Red Dead Redemption 2, 8 years later, is a bad video game

I was, as the kids say, gassed when I finally got my hands on Red Dead Redemption 2. At the time, I was writing for a now-defunct video game website, and in celebration of one of the most anticipated games of all time launching, we were given the day off. (In hindsight, with eight years of industry experience under my belt, that’s a baffling decision, but I wasn’t complaining at the time.) Unfortunately, within a few hours of slogging through the snow, setting up camp at Horseshoe Overlook, and discovering Valentine, I was bored out of my skull.

Listen, I’m not just hating to be contrarian for the sake of it. I wanted to love the game. The original Red Dead Redemption had me weeping during that unforgettable, devastating final scene. And Grand Theft Auto 5 is one of my all-time favorites, too, so I was all set for Rockstar’s next major outing to blow me away. Arguably, it did, but not in the way I was expecting.

At the time, Red Dead Redemption 2 was one of the most detailed games I’d ever played. The world felt alive. The story was gripping. The characters were entertaining, personable, and sometimes even relatable. And technically? It’s a masterpiece. Take hunting, for example: 178 different kinds of animals, each with different habitats and behaviors, and many of them require bait to attract them while you lie in wait.

The problem is that with Rockstar leaning so far into realism, Red Dead Redemption 2 may be impressive, but it isn’t fun. Slowly following the scent of a bear, setting a trap, then hiding in a bush for minutes on end isn’t engaging gameplay. Another example is that looting is astoundingly detailed: the ability to search through every individual drawer and the fact the game doesn’t just open an inventory screen in its UI is commendable, but it takes so, so long.

Various core mechanics of the game are nothing short of clunky, too. Take riding a horse, for example; I’m not expecting the same level of precision I’d find when driving a car in GTA 5, because it’s a live animal with legs instead of wheels, after all. But I would expect the game’s primary transport method to be relatively smooth, and while it is easy going across flat, open terrain, making sharp turns, riding across narrow paths, or engaging in combat while on horseback is often frustrating.

Maybe it’s me. Maybe I’m the problem. Being unable to keep my attention on the game during these slower moments is most likely a symptom of my ADHD. But in an era when so many people have shorter attention spans anyway, due to short-form content consumption and the sheer breadth of entertainment media available, I think Red Dead Redemption 2 falls on the wrong side of the line.

With GTA 6 coming before the end of the year, I can only hope Rockstar dials back the realism a touch. Their flagship series has always been much more comical and over-the-top than its cowboy-themed sibling, and since it’s set in the modern era, the world will be moving at a faster pace anyway. But finding that balance between entertainment and realism will be crucial.

I’d love to give Red Dead Redemption 2 another go, time permitting. As I say, I think it’s a wonderfully crafted game, but by and large, I play games to enjoy myself. Red Dead Redemption 2’s mechanics, while spectacularly realistic, are far too cumbersome. Since it launched as a console exclusive, I also haven’t revisited it on PC. With a mouse and keyboard, and maybe a few mods installed to improve the experience, perhaps I’ll finally understand why it’s considered by so many to be one of the best games of all time. For now, the most I can say is that it’s one of the best technical achievements of all time, but it’s not a very good video game.