree with anything I’ve said? Let me know down below.

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