Love for Red Dead Redemption 2 has been going strong since the game's release. If you've played the game yourself, you'll know that all of this love is deserved. Red Dead Redemption 2 is an exemplary model of an open-world game. The vistas are gorgeous, and the individually rendered parts of your character can hypnotize you. Seriously, I had a tragic horse accident because I was so busy staring at how my coat and saddlebags jostled as we galloped along.
It's not just the atmosphere that is so attractive. The gameplay of Red Dead Redemption 2 is dynamic and engaging. However, before my nose is properly browned from singing this game's praises so much, there are certain factors of the game that are just ridiculous. Don't misunderstand me; I adore this game. Though I have to admit, there are moments that just make no sense. Whether it's the riding mechanics, the meticulous attention to realism, or the insane character decisions, Red Dead Redemption 2 is not exempt from the foibles of most video games.
So buckle your holsters and saddle your horses, for we are about to embark on a most treacherous journey. Here are some flaws in one of the most popular games available today. The going will be difficult, and we may suffer the slings and arrows of staunch Red Dead supporters, but we'll take it nice and easy. Read on if you aren't afraid to laugh with me about some of Red Dead Redemption 2's most nonsensical aspects.
25 Bad Man With A Heart Of Gold
This particular gripe only works if you've been playing Arthur Morgan as an honorable criminal. For the most part, townsfolk will recognize your good deeds as Morgan if you've been chivalrous around town.
But Morgan has a reputation prior to the game as being a lawless gunslinger.
So if you play Morgan as a good guy, it's as if he has had a sudden personality shift as soon as you took control of him. Your comrades will even take note of it.
24 Sensitive Civilians
I always try to be a good person whenever I play a game that has you choose between behaving morally right or morally wrong. Even on a second playthrough, I feel too guilty to even try playing dishonorably.
So it really sucks when I'm clearly trying to do right by people, but, because some civilians got nudged a tad too roughly by my galloping horse, I suddenly become a villain. Regular townspeople can be a mite sensitive when it comes to how you interact with them...or around them.
23 Horse Physics
Any game where I get to ride an animal automatically earns itself a boost in my esteem. If I'm playing a game set in the West, you can bet your buckles I expect to ride a horse. Red Dead Redemption 2 gives me plenty of opportunities to do just that.
However, these opportunities are marred by erratic horse behavior.
I like a dose of realism in my games. But I draw the line at having every bush I run through freaking my horse out, which ends up with me tossed off of my saddle and onto my keister.
22 The Blackwater Money Thing Just Doesn't Make Sense
The Blackwater Money is this huge pool of cash that is too hot to nab at the beginning of the game. Dutch, the gang's leader, is the only one who knows where it is, and he's keeping the location secret until things mellow out.
That's all well and good, Dutch, but Arthur over here has erased his "Wanted" status several times by paying some cash to local authorities. Why can't he do the same in Blackwater and then retrieve the money for you? (Because the story has gotta story.)
21 Who Else Makes These Generous Donations?
I felt pressured numerous times throughout Red Dead Redemption 2 to care for the Van der Linde Gang. My campsites keep reminding me to socialize and donate my money to the comfort of the group. I must have sunken thousands of dollars to make the gang happy.
Arthur Morgan spent more than anybody else towards the upkeep of the camp. The next time I play Red Dead Redemption 2, I'm going to let those freeloaders fend for themselves.
20 Why Is The Game So Darn Sad... It's A Rockstar Game
I play video games to relax and have a good time. I had a fun time playing Red Dead Redemption 2, but man, the story has made me sadder than Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a prequel, so we all know how the story is going to turn out. We know what will happen to the Van der Linde gang. Every happy moment becomes sad knowing the eventual outcome of the plot. It's like every footstep led downwards into this puddle of gloom. Thanks, Red Dead Redemption 2.
19 A Little Money Can Fix Anything
I tried to be a good guy, okay? I really tried. But when I was rescuing Micah Bell from the town of Strawberry, I may have depopulated a bit. As in, nearly the whole town was wiped out. Whoops.
Things weren't as bad as I thought they would be. Sure, I got a bounty on my head, but I was able to pay it off lickety-split. The honor system works a little strangely in Red Dead Redemption 2. You could perform the worst of human atrocities on a poor little town, but if you throw a little money their way, everyone will forget about it.
18 Never Use Words To Solve A Dispute
You play as an outlaw on the frontier in Red Dead Redemption 2, so not much peaceful diplomacy occurs when you find yourself in a sticky situation. More often than not, you'll have to whip out your guns faster than a greased rabbit on a slippery hot skillet.
This ends up becoming one of the flaws in Red Dead Redemption 2. Shoot-outs start to happen whether you want them to or not. Stealthing becomes a concept of the past. Towards the end of the game, it feels as if your gun is glued to your hand.
17 We Missed You, Javier
There are many people to meet in Red Dead Redemption 2. The Van der Linde gang has some new faces to see and new stories to learn. It's a bit of a shame that in all of these meet-and-greets, we lose the opportunity to delve into the personalities of characters we knew from the original Red Dead Redemption.
