Skip to main content

Red Dead Online gets back to the Rockstar I love

For a few dollars more.

Excuse me for being a bit slow, but after spending a day with Red Dead Online, something that should have been obvious dawned on me. Maybe Rockstar's a developer whose focus is now more firmly placed on big, grand multiplayer experiences than it is the single-player experiences that made its name, and that first made me an admirer of its craft. And that perhaps should have been obvious if I'd have paid attention to the phenomenon that was Grand Theft Auto Online rather than moseying through GTA 5's campaign a couple of times before setting it to one side. Now I've sampled a little of what happens when Rockstar's open worlds go online, I'm kind of smitten.

If you've spent any time whatsoever with Grand Theft Auto Online, the multiplayer accompaniment to Red Dead Redemption 2 will be mighty familiar. You get to free-roam all of that generous map (and - mild spoiler alert - the half of the map that's finally reachable when you've completed the main storyline is made full use of here, complete with a surprise, brilliant cameo from an old fan favourite), taking on missions on your own or as part of a posse, and choosing to meddle with other people's attempts to bring home bounties or just letting people go about their business in peace.

There are playlists of fairly straightforward multiplayer match types - including, of course, a Battle Royale mode, though its implementation is slightly spotty and in my time with the game it rarely turns up in rotation. The bulk of this PvP part of Red Dead Online is, a little like the backbone of Red Dead Redemption 2's single-player story missions, a little 2010, and not really helped by the less than stellar gunplay, but there's a lot to recommend it.

The maps are weirdly excellent by virtue of Rockstar not caring too much about prevailing philosophy when it comes to multiplayer design - these cordoned off areas of the main map aren't beholden to three lane design, and instead operate like living, breathing spaces, following more pedestrian rulesets than other multiplayer games and emerging all the better for it. Play a deathmatch game of any flavour on the streets of Saint Denis and there's that eerie sense of inhabiting a real space, the pitched battles that break out on its thoroughfares feeling like they're part of some real-life uprising.

For the player who just wants to shoot other players, then, Red Dead Online offers a decent amount, with solo deathmatch, team deathmatch, that Battle Royale mode - here named Make It Count, which limits you to bows and knives - as well as neat variants such as Name Your Weapon, where you earn more points for using a trickier weapon, or Most Wanted, where the highest scoring player will be tagged for all players to hunt down. But what about everyone else?

In the more freeform, Free Roam mode you make your own fun, picking up one of the main story missions or side missions (some beholden to the same morality system as in the single-player game, with Posses voting on the outcome of certain events), or having fun at the expense of others, spoiling their attempts at missions and then rushing in to take their spoils. It might sound like basic stuff, but when you take into consideration the bountiful systems already at play in Red Dead Redemption 2, and that outrageously beautiful world, and there's the foundations for something spell-binding. I've had more fun in the past day of playing online than I had throughout the long - long - duration of the campaign.

Part of that's down to picking my own character, and forming my own story around them. So may I introduce you to Joans, the sour-faced, hard-edged outlaw born in the bayou who takes no prisoners as she roams the land (and who took a fair bit of fudging through a character creator that, while decent, serves up some truly grotesque defaults).

The mission briefings you get in Red Dead Online's story - and there is a story, it's worth pointing out, seemingly set some time before Red Dead Redemption 2's main events - are often verbose, but your character is entirely wordless. And it made me realise how much I missed GTA 3's Claude, and having that blank slate with which to paint your own character.

Throughout Red Dead Online, there's so much of that old free form frisson that I've missed from more recent Rockstar games - the sense that anything can happen, and that when it does it'll usually go completely, hilariously wrong. I took on a succession of story missions with a random Posse last night, and was subsequently thrilled by the thunder of hooves as we all rode towards the objective together. When we got there, and disposed of a few waves of enemies, all that was left to do was hogtie our mark and bring them back home - and what followed was 30 minutes of slapstick, silent accusatory looks and broken horses as we passed the ragdoll from one player to another in a succession of calamities. It was joyous.

Sometimes, it's a bit more peaceful than that. Trotting gently along the banks of the Lannahechee River, another player rushed towards me and, instead of spoiling for a fight, rode by my side for a couple of minutes while we both took in the view, before we both gave each other a nod and went on our own ways. A wordless exchange, yet one that spoke to me far more than anything said elsewhere in Red Dead Redemption 2 as we just slowed to take in the splendour of the world around us.

That's not to say there won't be griefing, although right now I've managed to escape it entirely - maybe the more sedate backdrop calms people in a way that Los Santos' cityscape never could. There's also the shadow of microtransactions, and the grind that proved as painful for many players in GTA Online as it was profitable for Take Two and Rockstar (although - whisper it - I'm enjoying playing the game with an impoverished character, where those systems that soon became meaningless in the main story are placed back into focus again). This is still the beta, though, and a beta in its early stages. I'm still not sure where Rockstar will take Red Dead Online, but what fine foundations it's laid down.

Read this next

seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com