Aside from lackluster gameplay and relatively limited support, Red Dead Online is likewise best known for an immense handful of brokenness. This new round wrought by the 1.21 patch has spun lobbies into turmoil with game-breaking changes, like strange animal physics and no other players or NPCs aside from a Dan Houser-lookalike.
Spooky and disturbing would be an understatement, though at least a bit of levity can still be gleaned in the midst of disarray.
Reminiscent of the original Red Dead Redemption DLC, Undead Nightmare, the 1.21 title update has ironically made the game all the more interesting - if not set at its most terrifying. Players are recording a variety of different bugs and mishaps to the online-based experience across social media, so much so that Rockstar now even has a 1.21 patch-specific problem page, which is no doubt being flooded with various grievances.
Said issues include lifeless lobbies with no animals, NPCs, or other players whatsoever. Towns seem all but deserted and barren of any existence, not to mention a dead Saint-Denis that appears as if sunken into the Otherworld. Other players have shown floating horses, riderless carriages, raining alligators, and even midget-sized characters. Of particular interest is the bald-headed Dan Houser doppelganger, who appears not only in odd places but oftentimes in a very glitchy manner.
The last few Red Dead Online patches, seen throughout July, have extended a variety of bonuses for The Land of Opportunities missions, not to mention some much-needed discounts on haircuts and fast travel. Though highly sought after, the Naturalist update from several weeks ago was met with mixed reception, despite now adding a slew of legendary animals to hunt and specific habitats to explore.
All said, with this new 1.21 patch, at least that clown posse finally received what they so desperately wanted: even more Red Dead Online content - though, definitely not in the way they had intended. With some players now even experiencing full-on crashes and server errors, it's high time Rockstar finally paid a little more attention to their second-most favorite cash cow.
Suffice it to say, as some players have mentioned in the past, what's the point if it's not even been playable from the start?