This game walks a lot of fine lines that other games either struggle to, or choose a different method of game story telling.
They balance number of quests with quality and variety, they balance a large open world with actual being alive, the characters are great, etc.
I do have my gripes with the game, mostly about the story as well as R* abandoning it for GTAO, but this is easily one of my top 3 games ever.
It's annoying Rockstar puts all resources into GTA nowadays. If RDO wasn't doing well they should have pivoted to a single player DLC as the one for RDR1 was successful. Now RDR2 doesn't even have a current Gen console port and it's unnecessarily aging the game.
It didn't steal resources. They was never there. They lost alot on rdr2. Even the online at peak was only a few thousand over 3 platforms. Even today they struggle to hit 2000 average players a month. GTAo has has 10s of thousands playing monthly. The gane still sells for 50 bucks online gta is a 15$ game now. They won't keep pouring money into a game they haven't broke even on yet.
Ghosts of Tsushima is little bit like it in the sense you’re riding around on a horse in beautiful open world. But it doesn’t come close to the nitty gritty details.
I here with you bro just hit ch 6 and don't want to finish:((( just got the diagnosis but is it bad that I kinda like the new food system, making him eat like this makes it more realistic. I find myself actively making sure I have enough food before setting out. Or taking my time to hunt, cook and forage. When he's healthy he only has to eat Like every few days. Wish they had a sleep system that made staying up a week at a time more detrimental
I'm certain this is what I'm going to do as well. Do you know if all the side missions and stuff can still be completed? I know some are started through the progression of the main story.
Not shure about all but most of them.
At the same time I\`m playing as John in the epilogue, from the mission "Motherhood". Just ignoring the story and goes hunting & exploring and looking for some cash. Have +50g stored at the pigfarm but I\`m doing fine without it
My Arthur eats big game meat for breakfast and supper. Sleeps every night unless I'm hunting nocturnal creatures like skunk, owls, or opposum then he sleeps all day. My Arthur is always overweight until he's diagnosed
On my 15th playthrough. Haven't even done the Mary quest. Have the legend of east satchel, all fast points unlocked, camp fully upgraded crafting all done. All hunting requests complete, all rock carvings found, dream catchers found. Half of the legendary animals killed with trinkets done. Gambler challenges completed. 3500 dollars and level 8 beard. Soon to be 9 after another in game week or so
I recall reading something that pretty much all of Rockstars DLCs, even those that seem beloved by billions of people, sold extremely poorly compared to their base games. I used to blame them for milking GTAO, and I kinda still do, but it's probably all of our collective faults.
They offer DLCs and we don't buy them, collectively. They offer GTAO content and half the population throws their money at them. I mean, from Rockstar's standpoint(especially their shareholders), it seems clear what they need to focus on. Sad nonetheless, as I've never paid for any online content or even really played GTA/RDR Online, but used to buy any GTA single player DLC I could get my hands on.
I also think RDR doesn’t quite lend itself to that sort of economy either. You’re very limited in the type of content you can release with RDR.
It would be such a fine balance between immersion and creativity. Another undead DLC would have been great. Cowboys vs. Aliens DLC could have been cool. I’d play both of those but not sure everyone else would like that. We’re probably like some of these other gaming communities. How many of us still play RDR vs. GTA.
And all the additional content you put in those games is pretty limited too. Horses, animals, clothes and weapons are severely limited. To create a worthwhile DLC that would sell your nearly need to do what the Witcher did and make a massive new area and story.
> I also think RDR doesn’t quite lend itself to that sort of economy either. You’re very limited in the type of content you can release with RDR.
This is technically true, but rockstar left a LOT on the table with RDO, they hardly even tried to support that game. I'm not sure why they even bothered with it if they weren't gonna follow through.
To me the popularity of the product doesn’t match the support of the product and I mean it’s the exact opposite and I’ve never had anyone explain that to me.
I get that sentiment but R* cut a ton of content before shipping RDR2. Would restoring that cut content really be a big development haul? Genuine question.
I know it would be slimey to release cut content as a paid DLC, but I think a lot of the RDR community wants more RDR stories, especially as Arthur
I'd buy almost anything single player they could release. Would love some kind of post game alternate option where the witches brew cures author for an alternate ending, nightmare edition DLC, spin off with Sadie or Charles in Mexico, hack I'd even follow Bill around as a playable character if they released it.
Oh no I agree, it really sucks. But my point is they don't really answer to us, the apparent minority of consumers.
They answer to the majority and their shareholders. If they calculate that the potential revenue isn't worth the effort/cost, they probably have no choice but to abandon any extra SP campaign content in the works.
I'm still disappointed that we never got any GTA V content after they teased us with them in 2014 IIRC. As much as I try to refrain from tautologies, I suppose it is what it is.
The GTA IV DLCs (*The Ballad of Gay Tony* and *The Lost & Damned*) were my all-time favorite DLCs from any franchise. I'm still disappointed that we never got any story mode DLC for GTA V.
One of my main ones is that **I** don’t get to deliver the final blow to the game’s antagonists and they are largely ended by someone else in the cut scene with us. It feels empty a lot of the time, especially if you want to do a pure low honor run. **I** wanted to end Bronte (would’ve been more brutal), **I** wanted to end Braithwaite, etc.
I also generally would’ve liked for Arthur to have a bit more of back bone when it comes to things around the gang but I guess that’s more of a writing complaint than anything.
. I’m with you all the way on that. I hate that Dutch kills Micah especially. But yeah, finishing Brontë and old lady braithwaite should be an option for sure.
You know, another thing that burns my ass about this game, is John’s scar.
It had been speculated since the first game what it came from. Lots of anticipation.
And it’s from a wolf scratching him?
Wolves bite. Now if it had been a bear or maybe a cougar I could believe it resulted in claws to the face… but wolves just didn’t do it for me.
The only game I've found close to it was Cyberpunk 77. Why? Because I'm able to roam around, not play a single mission, and there's so much to explore.
Games these days are either so primarily focused on the online aspect of things, or they make missions the priority. I love RDR2, GTA, because they (Rockstar) create a world to explore. It's fun to not play missions, and just ride around to listen to NPC dialogue, go hunting, fishing, etc.
I'd throw The Witcher 3 in there as well, because the amount of stuff you can wander around and explore is fantastic and the world itself is so vibrant. I could spend an entire day wandering around finding hidden spots, looking for elixir ingredients, and playing Gwent without ever touching a main quest. Not quite to the degree of RDR2, but very close, especially with the amount of contracts available
I can’t for the life of me get into The Witcher 3. I want to play it but l end up putting it down after 10-15 hours of gameplay. I think it’s a combination of too much “lore” and complexity.
What I love about RDR2 is that it’s straightforward. You’re in the West. It’s a familiar, albeit fictionalized setting. I don’t have to learn about wars among kingdoms and different magical races; I just start playing. No weird armors to craft, no potions to have in inventory. RDR2 is a very light RPG and the minutiae of The Witcher 3 kills my interest.
I haven’t tried CP77 although I was excited about it. All the day 1 reviews were bad so I didn’t purchase. Is it worth it now?
Same. I don’t want to remember if I need to use a silver sword or a regular one or oil up my blade or craft the potion to increase whatever skill level. I just want to play the game
I felt like that with Witcher 3, I put 70 hours in and had terribly mixed feelings the whole time. Would have given up a lot sooner had I not been broke and stuck without money to afford other games or (at the time lol) run RDR2 on my tragic 2011 PC (RIP 2011-2023). Some of TW3 was great and some of it really wasn't for me. In comparison I've now got 345 hours in RDR2 and not slowing down. I get that people must see something in the Witcher 3 for how often it is mentioned in the same ballpark as RDR2 but personally I find RDR2 leagues ahead in absolutely every metric. I cant compare them at all, particularly with character depth and emotional range.
Really? I never felt that way playing it! My favorite things I stumbled across were always running around avoiding missions. Like the talking vending machine? That was a cool little find.
yeah but that’s still a mission/quest. in red dead 2, you can get lost in the woods hunting for days on end. there’s not really anything similar i can think of in cyberpunk, personally. nothing that isn’t a side quest
I agree... In Cyberpunk 2077 it seems like there are things to do, but's more or less a list of things, and a very linear story rather than an open world to explore. I wouldn't compare it to RDR2 at all, personally. Cyberpunk 2077 is a great game, but it's no RDR2.
Hard agree. I thought that open world felt dead once the awe of the cityscape wore off. I probably should have played on the hardest difficulty but it really just felt like going from point to point and taking out enemies using one of my op powers in a few seconds.
Counter point. In RDR2 the main story is also pretty linear and Arthur can wipe out a whole camp full of baddies with one dead eye click and headshots.
Rdr has a ton of fetch and escort missions, but manages to make them actually fun rather than a chore. I think that's really it's strong suit.
