Gaming Red Dead Redemption 2 (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia)

Almost at the end of this now. Thought Chapter 5 was definitely a weak point, didn’t seem to fit in with the story at all and felt like I was playing Uncharted. Seems to be back to normal now though, Dutch really needs to feck off.
 
What would you guys say is the best time to do free roam? I'm conflicted about this.

Post-game spoilers:
Post-credits seems like an obvious place because you have the entire map (Blackwater etc. bounty-free), access to all weapons and horses and plenty of cash to start with. But hunting for perfect skins becomes utterly pointless at that point, there's no camp anymore (there's not much to do at the ranch) and obviously no Arthur.

Somewhere in Chapter 3 or even Chapter 2 seems like a decent point. Those are the best camps in my opinion, everyone is still alive, Arthur still healthy, hunting for perfect skins is still a useful gameplay mechanic. On the other hand, no access to Blackwater and New Austin (not that there's much to do there), limited choice of horses and weapons.

Neither are ideal in my opinion.
 
What would you guys say is the best time to do free roam? I'm conflicted about this.

Post-game spoilers:
Post-credits seems like an obvious place because you have the entire map (Blackwater etc. bounty-free), access to all weapons and horses and plenty of cash to start with. But hunting for perfect skins becomes utterly pointless at that point, there's no camp anymore (there's not much to do at the ranch) and obviously no Arthur.

Somewhere in Chapter 3 or even Chapter 2 seems like a decent point. Those are the best camps in my opinion, everyone is still alive, Arthur still healthy, hunting for perfect skins is still a useful gameplay mechanic. On the other hand, no access to Blackwater and New Austin (not that there's much to do there), limited choice of horses and weapons.

Neither are ideal in my opinion.
They need more going on at the ranch once it's finished imo. Don't get why they didn't give you loads of stuff to hunt for it like with camps (but better. That was a letdown).
 
They need more going on at the ranch once it's finished imo. Don't get why they didn't give you loads of stuff to hunt for it like with camps (but better. That was a letdown).

I wonder if they want to encourage people to move online
 
Finally bothered to go get the white Arabian - mainly because I thought it would be harder than it was.

Most annoying thing though is the bastard gets dirty real quick.
 
Finally bothered to go get the white Arabian - mainly because I thought it would be harder than it was.

Most annoying thing though is the bastard gets dirty real quick.

I thought that was a glitch at first, mine had black patches and looked like a really skinny cow, took me a while to realise i needed to brush the damn thing.

The beauty of that horse is that you know when it needs cleaning whereas a black/brown horse you wouldn't know, there is something about the horses stats that go down if it is dirty.
 
Are the numbers for online gameplay/micro transactions looking good? (Assuming anyone knows where to look for that).

Just by my own feelings and friends who’ve played etc. nobody is really interested in online at all. Way less interest in it compared to when GTA 5 online dropped, definitely.
 
I thought that was a glitch at first, mine had black patches and looked like a really skinny cow, took me a while to realise i needed to brush the damn thing.

The beauty of that horse is that you know when it needs cleaning whereas a black/brown horse you wouldn't know, there is something about the horses stats that go down if it is dirty.

Ya, had my warhorse prior and only brushed him when the alert popped up. Just surprised it happens so quick on the Arabian
 
Saw this on YouTube that’s not only a well done little video but a great summary of what the latter stages of the story is about for Arthur:

Obviously spoilers.
 
Can I donate Tonics to camp or even sell them? Also how do I find out the actual size of my satchel?
 
Can I donate Tonics to camp or even sell them? Also how do I find out the actual size of my satchel?
There is a logging camp outside of strawberry and the foreman will buy medical supplies and tonics off of you there. As for your satchel I think all of them bar 1 which takes a lot of effort to get carry the same.
 
There is a logging camp outside of strawberry and the foreman will buy medical supplies and tonics off of you there. As for your satchel I think all of them bar 1 which takes a lot of effort to get carry the same.
Cheers. So there’s no way of storing tonics anywhere apart from in the satchel. I either have to have them in the satchel or not pick them up?
 
Cheers. So there’s no way of storing tonics anywhere apart from in the satchel. I either have to have them in the satchel or not pick them up?
Yeah. Start hunting animals for perfect coats and store those at camp because then you can craft all the satchels and the last one allows you to hold tonnes. I think it’s actually something like 99 slots per item. It’s worth the hardship honestly.
 
