Red Dead Redemption 2: the masterpiece many players never finish

Red Dead Redemption 2: the masterpiece many players never finish

Rockstar released an open-world western in 2018 that swept the board with critics and sales alike. Yet seven years on, the debate over its pacing rages on: for some it is the pinnacle of the medium; for others, a soporific cowboy simulator that demands patience. The drop-off numbers speak for themselves.

Pacing, the unfinished business

The character's sluggish movement and the lengthy snowy introduction are the first hurdle. Players coming from titles like The Witcher 3 run into a narrative that takes its time to get going. Some gamers say they tried it two or three times before it clicked, while others quit for good at the camp during the first mission. A paradox: a game sold as a masterpiece that simultaneously piles up abandonments in its opening hours.

Open world: freedom and tedium

RDR2's map is colossal, yet for a portion of players it feels empty of meaningful content. The side activities — hunting, fishing, hunting collectibles — are a strength for some and dead weight for others. Some lose themselves for weeks hunting elk without ever touching the main story, while others get bored because the reward system is so slow. The sense of "cheap dopamine" that the modern gamer demands clashes with Rockstar's contemplative approach.

The shadow of The Witcher 3

The comparison is inevitable. The Witcher 3 takes the crown as the genre's benchmark. Many come to RDR2 expecting a similar experience and find slower gameplay and a protagonist who, according to some, lacks Geralt's charisma. RDR2's defenders, however, argue that Arthur Morgan is one of the best-written characters in video game history, with a narrative arc that justifies the deliberate pace.

The generational factor and digital patience

The player's age matters. Those who grew up with linear titles or fast-paced multiplayer feel out of place in a game that asks for time and attention. "You need to be a stay-at-home hermit," goes the joke. The debate reflects a shift in consumption habits: gaming as a slow food experience versus the fast food of battle royales.

RDR2's dilemma is the dilemma of an entire industry: can a mammoth game, meticulous to the extreme, compete with the immediacy the market demands? Only time will tell whether Arthur Morgan's legacy endures as a cult classic or as the last great dinosaur of a fading era.