For such a pivotal character in the original, we did not get to see much development of Javier Escuella in this sequel/prequel. He accompanied us on some missions, but that was about it.
16 I've Fallen And I Can't Get Up
I'm used to video games allowing me, or rather my character, a greater level of physical prowess than I actually possess. Red Dead Redemption 2, however, does a good job of making me feel like an uncoordinated loser again.
The smallest of pits and falls (by video game standards) have left my character either badly wounded or biting the dust. I'm telling you, it's ridiculous. I'm not completely irate over this happening though. I've laughed more than a few times after a short trip managed to cut down Arthur Morgan in his prime.
15 The Whistle That Was Never Heard
A mechanic that seems cool on the surface is the ability for Arthur Morgan to call his horse back to him. If Morgan gets separated from his horse, he can whistle and have his horse trot up to him.
The only problem with this is that the horse has to be pretty close to hear that whistle. I get that this is more realistic, but if I have to be within three yards of my horse for him to return to me, I might as well just jog on up to him myself. (I made my horse a "he.")
14 Bath Simulator
I am not used to bathing in my video games! In Red Dead Redemption 2, you have to keep an eye on Arthur Morgan's looks and cleanliness. Otherwise, you'll hear a bunch of snooty comments from the people around you about how much you stink.
You are even in charge of when Arthur shaves. If you keep a razor away from his face, Arthur will end up with a fuzzy beard in the next cutscene. This attention to detail and realism is either ridiculous or praiseworthy.
13 When A Blizzard Comes A-Calling
The start of the game introduces the Van der Linde gang fleeing into the mountains. A blizzard is on its way, so they decide to travel up the mountain. Wait...what?
A blizzard is a massive snowstorm that could lay waste to anything in its path. The last place in the world you would want to be during a blizzard is climbing up a mountain. I think perhaps this is the first sign that Dutch is losing it as the leader of the Van der Linde gang. He's clearly not making rational decisions.
12 The Molly Plot Twist Doesn't Make Sense
Molly O'Shea, one of the members of the gang, enters the camp one day after one too many adult refreshments. She starts yelling about how she was the person who ruined the gang's heist the other day by informing on them.
I understand that when you've been out on the town, you might say some crazy things. But Molly wasn't the mole. Why on earth would she say she was? Even in her buzzed stupor, she should have known that saying she betrayed the gang would earn her a few rounds, and not the kind she'd had earlier.
11 The Not-So-Lawless West
I always pictured the old West to be much less stringent on speeding than modern times. That's apparently not the case. I've acquired a few bounties on Arthur Morgan's head for racing my horse through town. What the actual heck, Rockstar. You're forcing my outlaw to obey the law.
There are so many things you can do, on purpose or otherwise, that can cause Arthur Morgan to become a Wanted man. I never thought the Wild West could be comprised of so many crybabies.
10 Wish I Had Deeper Pockets
Red Dead Redemption 2's adherence to reality surprises me sometimes. Call me a pampered baby, but I'm rather fond of infinite spaces to place my belongings or, at the very least, unrealistically large spaces to place my belongings.
Red Dead Redemption 2 has granted me the shallowest pockets a man can own. Even my saddlebags filled up quickly. I have a newfound appreciation for storage management now, let me tell you that.
9 More Money, No Problems
Even though the Van der Linde gang is supposedly strapped for cash, Arthur Morgan always seems to have a fortune at his disposal. Thanks to the numerous side quests, hidden activities, and generous rewards, my Arthur Morgan always has thousands of dollars to spend.
I almost feel kind of bad whenever the gang talks about needing more money. Maybe if Arthur had split the dough evenly among his friends, the unraveling of the group would not have happened.
8 Slowest Looting Ever
Again, Rockstar Games' attention to detail cannot be stressed enough. They took that realism train and rode it straight to the station. Whenever you loot remains in Red Dead Redemption 2, it takes forever. Arthur Morgan takes his time actually patting down the person's pockets, rummaging through their clothes, and removing items from hidden crannies.
It is the most realistic looting I've ever seen. I miss the good ol' days where I simply had to walk over a person's body in order to take all of their stuff.
7 Rains Fall Failed Us
One of the lowest points in Red Dead Redemption 2 occurs when Arthur Morgan finds out he has TB. It might not be a big deal these days, but back then, knowing you had it was like finding out your life was running by on a timer.
Arthur meets a man, Rains Fall, who gives him some herbal medicine that should help with his TB. Does it help? Nope. Not one bit. It was like a kind and useless gesture. Morgan comments that he feels stronger after taking it, but it did nothing for him in the end.
6 The Fall Of Dutch Is A Bit Ridiculous
The story of Red Dead Redemption 2 revolves around the fall of the Van der Linde gang, and at the center of this mess is Dutch van der Linde, the leader of the gang. He starts off as a cool, calm, and collected man. Well, as cool and calm as you can get being the head of your own band of outlaws.
As the story progresses, however, Dutch's mind takes a dip into paranoia and cruelty. You, as well as the character you're playing, begin to lose faith in Dutch, but you can't quite pinpoint why he started acting so erratically.