Yeah. Start hunting animals for perfect coats and store those at camp because then you can craft all the satchels and the last one allows you to hold tonnes. I think it’s actually something like 99 slots per item. It’s worth the hardship honestly.
Thanks
 
Get this. Spidey is a very good game, but this is better. Spidey gets a bit samey after a while as well, with all the side missions being carbon copies
I'm abit of a casual gamer so Spidey's gaming length may be more adequate than RD2 which,in comparison,seems to go on forever.
Plus Spidey is a tad cheaper.
But,on the flipside,I've only ever played one Rockstar game and that was the first GTA,a long time ago I know.Plus the Western back drop intrigues me.As do the cinematic references towards the works of Ford and Leone.
Decisions,decisions.
 
I'm abit of a casual gamer so Spidey's gaming length may be more adequate than RD2 which,in comparison,seems to go on forever.
Plus Spidey is a tad cheaper.
But,on the flipside,I've only ever played one Rockstar game and that was the first GTA,a long time ago I know.Plus the Western back drop intrigues me.As do the cinematic references towards the works of Ford and Leone.
Decisions,decisions.

I mean, its not like you're gonna come out of it a loser. They're both excellent. I completed Red Dead this week. It took forever. But it was worth it, I'm not somebody who is gonna rush to complete a game. GTA seems to have held steady price wise for a long long time, so I doubt it's gonna get any cheaper any time soon, whereas Spidey might tumble further in the future.
 
So I got this for Christmas. Played about ... 15 hours so far? Going slow. Have got to Bonnie's ranch with her dad. She's about annoying. Does Marston ever get with her?

Apart from Bonnie, I'm loving every second. Seems like a god damned masterpiece to me.
 
I mean, its not like you're gonna come out of it a loser. They're both excellent. I completed Red Dead this week. It took forever. But it was worth it, I'm not somebody who is gonna rush to complete a game. GTA seems to have held steady price wise for a long long time, so I doubt it's gonna get any cheaper any time soon, whereas Spidey might tumble further in the future.
Got Spidey in the end.:D
 
So I got this for Christmas. Played about ... 15 hours so far? Going slow. Have got to Bonnie's ranch with her dad. She's about annoying. Does Marston ever get with her?

Apart from Bonnie, I'm loving every second. Seems like a god damned masterpiece to me.
You got red dead redemption 1 for Christmas ?

And no, John is married.

Make sure you get number 2 for Christmas in about 8 years.

In all fairness though rdr is a brilliant game, i would love a ps4 remaster. I hope you got undead nightmare with it.
 
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I paid all my bounties, and now I go on foot hunting. For weeks I have not advanced in the story, I continue in chapter IV.
Nor do I care about what I hunt or its quality. I simply approach the butcher or trapper when I have enough.
However I would like to advance in the subject of satchel but I am unable to hunt the cougar, let alone a perfect pelt. It always catches me in the back and kill me
 
You got red dead redemption 1 for Christmas ?

And no, John is married.

Make sure you get number 2 for Christmas in about 8 years.
What you talking about fool? I'm helping Marston reunite with his family. This is the sequel right? Isn't the original red dead revolver?
 
What you talking about fool? I'm helping Marston reunite with his family. This is the sequel right? Isn't the original red dead revolver?

Red-Dead-Revolver-1280x720.jpg


Red Blind Revolver
 
I'm abit of a casual gamer so Spidey's gaming length may be more adequate than RD2 which,in comparison,seems to go on forever.
Plus Spidey is a tad cheaper.
But,on the flipside,I've only ever played one Rockstar game and that was the first GTA,a long time ago I know.Plus the Western back drop intrigues me.As do the cinematic references towards the works of Ford and Leone.
Decisions,decisions.
Once you're out of the mountains which takes a couple of hours, this can be as casual as you like. Doesn't matter if it take 6 months+ to complete it.

It's paced differently to other games, which some people can't seem to get on with, which is why you'll often see complaints about having to ride to such a place, or that you can only walk in camp, or that they knocked someone over in town and have a bounty (wouldn't happen if they slowed down). It's clearly all designed to add weight and realism to the game, and it works in my opinion. If you think you'll be ok with that, and want the best scenery you've ever seen in a game, to blow off someone's head with a shotgun, and the most interactive open world there's ever been, then you'll definitely have a good time.

The worst thing is the controls being clunky at times, but there was too much good stuff for me to care.

Edit: just seen you got Spiderman. Well, this'll still be there when you're done!
 