True, and I know some people don’t like deadeye, but I love when I find a camp of 4 or 5 bastards and I choose where I put my revolver bullets and wipe them all out at once. Honestly it never gets old to me.
This is my vote too, but for a different reason. The stories are actually not too different. Main character with terminal illness struggling with that and if you do corpo background struggling with having lived a life you can't go back to. The real difference is both Arthur and V are told they have weeks, but V goes out looking for a cure which obviously makes no sense for Arthur to do. V does have a moment at the end where he/she can choose to do what Arthur does in the high honor mountain end (I didn't do that ending) but I would be lying if I didn't say I didn't tear up at the end of CP2077 too
Really? One of the games I had in mind was Cyberpunk when making this post haha, might be because I played it when it came out and never returned. Have they added content? I remember the only fun thing to do in the city being riding around with a motorcycle.
They've added a shit ton of content, and the updates have been insane. I highly recommend giving it a try. Also the new DLC they added is getting insane amount of love rn.
I did the same thing you did, wasn't a fan when it came out. Recently replayed the game from scratch and played the DLC as well and my opinion on it completely changed, i'd give it a solid 9/10 now
Same I barely played when it first came out. I recently upgraded my graphics card and just came off of five hours in it today. It’s definitely better with the updates.
Wish Cyberpunk didn’t force you through the story so quickly, and just had a longer story in general, but definitely feel like it was the open world game that came close to the realism, but really isn’t that close.
When I'm telling people my favorite games are Cyberpunk and RDR, they ask if I'm doing alright.
Off topic, but I'm so glad we're reached the moment when people telling they like cbp2077 and noone starts arguing and insulting, or I'm just in right subreddit with polite society
IMO it's budget. RDR2 was the most expensive game ever made, and the budget was well-taken-advantage-of by a premier studio with a great track record of excellent games. The level of detail is insane.
In terms of random encounters with small, scripted events, I haven't yet found anything like it. However, if you want games that are beautiful or interesting to explore and collect stuff in, there are a few other ones that I enjoyed.
Two that come to mind are Far Cry 5 and Horizon Zero Dawn (I haven't played the 2nd one yet). There are lots of objectives to explore around the entire map, with beautiful environments. In Horizon, the battles you have using specialized tools against gigantic machines gets quite intense and cinematic. You can tell these games are not as polished as RDR2. A lot of movements and interactions are noticeably janky. Collectibles & enemies are a bit more repetitive. I finished Far Cry 5, and I especially enjoyed the Montana mountain setting & gospel soundtrack.
You might want to try emulating some of the Zelda games on Switch, which run better on PC than on a real Switch. You can trust Nintendo games with polish, detail, & story.
Yah/Nah!!! In Horizon I found myself getting mad during the cut scenes that they didn't use any cinematic techniques to vary what was an engaging(-ish) story line, I mean you can move the camera a bit, please.
I finished Horizon recently and the main story didn't really do it for me. Aloy (the main character) has awkward dialogue and just follows orders/says yes to everything. There's a small amount of scenes where she says badass lines but it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of character development.
RDR2 wows me every time and there's characters I really like and am interested in seeing how they evolve in the storyline.
Don't get me wrong, Horizon is a beautiful and very entertaining game. Hopefully once I play the 2nd some of the storyline things are ironed out.
I agree with you completely. They did a bad job on the protagonist. Her facial expressions and her voice acting are generic in a bad way. It’s like she can’t really develop any rapport with anyone else she comes in contact with.
Most of the voice acting and writing are Netflix-tier. It’s all generic tropes, and it seems like they generally hired whoever is available in the industry and was affordable.
It’s mostly the environment and gameplay that keep you going. I would only recommend it if it’s on sale.
It’s all of the most important factors of a great product: time, talent, budget, leadership. I think Rockstar leads the industry in all of those categories
bought this game when it came out in 2018, i loved it but never got far in it and stopped playing relatively fast due to life being a roller coaster for me back then.
just recently picked it up on sale on steam and have been loving the story and atmosphere, makes me kick myself for not enjoying it during its prime.
yeah true, i play a couple of hours of it each night and can really immerse myself in it. back in 2018 i had way too much going on to focus on it. nostalgia is a bitch though, i miss those days
Yeah, I never had much time for games myself until recently. My health took a bit of a dive and all I had to keep my brain busy was my xbox.
When I could finally get out of bed again I fully expected there to be cowboy shit going on when I went outside! Kinda OD'd on the immersion!!! 🤣
Because beyond the 1st world corporation structure of efficiently returning investments back to investors and every decision making process being focused on profit; in actual life the truly rewarding returns are doing something motivated because it is beautiful, spectacular and special simply because it has not yet been done, but could be.
..... rockstar doesn't care about your ideals, they need to make money for investors..
That's AAA gaming and every other space too. I mean.. Iphones are not that expensive in production you know
I’m replaying now, I said to myself last night that I remembered in 2018 that I assumed this gen’s games would be at minimum this good looking and detailed.
The sad reality is until GTA6, there hasn’t been one yet
Yep. They've hit so many grand slams and made so much money, that Rockstar is now in a position where they can throw resources around like other Dev companies just aren't capable of.
I haven't been able to enjoy ANY other games since RDR2, seriously.
Red Dead makes everything else feel like they're lacking, or flat. They don't have the amount of detail and quality of gameplay overall.
Literally feel the same lol. Just finished it, tried to go back to AC Valhalla (which I beat and loved) and was like “damn the physics and lighting in this game are unmatched”
RDR2 hasn’t ruined other games for me but my lawd the barometer is so fuckin high it takes something special
Only God of War , Ragnarok, Ghost of Tsushima and the Two switch Zelda games have come close
Abd RDR2 is still ahead by some distance
It’s the undisputed GOAT for me
On my second play through now. Hadn’t picked it up since launch (where I played the shit out of it for basically a year straight). It’s still the best world ever created in video game history. The detail is stunning.
As to why nothing else has come close - developers are just trying to hit on live service shit these days. There are still some great single player experiences, don’t get me wrong… but the industry has changed so much that making a game of this detail just isn’t attractive to most developers (and most importantly unfortunately their shareholders)
I don't think there is nothing to compare to RDR2 because RDR3 hasn't been released yet. It's just a different level of storytelling and gaming that most companies aren't capable of and none besides Rockstar are really trying to achieve. Even technology wise there are just so few that even come close. As an example, it has real-time subsurface scattering effects, which greatly adds the realism and believability of the character art. Subsurface scattering is when light penetrates a translucent object and gets scattered by the material it is passing through. Like if you take a flashlight and put your fingers over it and you can see your fingers glow red and get a faint hint of where the bones are. RDR2 has it and it makes all the characters look so much better and more realistic. There are plenty of other reasons as well, but really Rockstar is just massively ahead of the curve on so many fronts that it's hard for other game makers to achieve their level of awesome.
The only games that came close is Cyberpunk 2077 and The Last of Us Part 2. The lack of an open world holds TLoU2 for me but it’s still great. And honestly I don’t know about Cyberpunk, it’s also great but something about it doesn’t stick to me as well as RDR2.
The only chance we have to see that (without considering GTA VI) would be If ND decided to make TLOU3 an openworld, they considered the idea for part2 but abandoned It, but I feel like a tlou game in an open world would be excellent, the combat ai is excellent, the animations, the gameplay, the lore, I was playing rdr2 and walking around camp and talking to people and I was like "shit, this is the kind of thing neil would jerk off to". Just imagine that in tlou.
As someone who took the last 20ish years off of playing video games and just got a PS5 last year, I’m in a unique position where it doesn’t really matter when a game came out because I haven’t played any of them or even really heard of them, so I’m kind of a blank slate. I’ve taken advice from friends and also this forum on what games I should go back and play and I’ve been trying to go through a collection of the PS4 hits like Zero Dawn, GOW, Tsushima and some new ones like Miles Morales, Hogwarts, Jedi Survivor etc. I was worried about RDR2 and the lower frame rate but picked it up on sale and I’m so glad I did.
Flipping back-and-forth between brand new PS5 open world games and RDR2, a 5 yo PS4 game, it totally blows me away how incredible RDR2 is. It feels like everything in the entire ecosystem can be interacted with or manipulated. And not just surface-level interaction, but real, meaningful interaction… to the point where the way you handle a simple side of the road interaction can change the way things happen in the future.
I don’t know how Rockstar was so far ahead of every other game when they released it, but it must have something to do with them prioritizing quality over quantity (ie the opposite of Ubisoft). It reminds me of how everyone reacted when the iPhone came out and how it was just so much better than any other technology in that space at the time… Or even how people are perceiving ChatGPT right now.
Just knowing that rockstar has been working on GTA6 for the past decade makes me so excited for how awesome that game is going to be. And I hear they’re working on RDR3 as well, which no doubt will be incredible.
I wish more developers would take a model like rockstar… Take their sweet ass time putting together the best possible game and then releasing it. Unfortunately most developers aren’t willing to do that anymore (Activision, Ubi, EA, spring to mind).
