Red Dead Online needs these three fixes

There is currently no reason to buy Rockstar Games's Red Dead Redemption 2. Unless, that is, you're happy to play the single-player offline mode by itself. Because Red Dead Online is broken.

It would be dramatically improved with three simple changes.

First, the problem. Sharing its single-layer mode's vast map, Red Dead Online is a beautiful game. The environment is rich with a diversity of color, terrain, and wildlife. These fundamentals provide a baseline for diverse experiences. Unfortunately, Rockstar Games has not filled in the detail that would make this work. The online mode offers a series of repetitive mission modes and a far too limited campaign. While things were slightly improved with the introduction of the trader, bounty hunter, collector, and moonshiner skill trades, those elements also need significant development.

But the basic problem is that there just isn't enough to do.

Players aren't given enough surprises — the core strength of the single-player mode was its provision of hundreds of different interactions with nonplayer characters and buildings across the map — or incentive to travel. This leaves players oscillating between escorting caravans and riding around on their occasionally trusty steeds, trying to find something to do. Not a great recipe for the game's long-term viability.

So what should be done?

Well, I've offered a number of solutions. But let me focus on three basic changes that wouldn't require major work on Rockstar's part and would immediately improve things.

First, more animals.

An absurdity of Red Dead Online is the absence of animals as compared to the offline game mode. With more than two hundred animal species in the game, hunting and using animal parts for sale or crafting is a staple of enjoyment. But the scarcity of animals in the online mode makes hunting more of a boring chore. This wouldn't be an issue if players were given clues to animal locations, but the animals simply spawn rarely and randomly. Perhaps the game networks might not be able to handle offline levels of animals spawning. Still, Rockstar should at least increase the provision.

Rockstar also needs a return to a cheater-protected version of the Gun Rush game mode.

One of the most enjoyable multiplayer modes, Gun Rush pits 30 players against each other in a race to find weapons and secure strongholds in an ever-shrinking map. It required guile as well as aggression. Sadly, Gun Rush is rare to find, now buried amid constantly tedious "Make it Count" games in the Elimination Series. Why not put Gun Rush back as an option on the opening menu? And if Rockstar is willing to ban cheaters (instead of ignoring them), Gun Rush's return will give a much-needed fun-boost to the game.

Third, Rockstar should introduce high-stakes poker games at the Saint Denis location.

Poker forms a fun way for players to interact. But with each poker location only requiring a $25 buy-in, the stakes are presently too low. But, were Rockstar to require a $100 buy-in and $5 per-hand ante in Saint Denis, it would guard against frivolous players while allowing others more risk-based enjoyment.

Other players will, of course, have their own priorities for Red Dead Online's improvement. Still, the three reforms above are widely supported by players and would be relatively easy for Rockstar to introduce. Let's see them.

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from Poker