Phew! I finally finished the main game including the epilogues. There's a lot to unpack so I may as well do so in a spoiler to not ruin anything for anyone

  • To begin with, I absolutely loved the original Red Dead Redemption and it was a game I've always held very dear to my gaming hear. Grand Theft Auto was, at that point, one of my favourite franchises, and RDR was even more fascinating take on the open world genre, given it had Jogn Marston as the protagonist - easily one of the best gaming characters I had ever come across.
  • Over time though, I've grown tired of the Rockstar formula to an extent. It possibly has something to do with age, but the gameplay being so bare boned and basic made GTA5 the first Rockstar game that I didn't love. Objectively, other than the story which wasn't as storing as San Andreas, it was the ultimate Rockstar game. But found much of it a chore given the actual gameplay was extremely weak from my new found perspective.
  • Connecting that with RDR2 I find myself completely conflicted with this game. It is a stunning feat from a technical standpoint. The world is absurdly pretty, detailed and immersive. The attention to detail they've put into animations, and every little book and cranny of the environment and people in it can only be admired. And the writing is superb. Every gang member and even the strangers genuinely feel like people rather than video game people. The 'random" encounters feel spontaneous. The way one encounter is connected to a previous one 10 hours ago gives a sense of belonging. The story, although it meandered at times for me, eventually came through connecting well with RDR1.
  • Having said all the above, the actual gameplay/combat is real chore, and often as exciting as Quantum Dreams button command prompts (there's a term for this I'm forgetting ..). It's pretty much gameplay that could have existed in the late 90s and nobody would be impressed. I feel it's a crying shame that a game that aimed for excellence in so many areas tried so little in its combat, which is really what most of your missions boil down to. Every time the gang got into a mess in a big moment (Valentine, Rhodes, SD), I was like "feck, I now have to shoot a hundred NPCs to get past this.". Now I'm not expecting elite gameplay from every game. This is not going to play as well as GoW. But even Witcher 3 which is amongst my top 3/4 of all time, has gameplay that isn't right up there with the very best. But at least I felt a sense of danger and immersion in TW3. In RDR2 I was just like aim and shoot, aim and shoot. There never a sense of needing to be skillful or having to do anything well. It was more an interactive movie, at times. This definitely holds it back from being one of the absolute greats for me.
  • The story was an interesting one. For much of the game I felt slightly detached to the game unlike RDR1 where I was hooked to Marston's tale. The narrative which went on for 4 chapters of a cheerful bunch of criminals just didn't connect with me on any level. However, as the game grew I felt connected to Arthur and his arc and journey of self discovery was fansfahy told. Arthur's death gave me a sensation that someone I knew had passed which is a testament to how well written a chatacter he was, as well as the rest of the cast. Brilliant stuff.
  • Also, I felt John Marston was a little short changed in this one. Whereas video game writing has clearly come a long way in the last 10 years, this seemingly didn't apply to JM, who it seems came along for thr ride once the writers used up all the good ideas on the rest of the cast. I enjoyed playing as a character again, and watching him get married etc but I think he should have been portrayed better.
  • With regards to the slow pace of the game I felt it suitef the experience.
  • While I liked the Survival/RPG systems were a welcome addition but they seemed more for cosmetic appeal than having any actual relevance. My weight never impacted my effectiveness. I never really needed to cook for health. My gun wore down so minimally I didn't care. Hunting wasn't really something I was forced to do.
  • Also story related questions. Why did Dutch kill Micah? If he had turned totally evil by RDR, it seemed he didn't really at the end of this one?
All in all, a brilliant experience in terms of exploration, characters and storytelling which is bogged down by its simplistic gameplay. If give it a 9 just for how well it did the good bits.
 
Phew! I finally finished the main game including the epilogues. There's a lot to unpack so I may as well do so in a spoiler to not ruin anything for anyone