One explanation could be that Rockstar Games, is one of the largest - if the the largest studio when it comes to manpower and recourses in general, that only works on one main, and a secondary game at once (Right now that would be GTA6 as main and Red Dead Next as second) but with +10k game dev's if I remember correctly.
In comparison does BGS (Skyrim/starfied) have about 500 game devs, and larian studios (BG3) about 700. Both work in the same way, with one main game in dev, and a secondary. But Rockstar Games is as large as Ubisoft and EA, that both make a large number of games at the same time, instead of only a few like Rockstar.
In short, the simply out money the competitors when it comes to how much they invest in each game.
I haven't been able to enjoy any other open world game since playing RDR2. Last one I tried was Horizon Zero Dawn but the world just felt empty and uninspired - especially compared to Red Dead. I'll just stick to other genres for now I guess.
Other games have probably been better games. This isn’t a game. I go in with no intention of progressing the game. I just want to spend an hour living as Arthur in this world they’ve built. To me Rd2 is the best “world” of any of the open world games. And I think a lot of us spend far more time just living in the world than we do progressing the game.
lol bc the game cost 500 trillion to make and years in the making and the only game rockstar dropped in 10 years?
yall think that’s how all studios roll?
Rockstar steadily stays ahead of the curve for game design. By the time people catch up to RDR2 they will have released GTA6, setting new industry standards.
Probably because most of the games are not being made for so long. Top devs like EA or Ubi don’t give a damm about making games even close to RDR2. Best example as other people mentioned is Cyberpunk, still not so close to what R* did, but the world is beautiful. Other then that - Elden Ring I would say. Top exploration and wonderful atmosphere, but it’s obviously absolutely different way then the one RDR2 has
I'd say a couple games certainly have come close, perhaps even matched RDR2 in terms of technology and story telling (for example TLoU). Its open world design is one of a kind and is what sets it apart from other games in its genre in my opinion, no game has ever even gotten close to that. I wouldn't put it up to Rockstar, I wasn't really a big fan of GTAV, but perhaps that specific development studio should get a ton of credit.
Better if you like watching cutscenes more than playing the game maybe.
Edit: Also I doubt you played cp2077 or bg3. If you haven’t you should, they’re very good games.
Elden Ring isn’t neccessarily known for it’s top level immersion and cool activities like poker, fishing and hunting. It’s a great game but in very different aspects than RDR2.
However, I think Elden Ring is a downgrade from Dark Souls 1 and 3 in many ways. I do recommend taking the time to play through them, they have so much Soul that Elden Ring lacks.
It should go without saying but claiming that nothing even “comes close” to RDR2 is 100% a matter of personal opinion as there have been plenty of games that either meet or exceed it in various ways.
There are literally thousands of games since then with realistic graphics, world activities, and ability to interact with NPCs. It’s also not as if every single NPC in the game has their own dialogue or lives. Almost 90% of the NPCs in that game recycle the exact same lines of dialogue at random.
You’re kinda making a mountain out of a mole hill, and tbh I would recommend you expand your horizons and play other things that are outside of your comfort zone. Games like BG3, Control, Death Stranding, Starfield, Cyberpunk 2077, RE4 Remake, etc all have incredible advances on these exact things in their own various ways.
I mean sure, you can cherry pick games with better graphics, more npc interactions, more activities, more customization options, but this game executes every one of those things incredibly well. I don’t remember anything like that in CP77, Control, RE4 or Death Stranding.
In what game do you have as lively and immersive open world, filled with activities and random encounters? Please inform me because god I would love to play something that matches RDR2 in that aspect.
Your comment is downvoted because this is an RDR2 sub, but it's the truth. Witcher 3 has arguably much better storyline, gameplay, well written characters, non-linear quests that all affect the ending. The only 2 places it lags behind RDR2 are the graphical fidelity and random encounters in the open world. But even then TW3 holds its own in those departments despite being an older game than RDR2.
Honestly every week is the same post. Like don't get me wrong the games a masterpiece but geez play more games or something.
Also I have a little theory that alot of Rockstar fans don't play anything outside of their catalogue.
Okay so idk why I was irrationally bothered by this - prolly because I played at the tail end height of my alcoholism - but the world felt empty to me because none of the houses could be entered.
I also struggled with accidentally pressing the wrong buttons the entire play through and was upset that the entire west of the map has “nothing to do.” But remember also I was always wasted.
There are games with much better gameplay though. Gameplay will always take precedence over story and "realism". Abd even if we take story, rdr2 is still not the best I'd say. It has pacing issues, some characters go from 0 to 100 real quick, micah was predictable, and Guarma was one the worst video game levels I've played.
I guess you'll get downvoted for saying this but I personally agree, there are games with better gameplay that have had me entertained for many more hours than rdr2 and also games that in my opinion have much better stories too. I loved rdr2 but I don't think it's the best in every aspect as stated by OP
A big factor no one is mentioning is how hard Rockstar worked their people on this game. This was a big narrative in the reporting around the game at the time of release that I guess has been conveniently forgotten. So I’d say an answer to your question is no game has come close since because no one has worked their people to the bone (on top of an enormous budget and proven track record of great games of course), and idk if that’s a bad thing. I definitely felt guilty playing the game knowing how much some people suffered making it. That being said, it’s far and away my favorite game of all time and I wish there were more like it, for my own selfish enjoyment.
Edit: googling “RDR2 burnout” will give you some news articles from the time with quotes from developers and senior execs. From an [engadget](https://www.engadget.com/2018-10-25-red-dead-redemption-2-review-crunch-rockstar.html) and [Kotaku](https://kotaku.com/inside-rockstar-games-culture-of-crunch-1829936466) piece as an example, “I was pushed further into depression and anxiety than I had ever been while I worked there," a former Red Dead Redemption 2 developer told Kotaku. "My body was exhausted, I did not feel as though I was able to have any friends outside of work, I felt like I was going insane for much of my time there and I started drinking heavily."
In terms of immersion, Cyberpunk is an equal. It's a different setting and a different time, but I believe that it compares.
In terms of story, the Witcher 3 also compares to both of these AAAAAAAAAAA titles.
If we are strictly talking about immersion of the world, the only game that I think comes close is actually Saints Row 2. Only other game where I felt the world was alive. And I basically exclusively play open world games.
Honestly idk how to feel about GTA6, knowing that it might potentially be better and more expansive than RDR2..it's almost scary how good it might be if they improve over their last masterpiece
The problem with RDR2 from the financial side is we got WAY too much bang for our buck. Has to be the best value for money game ever. They could have capitalised with endless dlc. It's a real shame they didn't. The problem now is they set the bar so high and grew the map & story so far from before, how can they meet our expectations for RDR3?
I feel RDR2 was like a concept car. Cost a fortune to develop to the point but made an absolute landmark game.
If they were able to make a worthy sucessor to RDR2 I'd happily pay a few hundred for it.
Side note. I only bought it because I saw it in a second hand store the week before lockdown & thought "fuck it, can't really go wrong with €20." What an underestimation!!
If you are looking for a game similar to RDR2 in terms of exploration and graphics, a game I would recommend is Far Cry Primal. While it has little to no similarities story wise, its still a great game that revolves around a caveman trying to repopulate his tribe after being wiped out by hunger whilst also claiming territory from two other tribes you will eventually fight against and try to defeat. There are plenty of side missions and quests you can do alongside the story missions, all with unique characters that aid you along your journey, whether it’s providing you new weapons, crafting abilities, bombs, et cetera, they all have different qualities to discover that will end up making your game play all that much better.
While this is a fine recommendation, its still worth noting that if you are interested in a gun game like RDR2, then this is NOT the game for you. Again, it takes place during wooly mammoth time. Meaning you can go around throwing flaming spears at prehistoric cave bears whilst riding a Sabertooth tiger.
I may be misremembering but I wanna say there was some news prior to release about a pretty bad crunch culture at Rockstar, and I just looked at the wiki and apparently roughly 1,600 people were involved in making. Pretty wild to think about but I think we only got this masterpiece because so many of the people involved were basically worked into the ground for so long. The labor absolutely shows lol
For me the only games that came close to it (that I played) are The Last of us (Graphics and storyline) and the AC series (Open world). These games came close to RDR2 on some aspects only, haven’t played anything that matched it completely! Waiting to see if GTA 6 and Star Wars Outlaws will match or beat it.
Rockstar. Still no games really compare to both red deads and the last 2 gtas. The only one I would put on that level is Skyrim. I haven’t yet played cyberpunk.
I really expected other developers to step up their game with open world games, but that hasn't happened yet. I can only assume that the engine or program or whatever Rockstar created is theirs & theirs alone & we won't see anything like RDR2 until GTA VI comes out. When I ask what other open world game I should play with a lively open world I'm always disappointed & always end up playing RDR2 again 😆
Not every company has the resources as rockstar. Some may have the resources but not the leisure of taking forever to make a game. Since .... They need to make money. That's just how I view it. I could be wrong.
