Released in the fall of 2018, Red Dead Redemption 2 earned instant critical acclaim and enormous commercial success, generating $725 million its opening weekend and becoming the second highest-grossing entertainment launch of all time (following Rockstar's own Grand Theft Auto V, signifying their total dominance of the 2o10s).
Most people agree that the game is excellent and a shining example of video games as art, but opinions often diverge in regards to the minutiae. Not every aspect of the game will land with every player, and some people disagree on certain aspects of the game's production. Some of these opinions are legitimate and popularly held. Others, not so much...
Arthur Is Never Redeemed
The entire point of Red Dead Redemption is, well, redemption. It begins with an outlaw reflecting on his waning time in the world and ends with said outlaw making amends and spiritually redeeming himself. But not according to u/peteypete420.
They bluntly claim that "Arthur is a s***bag murderer, he is never redeemed. He does some s*** for a family of killers instead of a group of killers, and dies a criminal's death." Harsh words, and definitely an unpopular opinion.
The Game Is Boring
Red Dead Redemption 2 veers closely to realism, and in some player's eyes, that realism comes at the cost of good gameplay. This is summed up by Reddit user u/dcirrilla, who claims that the game is boring.
They write, "The gunplay is way too easy and the stakes of the story seem so small. I don't feel like the game has big enough consequences to really engage me and the fact that I can abuse the auto-lock aim system doesn't help." Quite an unpopular opinion, especially considering players have the option to turn auto-lock off.
The Game Plays Itself
Reddit user u/Bizrat7 shares a similar opinion, arguing that the game essentially plays itself. They write, "I would literally set a map marker on a quest, set my horse to auto-travel there, and then watch YouTube until I got there. Engage in a shootout by pressing L, then R. Then L, then R. The game essentially plays itself."
Some people defended the gameplay mechanics and criticized u/Bizrat's approach to the game, including u/Mainehammer207. They make a great point in saying, "Honestly I think you missed out on half the game entirely. If I fast traveled everywhere, was distracted on my phone and used Dead Eye to kill everyone then obviously the game will get stale."
The Story Is Actually About John
There's no denying that John Marston plays a huge role in Red Dead Redemption 2. He and Arthur's brotherly relationship is constantly expounded on, and John's character development is necessary for shaping the John that players know and love from the first game.
u/John-Shaft argues that, "This game is completely about [John Marston], and Arthur is our vessel to help us guide him to the story of [Red Dead Redemption]." It's a fair point, but to say that the game is "completely about John" may be overdoing it a little.
The Story Is "A Dragged Out Mess"
Even the most ardent detractors and critics of Red Dead Redemption 2 agree that the story is great. But u/ghrumebul isn't having it. They argue that "the story is a dragged out mess complicated by timing in that it can't ever be sure that the player just went from story mission to story mission or spent three weeks f***ing around in the mountains."
While this may be true, that's the case for every open-world video game, not just Red Dead Redemption 2. This is also somewhat mitigated in-game, as characters will make direct reference to Arthur's prolonged absences.
The Game Is Extremely Frustrating
It's safe to say that Reddit user u/NFIGUY does not like the game. They penned a long and detailed response as to why they hate the game, concluding, "If I wanted some s*** to be extremely frustrating and difficult to accomplish, I've got real life for that".
However, some other users noticed the line, "I quit during the deer hunting bull*** and shelved the game," prompting some defensive remarks. For example, u/DuanePipe writes, "You don’t have a valid argument if you haven’t even finished the tutorial."
Traveling By Horse Is Boring
Red Dead Redemption 2 is very intentionally paced, and the long horse rides are all part of the experience. There are tons of random encounters to experience and beautiful sights to see, and it's very easy to get distracted while traveling from A to B. But one Reddit user hates it, writing, "Having to ride your horse everywhere is unbelievably boring and time consuming".
However, u/CheechIsAnOPTree was quick to clap back, saying, "The game has 3 forms of fast travel. Arthur's map, trains, and coaches. Just saying. If you're going to complain about something complain about something actually wrong with the game".
Guarma Is Great
On the flip side, even the most ardent defenders of Red Dead Redemption 2 generally agree that the Guarma chapter is not great. It makes for an odd and out-of-place narrative detour, it significantly limits exploration and freedom, it strips all accumulated weapons and items from the player, and it goes on for far too long.
But u/Just_Some_Bloke_UK loves it. They write, "I really enjoy Chapter 5. The battle against the army from the sea is up there with my favorite missions in the whole game and also I like the change of pace."
Not Liking New Austin
New Austin sits in an odd place in Red Dead Redemption 2. It's off-limits throughout most of the game (it can only be explored in the epilogue), players can't explore it with Arthur, and it's mostly just a high-definition remake of the map from the first game.
But then again, its uniqueness is exactly why players love it - that and the nostalgia. But u/-Captain- doesn't like it, writing, "Seems like it is thrown in there for no other reason than just being there".
Loving HDR
HDR is a relatively new concept to console gaming, as it can only be experienced on 4K TVs with high dynamic range capabilities. Most games with HDR look significantly better than their SDR counterparts, complete with greater contrast, better colors, brighter whites, and deeper blacks.
But Red Dead Redemption 2 proves the exception, and some feel that the game looks noticeably washed out and rather colorless when HDR is activated. But u/solsikkebby loves it, writing, "I like the washed out, fake HDR look better." Many people would disagree, favoring colorful landscapes and general brightness over a drab palette, but to each their own. This is an unpopular opinion after all!