  • To begin with, I absolutely loved the original Red Dead Redemption and it was a game I've always held very dear to my gaming hear. Grand Theft Auto was, at that point, one of my favourite franchises, and RDR was even more fascinating take on the open world genre, given it had Jogn Marston as the protagonist - easily one of the best gaming characters I had ever come across.
  • Over time though, I've grown tired of the Rockstar formula to an extent. It possibly has something to do with age, but the gameplay being so bare boned and basic made GTA5 the first Rockstar game that I didn't love. Objectively, other than the story which wasn't as storing as San Andreas, it was the ultimate Rockstar game. But found much of it a chore given the actual gameplay was extremely weak from my new found perspective.
  • Connecting that with RDR2 I find myself completely conflicted with this game. It is a stunning feat from a technical standpoint. The world is absurdly pretty, detailed and immersive. The attention to detail they've put into animations, and every little book and cranny of the environment and people in it can only be admired. And the writing is superb. Every gang member and even the strangers genuinely feel like people rather than video game people. The 'random" encounters feel spontaneous. The way one encounter is connected to a previous one 10 hours ago gives a sense of belonging. The story, although it meandered at times for me, eventually came through connecting well with RDR1.
  • Having said all the above, the actual gameplay/combat is real chore, and often as exciting as Quantum Dreams button command prompts (there's a term for this I'm forgetting ..). It's pretty much gameplay that could have existed in the late 90s and nobody would be impressed. I feel it's a crying shame that a game that aimed for excellence in so many areas tried so little in its combat, which is really what most of your missions boil down to. Every time the gang got into a mess in a big moment (Valentine, Rhodes, SD), I was like "feck, I now have to shoot a hundred NPCs to get past this.". Now I'm not expecting elite gameplay from every game. This is not going to play as well as GoW. But even Witcher 3 which is amongst my top 3/4 of all time, has gameplay that isn't right up there with the very best. But at least I felt a sense of danger and immersion in TW3. In RDR2 I was just like aim and shoot, aim and shoot. There never a sense of needing to be skillful or having to do anything well. It was more an interactive movie, at times. This definitely holds it back from being one of the absolute greats for me.
  • The story was an interesting one. For much of the game I felt slightly detached to the game unlike RDR1 where I was hooked to Marston's tale. The narrative which went on for 4 chapters of a cheerful bunch of criminals just didn't connect with me on any level. However, as the game grew I felt connected to Arthur and his arc and journey of self discovery was fansfahy told. Arthur's death gave me a sensation that someone I knew had passed which is a testament to how well written a chatacter he was, as well as the rest of the cast. Brilliant stuff.
  • Also, I felt John Marston was a little short changed in this one. Whereas video game writing has clearly come a long way in the last 10 years, this seemingly didn't apply to JM, who it seems came along for thr ride once the writers used up all the good ideas on the rest of the cast. I enjoyed playing as a character again, and watching him get married etc but I think he should have been portrayed better.
  • With regards to the slow pace of the game I felt it suitef the experience.
  • While I liked the Survival/RPG systems were a welcome addition but they seemed more for cosmetic appeal than having any actual relevance. My weight never impacted my effectiveness. I never really needed to cook for health. My gun wore down so minimally I didn't care. Hunting wasn't really something I was forced to do.
  • Also story related questions. Why did Dutch kill Micah? If he had turned totally evil by RDR, it seemed he didn't really at the end of this one?
All in all, a brilliant experience in terms of exploration, characters and storytelling which is bogged down by its simplistic gameplay. If give it a 9 just for how well it did the good bits.
All points I agree with.
Re your last point, I think Dutch started off meaning well and began to lose the plot as things weren't going right and mistakes started piling up. I do think he cared for Arthur but he became desperate and sided with Micah who seemed to be one of the only people left that believed in him (whether he actually did or was using him is question, although I think I'd obviously lean to the latter).

I reckon he realised his mistakes and only stayed with him after Arthur's death to survive but resented him for it all, hence him shooting him instead of letting John do it.
 
I only wished the background score in rdr2 was as good as the first. It just made the free roam so enjoyable.

Yeah there were moments of greatness, more so when it was the non-original stuff actually. Didn't feel Western enough though, although maybe that was the intention, what with it not actually being in the West?
 
Yeah there were moments of greatness, more so when it was the non-original stuff actually. Didn't feel Western enough though, although maybe that was the intention, what with it not actually being in the West?
Yeah. I mean, it's borderline being greedy, but should've put in some stranger missions in new Austin. I loved the western setting. No other part of the map feels as enticing.
 
I'm still struggling my way through this. I'm on chapter 3 still. I'm trying to plough my way through it, but I get bored after a while and end up going to play something else then come back a few weeks later.
 
Yeah. I mean, it's borderline being greedy, but should've put in some stranger missions in new Austin. I loved the western setting. No other part of the map feels as enticing.

It must either be for online (most likely and very annoying if so), or there'll be some good old fashioned story mode dlc. Apparently you can glitch to Mexico too, which makes me hope for an rdr1 complete remake (least likely by far I would think) or more dlc there (will probably just be for online again).
 
I'm still struggling my way through this. I'm on chapter 3 still. I'm trying to plough my way through it, but I get bored after a while and end up going to play something else then come back a few weeks later.
I'm like that with every game.

I'm never going to finish Horizon Zero Dawn.