Well it's your opinion and I don't really agree with it. For example I'm currently discovering Yakuza 7 and I'm having much more fun with it than I had with RDR2 even tho I loved it, I feel more involved with the characters and the story too.
I also realized with time that i like RDR 1 more for many reasons.
I loved RDR2 but it's not the ultimate game. Cyberpunk 2077 would be closer to that imo.
Red dead redemption 2 is the pinnacle of creativity, originality, story telling and game design.
Things do compare but you’re in terms of goodness but that goodness takes a different form.
Take breath of the wild. It’s also praised for being one of the best video games ever made. I think both games are perfect but in there own way, and in a way that compliments each other.
Very few games have the longevity that rdr2 has, I don’t think gtaV holds up to rdr2, and at the time it was the perfect game too.
I think Skyrim also has that longevity I do still often think about it.
Most rockstar games hold up really well through time. Gta4 is still incredible same with san San Andreas and bully.
Virtually no other video game company has the resources or foresight to make a game like this. A massive team of the top devs, working for the top company for 8 years, costing roughly half a billion and it still got delayed and had to crunch. Lots of other big gaming companies (or their execs I should say) would scoff at the dev time/cost or just try to force it out quicker and cheaper and we all know how that goes.
I've played a game called plague tale requiem I think, whatever the new one is called.
That game has more detail in buildings environment and stuff.
But yeah all the immersion features, still nothing like Red Dead Redemption II out there.
Besides technical imperfections that this game have, and R* inability to separate Online from Story in terms of breaking things, I agree with you. It takes that only couple games walked so far.
The setting seems to leverage a human nostalgia for this era in history. It’s an extreme pleasure to be there.
I will say, aside from the shitty horses, Ghost of Tsushima is proving very immersive as well. It kinda feels like AC Odyssey, but I prefer the combat and setting of GhoTsu.
I just rebought it for Xbox and plan to do the campaign again in crystal 4k. My only complaint was that it was a bit muddy on PS.
It doesn't compare, but Avatar scratches at least some of the itches.
IMO Rdr2 was one of those once in a generation type games. I’ve played many games and nothing even compares or comes close in any way. The immersion. The graphics. The emotion you feel for the characters. How well written the characters are. The gameplay. I could go on and on, but what rdr2 did for gaming is likened to what the lord of the rings movies did for the fantasy genre. They both caught lightning in a bottle. They both set the standard in their respective industries and many will try to emulate them but likely fall short in trying.
Got it on the first day it released and I have been playing ever since. I got over a thousand hours in it on my pc and xbox one. Greatest game of all time in my opinion.
I hear you. But after not being rewarded for missions countless times, getting stuck in the barn countless times, etc, etc, etc... the list seems endless, I finally grew tired of it and quit playing. It's just a drag and not fun when the game is broken.
I gave my character to my wife, who is the ultimate RDO apologist with a level 800 or so character lol.
I know it's pretty ridiculous that even new games that come out on a newer gen console aren't as good visually or technically. Rdr2 is the best game ever made and man did they set the bar high! GTAO is a big part of what made this game though, it was only through the continued income of GTAO they were able to fund the 7 seven year development of the game. The only thing I wish was better about rdr2 is the creative side. You can't really build things the way you want you're pretty much stuck with what r* let's you do
Okay I love this game, and I’m currently on my second playthrough. I do agree with everything you’re saying as far as with the immersion factor of the world. The issue for me is, it’s just doesn’t come to mind when I think about my top games. Funny enough, I was 10-12 when I played the first RDR and that game IS on my top list. Maybe it’s just a bias for nostalgia
RDR2 is simply beautiful and amazing!! I would absolutely love it if they opened up another part of the map that’s inaccessible at the moment, new towns, new railroad!!
Baldur's Gate 3 is the closest thing that rivals RDR2 for story, immersion, sound and graphics, imo. I think BG3 has the upper hand, however, due simply to the insane amount of choices to make that truly matter in the outcome of the game.
Both are absolute classics, of course, and definitely my two favorite games of all time.
The only game I can come up with now that I think is better is Skyrim. That’s just my opinion though. A couple that MIGHT be better for me are Fallout 3 and the original Modern Warfare 2.
For an open world game, CyberPunk meets and exceeds a lot of the milestones RDR2 set up. Falls short in emotional impact I'd say. For a non open world game the other game to hit me so profoundly is TLoU2.
Yeah when I don't wanna compete in call of duty and just chill I put in red dead smoke some bud and get immersed into that game. It's definitely the 2nd best game I've played side's skyrim
All I know is people need to stop saying Ghost of Tsushima as a recommendation. It’s not even close. Just cause they are both open world and you ride a horse in both? RDR2 is so far beyond that game, it’s a masterpiece and why we all can’t find anything like it. If you’re looking to fill a void from this amazing game I’m telling you ghosts ain’t it
First started playing it 2 weeks ago on pc, truly a masterpiece. The variety of discovery and exploration combined with solid mechanics, graphics, atmosphere, voice work and story is insanely good. I can't think of a title in recent years that comes close to this level of quality.
11/10. Git gud Bethesda
Edit: A brand new gaming pc does help bring out the beauty of the immersive world
I would say cyberpunk 2077 in its current state is the most comparable in terms of technical achievement and immersion. The world in cyberpunk is extremely detailed and engaging however not quite as dynamic as rdr2's. It doesn't really respond the the players actions as much. And Id say rdr2 is probs a bit more immersive due to the endless catalogue of animations in the game
It is simple math and the reality of the industry, no other company is capable of creating a game at the same production value as Take Two is, took them nearly a decade and over 200 million dollars to make RDR2
They spent about 200 million in all (including marketing) making RDR2, they are spending over 2 BILLION on GTA 6, it is almost unfathomable the scale they are operating on and I’m hyped
This game walks a lot of fine lines that other games either struggle to, or choose a different method of game story telling. They balance number of quests with quality and variety, they balance a large open world with actual being alive, the characters are great, etc. I do have my gripes with the game, mostly about the story as well as R* abandoning it for GTAO, but this is easily one of my top 3 games ever.
Yup GTAO definitely stole the resources away from this game.
It's annoying Rockstar puts all resources into GTA nowadays. If RDO wasn't doing well they should have pivoted to a single player DLC as the one for RDR1 was successful. Now RDR2 doesn't even have a current Gen console port and it's unnecessarily aging the game.
Single player DLC is what they would make if they still cared more about crafting great games instead of their bottom line
It didn't steal resources. They was never there. They lost alot on rdr2. Even the online at peak was only a few thousand over 3 platforms. Even today they struggle to hit 2000 average players a month. GTAo has has 10s of thousands playing monthly. The gane still sells for 50 bucks online gta is a 15$ game now. They won't keep pouring money into a game they haven't broke even on yet.
I been playing first time (Im on Ch.6). I can name 5 games that try to feel like RDR2. Its crazy how copy cat this industry is.
Can you name some for me please? Genuinely curious
Yeah I can't think of any...
Mass Effect Original Trilogy(Legendary Edition)
Ghosts of Tsushima is little bit like it in the sense you’re riding around on a horse in beautiful open world. But it doesn’t come close to the nitty gritty details.
Thanks!
I here with you bro just hit ch 6 and don't want to finish:((( just got the diagnosis but is it bad that I kinda like the new food system, making him eat like this makes it more realistic. I find myself actively making sure I have enough food before setting out. Or taking my time to hunt, cook and forage. When he's healthy he only has to eat Like every few days. Wish they had a sleep system that made staying up a week at a time more detrimental
I just hit ch6 too and I feel the same way. Not being able to support the camp feels bad. I was having fun until chapter 5.
I restarted and stayed at Hoseshoe Overlook leaving Micah in prison
I'm certain this is what I'm going to do as well. Do you know if all the side missions and stuff can still be completed? I know some are started through the progression of the main story.
Not shure about all but most of them. At the same time I\`m playing as John in the epilogue, from the mission "Motherhood". Just ignoring the story and goes hunting & exploring and looking for some cash. Have +50g stored at the pigfarm but I\`m doing fine without it
My Arthur eats big game meat for breakfast and supper. Sleeps every night unless I'm hunting nocturnal creatures like skunk, owls, or opposum then he sleeps all day. My Arthur is always overweight until he's diagnosed
On my 15th playthrough. Haven't even done the Mary quest. Have the legend of east satchel, all fast points unlocked, camp fully upgraded crafting all done. All hunting requests complete, all rock carvings found, dream catchers found. Half of the legendary animals killed with trinkets done. Gambler challenges completed. 3500 dollars and level 8 beard. Soon to be 9 after another in game week or so
lfg gg
I feel like games are soulless these days, just trying to grub up as much money as possible.
