Red Dead Redemption 2, more than two months after release, is still the talk of the town, and with good reason. The game is brimming with so much content, from over one hundred story missions to numerous side quests and random happenings, that it would not be a stretch to believe there are still undiscovered secrets. This is not to say that everything about the title is perfect, but it stands as a technical achievement and a step forward for the medium as an art form.
Given it's unprecedented size and detail, there are bound to be a plethora of things about the game that don't add up. Heck, a lot of the world just plain doesn't make sense. The following entries are made up of illogical game play mechanics, story events, and lingering questions that have no definitive answer. It should be noted that these aren't slights at the game, but ideas, both fun and serious, to mull over. Leaps in logic do nothing to detract from the game's quality. Additionally, there are going to be some pretty huge spoilers, so readers who do not want the plot divulged to them should come back to this after finishing the game's masterfully crafted campaign.
So get ready to rob some trains, because here are the 25 Things That Make No Sense About Red Dead Redemption 2.
Arthur's Illness
Slightly past the halfway point, Arthur Morgan is afflicted with Tuberculosis. Getting the disease today is serious, but back in the late 1890s, it put a time limit on one's mortality, and Morgan was no exception.
If one reloads chapter six and never does the mission, "Red Dead Redemption", Arthur will not succumb to TB. Diseases do not usually progress only for the plot's convenience. Maybe it would have been frustrating for there to be an actual time limit on the sixth chapter, but it would have been more realistic.
What Puts Dutch Over The Edge?
The game's central tragedy is Arthur Morgan watching the man he considers a father slowly unravel into insanity. Dutch Van Der Linde starts the game touting honorable values, but by the end, he is unhinged.
What exactly initiates his downward spiral, though? The game never clearly states, but there are several possibilities. The pressure of escaping his fading outlaw lifestyle, betrayal by the woman he loved, or the conniving whispers from Micah are all potential reasons. He also suffers a severe head injury when a trolley crashes in chapter four; trauma like this is known to occasionally effect mental health.
If It's So Realistic, How Come Nobody Uses The Bathroom?
This epic Western prides itself on realism, from lifelike animals to real time beard growth. These subtle details bring the world to life, sucking anyone who plays into it. However, there are some common everyday functions, or "duties," that are mysteriously left out of the equation.
Why doesn't the player need to periodically bring Arthur to a rest room, or at least dig a hole in the wilderness? Rockstar spent eight years creating a wild west simulator only to ruin the immersion by giving everyone bladders of steel. Perhaps everyone really has to go and it's why they are so miserable?
John Forgets About That One Time He Saw Dutch Again
John Marston is considered one of gaming's finest protagonists. Fans were delighted to learn he would be a featured cast member in the prequel, and went through the roof upon taking control of the gunslinger once more in the epilogue.
The very last mission of the epilogue sees Marston come face to face with Dutch once more. It's a dramatic moment, but John seems to have forgotten it, saying in the first game that the last time he saw Dutch was when he was abandoned by the once paternal figure, referring to the train heist at the end of chapter six.
How Do So Few People Recognize Wanted Criminals?
Several of the game's chapters end with the gang laying waste to half a town's population. Afterwards, they deem it necessary to find a new camp because of the evil crimes they committed.
Right after moving, some lawmen may spot Arthur, but for the most part, he is free to move about the town he recently turned into a shooting range. Sure, there were no surveillance cameras or face recognition technology, but ending dozens of lives and robbing a bank would put anybody on the most wanted list until the end of days.
Why Is Fast Travel Only Available From Camp?
Rockstar's intentions with Red Dead Redemption 2 were visible from the outset. The studio wanted players to breathe in every ounce of this brutal world. This is probably why they removed the ability to fast travel from anywhere on the map.
Expedited travel is available from the hideout, but why put it in one place and not the other? At the very least, they should have let players have it after beating the game. Seeing as how convenient fast travel was available in the first title, this feels like a step back for some.
How Do Lost Saddles Find Their Way Back To Stables?
Play around this Western wonderland long enough, and the trusty steed is bound to bite the dust. If this happens, players are encouraged to take the saddle and mount up another horse.
Should the saddle be lost, one would think that all of Arthur's equipment would also say goodbye. Don't fret, however, as the saddles magically turn up at the next visited stable. How do they end up there? Is there a mythical saddle fairy that reunites lost ones with their owners? Given how awful permanently losing everything would be, we're not about to say Rockstar should have strived for more realism here.
Why Can't Arthur Run In Camp?
The animations in Red Dead Redemption 2 are absolutely breathtaking. Each time an enemy is shot, their tumbling and rolling around, as subtle as it may be, leaves jaws on the floor.
There is one part of the game that really drops the ball on this front, and it is the way Arthur walks through camp. The man moves at a snail's pace towards his friends and comrades. This is not how people walk in real life. In reality, Arthur should briskly approach his comrades, only slowing down once he gets close.
Arthur Is Impervious To Cold Water
Like another recent groundbreaking open world title, Breath of the Wild, weather takes a toll on the characters in Red Dead Redemption 2. Venture into snowy climates unprepared and the health cores will start to drain, making Arthur more vulnerable.
