Red Dead Online’s biggest weakness was always its inconsistent and underwhelming updates;Red Dead Redemption 3needs to fix that if it brings back the online game. Online games such asRed Dead Onlineneed a steady flow of updates to support the game, but it didn’t get that during its initial run. WhileRed Dead Redemption 3has a strong base to work off of when it comes to its story, it will take far more work for players to trust its online component. Of course, that’s assumingRed Dead Onlinegets revived at all.
AlthoughRed Dead Redemption 2was highly successful,Red Dead Online’s troubled update cyclesaw it struggle to achieve the same acclaim. It did haveRDR2’s excellent gameplay and wide open world to work with, and its missions managed to capture the same energy asGrand Theft Auto Online’s missions, both cooperative and competitive. While that part of the approach was sound,Red Dead Onlinenever managed to keep up in terms of updates. Player interest turned to frustration as the game seemed to stagnate. In the end, updates ceased in 2022, after only three years of service.
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One of the questions revolving around the next game’s development is the potential idea ofRed Dead Redemption 3having multiplayer features. If that does end up being the case, then it will need to tackle the issue of lackluster updates before anything else. At its heart,Red Dead Onlinealready had many pieces that a successful game needs. There is a built-in fanbase thanks to the strongRed Deadname, and since gameplay is unlikely to drop in quality betweenRed Dead Redemption 2andRDR3, that would likely need little tweaking as well. The main thing thatRed Dead Redemption 3needs to improve is consistency.
WhenRed Dead Redemption 3is released, it needs a road map for its updates. A part ofRed Dead Online’s eventual closurewas that there didn’t seem to be a long-term strategy in place, with significant content updates few and far between. For the most part,Red Dead Onlineseemed to be going through the motions for the majority of its existence, which caused players to have less confidence in it as time went on. If Rockstar comes out with a clear list of plans that it follows through with, players will have a far easier time supportingRed Dead Redemption 3.
IfRed Dead Redemption 3manages to fix the issues that plaguedRed Dead Online, it can easily surpass that game’s peak. There is every opportunity forRed Dead Redemption 3to improve onRDR2, and that’s not solely restricted to the game itself. By helping fans believe in the game, it will undoubtedly have much more longevity than the originalRed Dead Online, which never managed to improve its shaky relationship with players. Better, more consistent updates combined with regular, clear communication regarding updates and maintenance may be the key to makingRed Dead Redemption 3a success for Rockstar.
Red Dead Onlineunfortunately turned out to have a lot of missed potential compared toRDR2’s grand success, butRDR3doesn’t have to repeat those same mistakes. A newRed Dead Onlinewould face plenty of difficulties, andRDR3has an intimidating legacyto live up to as it is. However, there is still a long time untilRed Dead Redemption 3will see the light of day, and Rockstar will have more than enough time to plan. With how goodRed Dead Redemption 3can be, hopefully it solvesRed Dead Online’s biggest problem.
Red Dead Redemption 2is available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