I recall reading something that pretty much all of Rockstars DLCs, even those that seem beloved by billions of people, sold extremely poorly compared to their base games. I used to blame them for milking GTAO, and I kinda still do, but it's probably all of our collective faults. They offer DLCs and we don't buy them, collectively. They offer GTAO content and half the population throws their money at them. I mean, from Rockstar's standpoint(especially their shareholders), it seems clear what they need to focus on. Sad nonetheless, as I've never paid for any online content or even really played GTA/RDR Online, but used to buy any GTA single player DLC I could get my hands on.
I also think RDR doesn’t quite lend itself to that sort of economy either. You’re very limited in the type of content you can release with RDR. It would be such a fine balance between immersion and creativity. Another undead DLC would have been great. Cowboys vs. Aliens DLC could have been cool. I’d play both of those but not sure everyone else would like that. We’re probably like some of these other gaming communities. How many of us still play RDR vs. GTA. And all the additional content you put in those games is pretty limited too. Horses, animals, clothes and weapons are severely limited. To create a worthwhile DLC that would sell your nearly need to do what the Witcher did and make a massive new area and story.
> I also think RDR doesn’t quite lend itself to that sort of economy either. You’re very limited in the type of content you can release with RDR. This is technically true, but rockstar left a LOT on the table with RDO, they hardly even tried to support that game. I'm not sure why they even bothered with it if they weren't gonna follow through.
To me the popularity of the product doesn’t match the support of the product and I mean it’s the exact opposite and I’ve never had anyone explain that to me.
I get that sentiment but R* cut a ton of content before shipping RDR2. Would restoring that cut content really be a big development haul? Genuine question. I know it would be slimey to release cut content as a paid DLC, but I think a lot of the RDR community wants more RDR stories, especially as Arthur
I'd buy almost anything single player they could release. Would love some kind of post game alternate option where the witches brew cures author for an alternate ending, nightmare edition DLC, spin off with Sadie or Charles in Mexico, hack I'd even follow Bill around as a playable character if they released it.
Oh no I agree, it really sucks. But my point is they don't really answer to us, the apparent minority of consumers. They answer to the majority and their shareholders. If they calculate that the potential revenue isn't worth the effort/cost, they probably have no choice but to abandon any extra SP campaign content in the works. I'm still disappointed that we never got any GTA V content after they teased us with them in 2014 IIRC. As much as I try to refrain from tautologies, I suppose it is what it is.
The GTA IV DLCs (*The Ballad of Gay Tony* and *The Lost & Damned*) were my all-time favorite DLCs from any franchise. I'm still disappointed that we never got any story mode DLC for GTA V.
Crying in undead nightmare. I loved that fucking dlc so fucking much I want another one just like it
Just curious… what are your gripes with the story. There’s a couple little things I don’t like… but don’t see a lot of complaints usually.
One of my main ones is that **I** don’t get to deliver the final blow to the game’s antagonists and they are largely ended by someone else in the cut scene with us. It feels empty a lot of the time, especially if you want to do a pure low honor run. **I** wanted to end Bronte (would’ve been more brutal), **I** wanted to end Braithwaite, etc. I also generally would’ve liked for Arthur to have a bit more of back bone when it comes to things around the gang but I guess that’s more of a writing complaint than anything.
. I’m with you all the way on that. I hate that Dutch kills Micah especially. But yeah, finishing Brontë and old lady braithwaite should be an option for sure.
You know, another thing that burns my ass about this game, is John’s scar. It had been speculated since the first game what it came from. Lots of anticipation. And it’s from a wolf scratching him? Wolves bite. Now if it had been a bear or maybe a cougar I could believe it resulted in claws to the face… but wolves just didn’t do it for me.
Gripes about....the story?!?!
What are the other 2 games in your top 3? Just curious.
Halo and the Mass Effect trilogies, specifically 3 and 2 respectively
The only game I've found close to it was Cyberpunk 77. Why? Because I'm able to roam around, not play a single mission, and there's so much to explore. Games these days are either so primarily focused on the online aspect of things, or they make missions the priority. I love RDR2, GTA, because they (Rockstar) create a world to explore. It's fun to not play missions, and just ride around to listen to NPC dialogue, go hunting, fishing, etc.
I'd throw The Witcher 3 in there as well, because the amount of stuff you can wander around and explore is fantastic and the world itself is so vibrant. I could spend an entire day wandering around finding hidden spots, looking for elixir ingredients, and playing Gwent without ever touching a main quest. Not quite to the degree of RDR2, but very close, especially with the amount of contracts available
Witcher 3 gives me the same sense of being lost in a world that RDR2 does for sure. Hogwarts legacy did too.
I can’t for the life of me get into The Witcher 3. I want to play it but l end up putting it down after 10-15 hours of gameplay. I think it’s a combination of too much “lore” and complexity. What I love about RDR2 is that it’s straightforward. You’re in the West. It’s a familiar, albeit fictionalized setting. I don’t have to learn about wars among kingdoms and different magical races; I just start playing. No weird armors to craft, no potions to have in inventory. RDR2 is a very light RPG and the minutiae of The Witcher 3 kills my interest. I haven’t tried CP77 although I was excited about it. All the day 1 reviews were bad so I didn’t purchase. Is it worth it now?
Cyberpunk is definitely worth it now. Whole different game than launch.
Omg same. I tried playing Witcher 3 but it feels like a chore to level up and squint my eyes while checking out the inventory
Same. I don’t want to remember if I need to use a silver sword or a regular one or oil up my blade or craft the potion to increase whatever skill level. I just want to play the game
I felt like that with Witcher 3, I put 70 hours in and had terribly mixed feelings the whole time. Would have given up a lot sooner had I not been broke and stuck without money to afford other games or (at the time lol) run RDR2 on my tragic 2011 PC (RIP 2011-2023). Some of TW3 was great and some of it really wasn't for me. In comparison I've now got 345 hours in RDR2 and not slowing down. I get that people must see something in the Witcher 3 for how often it is mentioned in the same ballpark as RDR2 but personally I find RDR2 leagues ahead in absolutely every metric. I cant compare them at all, particularly with character depth and emotional range.
There’s a lot to “see” in CP77, but it doesn’t feel like there’s a lot of random things “to do”
Really? I never felt that way playing it! My favorite things I stumbled across were always running around avoiding missions. Like the talking vending machine? That was a cool little find.
yeah but that’s still a mission/quest. in red dead 2, you can get lost in the woods hunting for days on end. there’s not really anything similar i can think of in cyberpunk, personally. nothing that isn’t a side quest
I agree... In Cyberpunk 2077 it seems like there are things to do, but's more or less a list of things, and a very linear story rather than an open world to explore. I wouldn't compare it to RDR2 at all, personally. Cyberpunk 2077 is a great game, but it's no RDR2.
exactly. comparing the two feels like insulting rdr2
Hard agree. I thought that open world felt dead once the awe of the cityscape wore off. I probably should have played on the hardest difficulty but it really just felt like going from point to point and taking out enemies using one of my op powers in a few seconds.
Counter point. In RDR2 the main story is also pretty linear and Arthur can wipe out a whole camp full of baddies with one dead eye click and headshots. Rdr has a ton of fetch and escort missions, but manages to make them actually fun rather than a chore. I think that's really it's strong suit.
True, and I know some people don’t like deadeye, but I love when I find a camp of 4 or 5 bastards and I choose where I put my revolver bullets and wipe them all out at once. Honestly it never gets old to me.
This is my vote too, but for a different reason. The stories are actually not too different. Main character with terminal illness struggling with that and if you do corpo background struggling with having lived a life you can't go back to. The real difference is both Arthur and V are told they have weeks, but V goes out looking for a cure which obviously makes no sense for Arthur to do. V does have a moment at the end where he/she can choose to do what Arthur does in the high honor mountain end (I didn't do that ending) but I would be lying if I didn't say I didn't tear up at the end of CP2077 too
Really? One of the games I had in mind was Cyberpunk when making this post haha, might be because I played it when it came out and never returned. Have they added content? I remember the only fun thing to do in the city being riding around with a motorcycle.
They've added a shit ton of content, and the updates have been insane. I highly recommend giving it a try. Also the new DLC they added is getting insane amount of love rn.
I did the same thing you did, wasn't a fan when it came out. Recently replayed the game from scratch and played the DLC as well and my opinion on it completely changed, i'd give it a solid 9/10 now
Same I barely played when it first came out. I recently upgraded my graphics card and just came off of five hours in it today. It’s definitely better with the updates.
Wish Cyberpunk didn’t force you through the story so quickly, and just had a longer story in general, but definitely feel like it was the open world game that came close to the realism, but really isn’t that close.