Walk into these area's ice cold lakes, however, and it is no different than taking a dip into a warm ocean. Somehow, Arthur is able to resist freezing water. On the other hand, John will lose all stamina if he so much as dips a toe into a puddle, but this is because he cannot swim.
Just How Much Money Do They Need?
Dutch repeats ad nauseam that all the gang needs is some money. Nearly the entire journey is spent chasing one big score that sadly comes too late. It does beg the question, though, about just how much money they need to escape their lives?
In the wild West, a dollar would get people far, and Arthur amasses a small fortune on his own. If Dutch had just told the protagonist "we need this certain amount of money," he probably could have gathered it all up in a few months and pay for everybody's passage to an island paradise.
That's Not How Bounties Work
Becoming wanted in this game is as easy as accidentally picking up a strangers hat or boarding their horse. From there, transgressions can escalate quickly, racking up a substantial price on one's head.
Fortunately, all deeds can be forgiven by simply paying off the bounty, which was not how that system worked back then. People couldn't just be forgiven for severe crimes by shelling out a few bucks. Maybe the feature is commentary on how anybody can get away with crimes if they have enough money, but it was more likely done for the sake of game play.
Why Can Arthur Open Some Doors And Not Others?
Arthur Morgan's journey aims to be as immersive as possible, but it is still a video game at the end of the day. As a result, the artists and designers could not render the inside of every house and building in town.
To their credit, the interiors are more fleshed out than they have been before, but where is the logic in Arthur being able to enter some buildings and not others? It is understandable for residences to have locked doors, but what about stores? If it is not pertinent to Arthur's needs, then the player is unable to enter.
Cameras Did Not Work That Well In The 1890s
Many big budget games these days let players snap pictures, either through a photo mode or a character's camera. Arthur gets access to a camera that is used for some objectives, but can be whipped out a any time when the moment is right.
Snapshots are taken instantly, but photo technology was not that advanced in the 1890s. Realistically, the camera should have to remain focused on the image for anywhere between three and fifteen minutes, depending on the surrounding light. Gamers probably wouldn't have the patience for this, but it would all be in the name of realism.
Why Do The Pinkertons Always Take So Long To Find The Gang?
The Pinkertons are a real detective agency, and go down as consistently being on the sketchy side of history, which is probably why they are none too pleased about their inclusion in the story.
Maybe it is because they are portrayed as villains, or maybe it is because they are grossly incompetent throughout the campaign. They do usually find the hideouts, but only later in the game. Their first encounter with Arthur is so ridiculously close to the camp, it is hard to believe they could not have tailed Morgan back to it.
What's The Deal With Dead Eye?
Dead Eye is the link between every game with the words "Red Dead" in the title. It can be the saving grace of a heated firefight, but how do the two playable characters have access to it?
This is essentially a superpower that allows its user to slow down time and line up several shots. Arthur and John are experts with a gun, but they are still human beings. Admittedly, the game has less than stellar shooting mechanics, so Dead Eye is more than welcome to stay, despite its fantastic nature.
Why Does Dutch Leave The Money Behind In The Epilogue?
The game's final mission is a tense encounter during which John Marston puts everything he has worked for on the line to quench his thirst for vengeance. After Dutch's surprise appearance when he saves John and Sadie, he quietly leaves, and also abandons a giant trunk full of money.
Why, precisely, does he leave this small fortune behind? Sure, carrying all of it would be cumbersome, but he definitely could have taken a sack full with him as a safety net. Given the villain's mental instability, the true answer may never reveal itself.
Does Red Dead Online Exist In An Endless Limbo?
The online component takes place before the main game's story, and has its own plot. It is still in its infancy, but there is already a ton of content for people to feast upon.
Considering the intended lifespan of the mode, it makes one wonder just how long before Red Dead Redemption 2 it is set. GTA Online suffers from the same conundrum. It is also a prequel to the story, but has been running for five years now. Shouldn't it eventually overlap with the events of the main game?
Why Would Arthur Even Think About Going Back For The Money?
The game's story straddles a fine line between player choice and presenting a fully defined character arc with a satisfying conclusion. Regardless of one's honor or prior decisions, Arthur always sees the light and turns his back on Dutch.
There is one perplexing choice during his final mission, however, when the player can decide if they want to help John Marston escape the law or go back for the money in the cave. Knowing the changes Arthur has gone through, it seems like helping John escape would be the only thing on his mind.
Arthur Is At Fault For Mr. Bullard's Fate, But Doesn't Care
"Icarus and Friends" is a strange mission. It is all spectacle and ultimately not vital to the main story. Sadie could just have easily said she knows where Marston is being held and they could have initiated the prison break.
It is also weird how they drag the hot air balloonist into this criminal escapade which sees him meet his fate, but they show no remorse. Life was cheap in the old West, but Arthur and Sadie totally got an innocent person slain and never mention the poor soul again.
What Happened To Karen?
During the epilogue, John can run into almost all of the gang's surviving members. Most of them seem to be doing okay, too. One character who is suspiciously absent from the world is Karen Jones.
The last players see of her is stumbling around camp in a drunken stupor. It is assumed that she drank her way to the grave, but that is unconfirmed. Perhaps that is part of the point, though. Alcoholism, and addiction in general, can make ghosts out of people as they slowly vanish into whatever vice takes hold of them.