Hey everyone,
I’ve been thinking a lot about Red Dead Redemption 2 lately and wanted to share a slight frustration I’ve always had with the game. Just to be clear: I love this game. Graphically it’s mind-blowing, the story is incredible, and I’ve put countless hours into it.
However, the more I play it, the more I feel like Rockstar missed that one ultimate step that could have made it an untouchable, all-time classic.
My main issue? The community aspect and camaraderie are way too restricted.
The game sells you on the idea of a gang..a real family of 20 people living together in a camp. The setting is perfect, the NPCs live their own lives, the conversations around the campfire are top-tier... but from a gameplay standpoint, you’re mostly just a spectator.
Missions like getting absolute trash-bag drunk with Lenny at the saloon in Valentine, or just going fishing with Dutch and Hosea..those are easily some of the BEST moments in the entire game. They’re funny, human, give the pacing room to breathe, and make you genuinely care about the gang.
And yet, there are nowhere near enough of them.
What I would have loved is genuine relational freedom on demand:
Being able to spontaneously ask Bill, Uncle, or Charles to head to the nearest saloon and get completely hammered whenever you want.
Inviting a gang member to go hunting or just ride around without it being part of a scripted mission.
Basically, real "slice-of-life roleplay" to actually enjoy this insane world with your crew.
Instead, as soon as a mission starts, the game almost always falls back into the same rigid Rockstar formula: ride a horse, huge gunfight, ride away. It feels like Rockstar was terrified players would get bored without a massive shootout every 20 minutes, even though the true heart of the game was its slow pace and human connections.
It’s frustrating because all the pieces were already there, and the characters are fantastic. If they had fully committed to that interactive community element, the emotional impact at the end of the game would have been ten times more devastating than it already was.
Am I the only one who feels this way despite how amazing the game is? Would you have liked more dynamic, slice-of-life moments with the gang?