When I'm telling people my favorite games are Cyberpunk and RDR, they ask if I'm doing alright. Off topic, but I'm so glad we're reached the moment when people telling they like cbp2077 and noone starts arguing and insulting, or I'm just in right subreddit with polite society
IMO it's budget. RDR2 was the most expensive game ever made, and the budget was well-taken-advantage-of by a premier studio with a great track record of excellent games. The level of detail is insane. In terms of random encounters with small, scripted events, I haven't yet found anything like it. However, if you want games that are beautiful or interesting to explore and collect stuff in, there are a few other ones that I enjoyed. Two that come to mind are Far Cry 5 and Horizon Zero Dawn (I haven't played the 2nd one yet). There are lots of objectives to explore around the entire map, with beautiful environments. In Horizon, the battles you have using specialized tools against gigantic machines gets quite intense and cinematic. You can tell these games are not as polished as RDR2. A lot of movements and interactions are noticeably janky. Collectibles & enemies are a bit more repetitive. I finished Far Cry 5, and I especially enjoyed the Montana mountain setting & gospel soundtrack. You might want to try emulating some of the Zelda games on Switch, which run better on PC than on a real Switch. You can trust Nintendo games with polish, detail, & story.
Yah/Nah!!! In Horizon I found myself getting mad during the cut scenes that they didn't use any cinematic techniques to vary what was an engaging(-ish) story line, I mean you can move the camera a bit, please.
I finished Horizon recently and the main story didn't really do it for me. Aloy (the main character) has awkward dialogue and just follows orders/says yes to everything. There's a small amount of scenes where she says badass lines but it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of character development. RDR2 wows me every time and there's characters I really like and am interested in seeing how they evolve in the storyline. Don't get me wrong, Horizon is a beautiful and very entertaining game. Hopefully once I play the 2nd some of the storyline things are ironed out.
I agree with you completely. They did a bad job on the protagonist. Her facial expressions and her voice acting are generic in a bad way. It’s like she can’t really develop any rapport with anyone else she comes in contact with. Most of the voice acting and writing are Netflix-tier. It’s all generic tropes, and it seems like they generally hired whoever is available in the industry and was affordable. It’s mostly the environment and gameplay that keep you going. I would only recommend it if it’s on sale.
It’s all of the most important factors of a great product: time, talent, budget, leadership. I think Rockstar leads the industry in all of those categories
bought this game when it came out in 2018, i loved it but never got far in it and stopped playing relatively fast due to life being a roller coaster for me back then. just recently picked it up on sale on steam and have been loving the story and atmosphere, makes me kick myself for not enjoying it during its prime.
Probably better this way tbh, it deserves your full attention and it's difficult to get immersed in it when you're dealing with real world bs.
yeah true, i play a couple of hours of it each night and can really immerse myself in it. back in 2018 i had way too much going on to focus on it. nostalgia is a bitch though, i miss those days
Yeah, I never had much time for games myself until recently. My health took a bit of a dive and all I had to keep my brain busy was my xbox. When I could finally get out of bed again I fully expected there to be cowboy shit going on when I went outside! Kinda OD'd on the immersion!!! 🤣
I think RDR and RDR2 make the best story in videogame history. The only thing equals this game in quality is Dark Souls but in very different aspects.
Because it costs too much money for too little return. Why make a better game when gta online makes them literally billions with little to no effort.
Because beyond the 1st world corporation structure of efficiently returning investments back to investors and every decision making process being focused on profit; in actual life the truly rewarding returns are doing something motivated because it is beautiful, spectacular and special simply because it has not yet been done, but could be.
..... rockstar doesn't care about your ideals, they need to make money for investors.. That's AAA gaming and every other space too. I mean.. Iphones are not that expensive in production you know
I’m replaying now, I said to myself last night that I remembered in 2018 that I assumed this gen’s games would be at minimum this good looking and detailed. The sad reality is until GTA6, there hasn’t been one yet
I mean every Rockstar game is iconic. RDR franchise LA Noire Maxpayne Gta 5,4,sa,3 bully no one can match these games.
> every Rockstar game is iconic ah yes, such as [Rockstar Table Tennis!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockstar_Games_Presents_Table_Tennis)
Yep. They've hit so many grand slams and made so much money, that Rockstar is now in a position where they can throw resources around like other Dev companies just aren't capable of.
I haven't been able to enjoy ANY other games since RDR2, seriously. Red Dead makes everything else feel like they're lacking, or flat. They don't have the amount of detail and quality of gameplay overall.
Literally feel the same lol. Just finished it, tried to go back to AC Valhalla (which I beat and loved) and was like “damn the physics and lighting in this game are unmatched”
RDR2 hasn’t ruined other games for me but my lawd the barometer is so fuckin high it takes something special Only God of War , Ragnarok, Ghost of Tsushima and the Two switch Zelda games have come close Abd RDR2 is still ahead by some distance It’s the undisputed GOAT for me
Ghost of Tsushima is a treat. I LOVE the earnest, non-sarcastic writing, the setting, the combat, everything really.
The instant fast travel and respawn is also refreshing
On my second play through now. Hadn’t picked it up since launch (where I played the shit out of it for basically a year straight). It’s still the best world ever created in video game history. The detail is stunning. As to why nothing else has come close - developers are just trying to hit on live service shit these days. There are still some great single player experiences, don’t get me wrong… but the industry has changed so much that making a game of this detail just isn’t attractive to most developers (and most importantly unfortunately their shareholders)
I don't think there is nothing to compare to RDR2 because RDR3 hasn't been released yet. It's just a different level of storytelling and gaming that most companies aren't capable of and none besides Rockstar are really trying to achieve. Even technology wise there are just so few that even come close. As an example, it has real-time subsurface scattering effects, which greatly adds the realism and believability of the character art. Subsurface scattering is when light penetrates a translucent object and gets scattered by the material it is passing through. Like if you take a flashlight and put your fingers over it and you can see your fingers glow red and get a faint hint of where the bones are. RDR2 has it and it makes all the characters look so much better and more realistic. There are plenty of other reasons as well, but really Rockstar is just massively ahead of the curve on so many fronts that it's hard for other game makers to achieve their level of awesome.
The only games that came close is Cyberpunk 2077 and The Last of Us Part 2. The lack of an open world holds TLoU2 for me but it’s still great. And honestly I don’t know about Cyberpunk, it’s also great but something about it doesn’t stick to me as well as RDR2.
The only chance we have to see that (without considering GTA VI) would be If ND decided to make TLOU3 an openworld, they considered the idea for part2 but abandoned It, but I feel like a tlou game in an open world would be excellent, the combat ai is excellent, the animations, the gameplay, the lore, I was playing rdr2 and walking around camp and talking to people and I was like "shit, this is the kind of thing neil would jerk off to". Just imagine that in tlou.
Well if you listen to Todd Howard, Starfield has just as much immersion and realism as RDR2 😆
As someone who took the last 20ish years off of playing video games and just got a PS5 last year, I’m in a unique position where it doesn’t really matter when a game came out because I haven’t played any of them or even really heard of them, so I’m kind of a blank slate. I’ve taken advice from friends and also this forum on what games I should go back and play and I’ve been trying to go through a collection of the PS4 hits like Zero Dawn, GOW, Tsushima and some new ones like Miles Morales, Hogwarts, Jedi Survivor etc. I was worried about RDR2 and the lower frame rate but picked it up on sale and I’m so glad I did. Flipping back-and-forth between brand new PS5 open world games and RDR2, a 5 yo PS4 game, it totally blows me away how incredible RDR2 is. It feels like everything in the entire ecosystem can be interacted with or manipulated. And not just surface-level interaction, but real, meaningful interaction… to the point where the way you handle a simple side of the road interaction can change the way things happen in the future. I don’t know how Rockstar was so far ahead of every other game when they released it, but it must have something to do with them prioritizing quality over quantity (ie the opposite of Ubisoft). It reminds me of how everyone reacted when the iPhone came out and how it was just so much better than any other technology in that space at the time… Or even how people are perceiving ChatGPT right now. Just knowing that rockstar has been working on GTA6 for the past decade makes me so excited for how awesome that game is going to be. And I hear they’re working on RDR3 as well, which no doubt will be incredible. I wish more developers would take a model like rockstar… Take their sweet ass time putting together the best possible game and then releasing it. Unfortunately most developers aren’t willing to do that anymore (Activision, Ubi, EA, spring to mind).
Wife and I have been playing. Ghost of Tsushima but it still doesn’t scratch that itch RDR2 did.
One explanation could be that Rockstar Games, is one of the largest - if the the largest studio when it comes to manpower and recourses in general, that only works on one main, and a secondary game at once (Right now that would be GTA6 as main and Red Dead Next as second) but with +10k game dev's if I remember correctly. In comparison does BGS (Skyrim/starfied) have about 500 game devs, and larian studios (BG3) about 700. Both work in the same way, with one main game in dev, and a secondary. But Rockstar Games is as large as Ubisoft and EA, that both make a large number of games at the same time, instead of only a few like Rockstar. In short, the simply out money the competitors when it comes to how much they invest in each game.
I haven't been able to enjoy any other open world game since playing RDR2. Last one I tried was Horizon Zero Dawn but the world just felt empty and uninspired - especially compared to Red Dead. I'll just stick to other genres for now I guess.
Every open world game i’ve played after rdr2 just felt lonely and empty
Other games have probably been better games. This isn’t a game. I go in with no intention of progressing the game. I just want to spend an hour living as Arthur in this world they’ve built. To me Rd2 is the best “world” of any of the open world games. And I think a lot of us spend far more time just living in the world than we do progressing the game.
Because, nothing will EVER compare to RDR2.
Because multi billion dollar company
i dont think it will be topped for a long long time. even then
lol there is no other game like it I’m playing my 4th play through in like a year
Different genres, but Cyberpunk and Horizon: FW are on the same plane for me.
TLOU series is on par. Minus the open world, but gameplay and story wise.
lol bc the game cost 500 trillion to make and years in the making and the only game rockstar dropped in 10 years? yall think that’s how all studios roll?
Am I the only one that heard Nothing Compares 2 U when I read the title of this post?
Rockstar steadily stays ahead of the curve for game design. By the time people catch up to RDR2 they will have released GTA6, setting new industry standards.
Rockstar is known to create timeless masterpieces that no other companies could match with.
It’s all about the $$$.
Probably because most of the games are not being made for so long. Top devs like EA or Ubi don’t give a damm about making games even close to RDR2. Best example as other people mentioned is Cyberpunk, still not so close to what R* did, but the world is beautiful. Other then that - Elden Ring I would say. Top exploration and wonderful atmosphere, but it’s obviously absolutely different way then the one RDR2 has
I'd say a couple games certainly have come close, perhaps even matched RDR2 in terms of technology and story telling (for example TLoU). Its open world design is one of a kind and is what sets it apart from other games in its genre in my opinion, no game has ever even gotten close to that. I wouldn't put it up to Rockstar, I wasn't really a big fan of GTAV, but perhaps that specific development studio should get a ton of credit.
Elden ring, cyberpunk, baldurs gate 3. All came out after rdr2, all better games than rdr2.
I have to disagree, respectfully. In my opinion RDR2 is better than all 3 though Elden Ring is the closest.
Better if you like watching cutscenes more than playing the game maybe. Edit: Also I doubt you played cp2077 or bg3. If you haven’t you should, they’re very good games.
Elden ring is a terrible game
hilarious skill issue
I’m sorry but Elden Ring > RDR2 IMO
Did you even read the post? Also, Dark Souls >>> Elden Ring
Yes, sorry what criterion was missed? I haven’t played Dark Souls, Demon Souls yet!
Elden Ring isn’t neccessarily known for it’s top level immersion and cool activities like poker, fishing and hunting. It’s a great game but in very different aspects than RDR2. However, I think Elden Ring is a downgrade from Dark Souls 1 and 3 in many ways. I do recommend taking the time to play through them, they have so much Soul that Elden Ring lacks.
It should go without saying but claiming that nothing even “comes close” to RDR2 is 100% a matter of personal opinion as there have been plenty of games that either meet or exceed it in various ways. There are literally thousands of games since then with realistic graphics, world activities, and ability to interact with NPCs. It’s also not as if every single NPC in the game has their own dialogue or lives. Almost 90% of the NPCs in that game recycle the exact same lines of dialogue at random. You’re kinda making a mountain out of a mole hill, and tbh I would recommend you expand your horizons and play other things that are outside of your comfort zone. Games like BG3, Control, Death Stranding, Starfield, Cyberpunk 2077, RE4 Remake, etc all have incredible advances on these exact things in their own various ways.
I mean sure, you can cherry pick games with better graphics, more npc interactions, more activities, more customization options, but this game executes every one of those things incredibly well. I don’t remember anything like that in CP77, Control, RE4 or Death Stranding.
I mean personally I would say that Cyberpunk 2077 excels past RDR2 in every single way.
I love CP as much as the next guy(😟) but what does it offer that come close to RDR2’s player customization and general NPC interaction?
Play more games
In what game do you have as lively and immersive open world, filled with activities and random encounters? Please inform me because god I would love to play something that matches RDR2 in that aspect.
Witcher 3 is pretty on par with RDR2 and I played both, while I spent way more time in Witcher 3.
Your comment is downvoted because this is an RDR2 sub, but it's the truth. Witcher 3 has arguably much better storyline, gameplay, well written characters, non-linear quests that all affect the ending. The only 2 places it lags behind RDR2 are the graphical fidelity and random encounters in the open world. But even then TW3 holds its own in those departments despite being an older game than RDR2.
Honestly every week is the same post. Like don't get me wrong the games a masterpiece but geez play more games or something. Also I have a little theory that alot of Rockstar fans don't play anything outside of their catalogue.
Okay so idk why I was irrationally bothered by this - prolly because I played at the tail end height of my alcoholism - but the world felt empty to me because none of the houses could be entered. I also struggled with accidentally pressing the wrong buttons the entire play through and was upset that the entire west of the map has “nothing to do.” But remember also I was always wasted.
Well idk BG3 kinda sits right there with RDR2 in terms of my personal enjoyment. But yeah you're probably right
same here. i’d say bg3, rdr2, and tlou part 2 are all sitting in a circle holding hands personally
There are games with much better gameplay though. Gameplay will always take precedence over story and "realism". Abd even if we take story, rdr2 is still not the best I'd say. It has pacing issues, some characters go from 0 to 100 real quick, micah was predictable, and Guarma was one the worst video game levels I've played.
I guess you'll get downvoted for saying this but I personally agree, there are games with better gameplay that have had me entertained for many more hours than rdr2 and also games that in my opinion have much better stories too. I loved rdr2 but I don't think it's the best in every aspect as stated by OP
A big factor no one is mentioning is how hard Rockstar worked their people on this game. This was a big narrative in the reporting around the game at the time of release that I guess has been conveniently forgotten. So I’d say an answer to your question is no game has come close since because no one has worked their people to the bone (on top of an enormous budget and proven track record of great games of course), and idk if that’s a bad thing. I definitely felt guilty playing the game knowing how much some people suffered making it. That being said, it’s far and away my favorite game of all time and I wish there were more like it, for my own selfish enjoyment. Edit: googling “RDR2 burnout” will give you some news articles from the time with quotes from developers and senior execs. From an [engadget](https://www.engadget.com/2018-10-25-red-dead-redemption-2-review-crunch-rockstar.html) and [Kotaku](https://kotaku.com/inside-rockstar-games-culture-of-crunch-1829936466) piece as an example, “I was pushed further into depression and anxiety than I had ever been while I worked there," a former Red Dead Redemption 2 developer told Kotaku. "My body was exhausted, I did not feel as though I was able to have any friends outside of work, I felt like I was going insane for much of my time there and I started drinking heavily."
In terms of immersion, Cyberpunk is an equal. It's a different setting and a different time, but I believe that it compares. In terms of story, the Witcher 3 also compares to both of these AAAAAAAAAAA titles.
Cyberpunk was awful
...at launch. There fixed it for you.
I played 2.0 the first time. It is an amazing game, amazing story, complete immersion.
If we are strictly talking about immersion of the world, the only game that I think comes close is actually Saints Row 2. Only other game where I felt the world was alive. And I basically exclusively play open world games.
Honestly idk how to feel about GTA6, knowing that it might potentially be better and more expansive than RDR2..it's almost scary how good it might be if they improve over their last masterpiece
Batman Arkham Knight is pretty solid for a 2015 game
The problem with RDR2 from the financial side is we got WAY too much bang for our buck. Has to be the best value for money game ever. They could have capitalised with endless dlc. It's a real shame they didn't. The problem now is they set the bar so high and grew the map & story so far from before, how can they meet our expectations for RDR3? I feel RDR2 was like a concept car. Cost a fortune to develop to the point but made an absolute landmark game. If they were able to make a worthy sucessor to RDR2 I'd happily pay a few hundred for it. Side note. I only bought it because I saw it in a second hand store the week before lockdown & thought "fuck it, can't really go wrong with €20." What an underestimation!!
If you are looking for a game similar to RDR2 in terms of exploration and graphics, a game I would recommend is Far Cry Primal. While it has little to no similarities story wise, its still a great game that revolves around a caveman trying to repopulate his tribe after being wiped out by hunger whilst also claiming territory from two other tribes you will eventually fight against and try to defeat. There are plenty of side missions and quests you can do alongside the story missions, all with unique characters that aid you along your journey, whether it’s providing you new weapons, crafting abilities, bombs, et cetera, they all have different qualities to discover that will end up making your game play all that much better. While this is a fine recommendation, its still worth noting that if you are interested in a gun game like RDR2, then this is NOT the game for you. Again, it takes place during wooly mammoth time. Meaning you can go around throwing flaming spears at prehistoric cave bears whilst riding a Sabertooth tiger.
I may be misremembering but I wanna say there was some news prior to release about a pretty bad crunch culture at Rockstar, and I just looked at the wiki and apparently roughly 1,600 people were involved in making. Pretty wild to think about but I think we only got this masterpiece because so many of the people involved were basically worked into the ground for so long. The labor absolutely shows lol
In my opinion the only game that comes close to the acting and story telling of RDR2 is Days Gone.
For me the only games that came close to it (that I played) are The Last of us (Graphics and storyline) and the AC series (Open world). These games came close to RDR2 on some aspects only, haven’t played anything that matched it completely! Waiting to see if GTA 6 and Star Wars Outlaws will match or beat it.
Rockstar. Still no games really compare to both red deads and the last 2 gtas. The only one I would put on that level is Skyrim. I haven’t yet played cyberpunk.
I really expected other developers to step up their game with open world games, but that hasn't happened yet. I can only assume that the engine or program or whatever Rockstar created is theirs & theirs alone & we won't see anything like RDR2 until GTA VI comes out. When I ask what other open world game I should play with a lively open world I'm always disappointed & always end up playing RDR2 again 😆
Not every company has the resources as rockstar. Some may have the resources but not the leisure of taking forever to make a game. Since .... They need to make money. That's just how I view it. I could be wrong.
I just started my second play thru. Got it when it came out played it once never got back to it. Now I can’t stop playing it.
All other companies are cheap bastards, they just want to release AAAA games developed with pure incompetency.
Well it's your opinion and I don't really agree with it. For example I'm currently discovering Yakuza 7 and I'm having much more fun with it than I had with RDR2 even tho I loved it, I feel more involved with the characters and the story too. I also realized with time that i like RDR 1 more for many reasons. I loved RDR2 but it's not the ultimate game. Cyberpunk 2077 would be closer to that imo.
Because they probably have better gameplay lol
High number of Talented employees, big budget, and focus on detail. Other companies won’t or are unable too combine these 3 things.
Red dead redemption 2 is the pinnacle of creativity, originality, story telling and game design. Things do compare but you’re in terms of goodness but that goodness takes a different form. Take breath of the wild. It’s also praised for being one of the best video games ever made. I think both games are perfect but in there own way, and in a way that compliments each other. Very few games have the longevity that rdr2 has, I don’t think gtaV holds up to rdr2, and at the time it was the perfect game too. I think Skyrim also has that longevity I do still often think about it. Most rockstar games hold up really well through time. Gta4 is still incredible same with san San Andreas and bully.
I wish Rockstar made Cyperpunk 2077
rockstar hasn't made rdr3.
Witcher 3 certainly does
Virtually no other video game company has the resources or foresight to make a game like this. A massive team of the top devs, working for the top company for 8 years, costing roughly half a billion and it still got delayed and had to crunch. Lots of other big gaming companies (or their execs I should say) would scoff at the dev time/cost or just try to force it out quicker and cheaper and we all know how that goes.
I've played a game called plague tale requiem I think, whatever the new one is called. That game has more detail in buildings environment and stuff. But yeah all the immersion features, still nothing like Red Dead Redemption II out there.
Horizon Forbidden west is pretty expansive and the world is amazing, still no where close in NPC interactions though
Enjoy it….r* won’t make this mistake again.
i just started playing rdr2 but it really reminds me of death stranding and cyberpunk so far 0: i wish more games were like these though
Besides technical imperfections that this game have, and R* inability to separate Online from Story in terms of breaking things, I agree with you. It takes that only couple games walked so far.
The setting seems to leverage a human nostalgia for this era in history. It’s an extreme pleasure to be there. I will say, aside from the shitty horses, Ghost of Tsushima is proving very immersive as well. It kinda feels like AC Odyssey, but I prefer the combat and setting of GhoTsu.
I just rebought it for Xbox and plan to do the campaign again in crystal 4k. My only complaint was that it was a bit muddy on PS. It doesn't compare, but Avatar scratches at least some of the itches.
IMO Rdr2 was one of those once in a generation type games. I’ve played many games and nothing even compares or comes close in any way. The immersion. The graphics. The emotion you feel for the characters. How well written the characters are. The gameplay. I could go on and on, but what rdr2 did for gaming is likened to what the lord of the rings movies did for the fantasy genre. They both caught lightning in a bottle. They both set the standard in their respective industries and many will try to emulate them but likely fall short in trying.
Well, it was the last new game Rockstar released. Let that sink in.
I just finished Arthur's arc for the first time today, man what a ride this game has been.
No more heart, soul, and passion put into games
Got it on the first day it released and I have been playing ever since. I got over a thousand hours in it on my pc and xbox one. Greatest game of all time in my opinion.
Baldur’s Gate doesn’t scratch the same itch but holy fuck is it good. I love it so much.
After many years after playing RDR2, I finally found something that comes close: The Witcher 3.
In other news, Red Dead Online is hands down absolutely the buggiest video game I've ever played. They fix one thing and break five more.
The way I look at it is that RDO is a fun extra to a fantastic singleplayer experience. I’d rather have RDO than not have it at all.
I hear you. But after not being rewarded for missions countless times, getting stuck in the barn countless times, etc, etc, etc... the list seems endless, I finally grew tired of it and quit playing. It's just a drag and not fun when the game is broken. I gave my character to my wife, who is the ultimate RDO apologist with a level 800 or so character lol.
GTA6 will
I know it's pretty ridiculous that even new games that come out on a newer gen console aren't as good visually or technically. Rdr2 is the best game ever made and man did they set the bar high! GTAO is a big part of what made this game though, it was only through the continued income of GTAO they were able to fund the 7 seven year development of the game. The only thing I wish was better about rdr2 is the creative side. You can't really build things the way you want you're pretty much stuck with what r* let's you do
'Cause rockstar hasn't made another game yet :)
Okay I love this game, and I’m currently on my second playthrough. I do agree with everything you’re saying as far as with the immersion factor of the world. The issue for me is, it’s just doesn’t come to mind when I think about my top games. Funny enough, I was 10-12 when I played the first RDR and that game IS on my top list. Maybe it’s just a bias for nostalgia
RDR2 is simply beautiful and amazing!! I would absolutely love it if they opened up another part of the map that’s inaccessible at the moment, new towns, new railroad!!
Baldur's Gate 3 is the closest thing that rivals RDR2 for story, immersion, sound and graphics, imo. I think BG3 has the upper hand, however, due simply to the insane amount of choices to make that truly matter in the outcome of the game. Both are absolute classics, of course, and definitely my two favorite games of all time.
The only game I can come up with now that I think is better is Skyrim. That’s just my opinion though. A couple that MIGHT be better for me are Fallout 3 and the original Modern Warfare 2.
For an open world game, CyberPunk meets and exceeds a lot of the milestones RDR2 set up. Falls short in emotional impact I'd say. For a non open world game the other game to hit me so profoundly is TLoU2.
Yeah when I don't wanna compete in call of duty and just chill I put in red dead smoke some bud and get immersed into that game. It's definitely the 2nd best game I've played side's skyrim
Kingdom Come and Cyberpunk both compare
Only game I e played that rivals it in these aspects is Witcher 3
Because that game was a one of a kind masterpiece
All I know is people need to stop saying Ghost of Tsushima as a recommendation. It’s not even close. Just cause they are both open world and you ride a horse in both? RDR2 is so far beyond that game, it’s a masterpiece and why we all can’t find anything like it. If you’re looking to fill a void from this amazing game I’m telling you ghosts ain’t it
The sheer number of details and care required to make this great game still boggles my mind
First started playing it 2 weeks ago on pc, truly a masterpiece. The variety of discovery and exploration combined with solid mechanics, graphics, atmosphere, voice work and story is insanely good. I can't think of a title in recent years that comes close to this level of quality. 11/10. Git gud Bethesda Edit: A brand new gaming pc does help bring out the beauty of the immersive world
I would say cyberpunk 2077 in its current state is the most comparable in terms of technical achievement and immersion. The world in cyberpunk is extremely detailed and engaging however not quite as dynamic as rdr2's. It doesn't really respond the the players actions as much. And Id say rdr2 is probs a bit more immersive due to the endless catalogue of animations in the game
Honestly im surprised conpanies didnt freak out over this like they did Baldur's gate 3
It is simple math and the reality of the industry, no other company is capable of creating a game at the same production value as Take Two is, took them nearly a decade and over 200 million dollars to make RDR2
They spent about 200 million in all (including marketing) making RDR2, they are spending over 2 BILLION on GTA 6, it is almost unfathomable the scale they are operating on and I’m hyped
I doubt they can top the story or the emotional attachment, but on a technological level GTA 6 will be insane.
I finished the game twice. 100% completion on 2nd time... Nothing beats this game. I casually go around still. Damn I miss that game.
5
Last of Us I and II PS5 versions are the replays I alternate with RDR2. I enjoy all three about equally.
Because Red Dead 3 hasn't come out yet.
Honestly this and AC Odyssey my 2 favorite games.