Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the most highly anticipated releases out there. Excitement levels haven’t quite reached the fever pitch of Kingdom Hearts 3, but it’s no secret that fans are raring to go on another Wild West adventure.
The Red Dead series has prided itself on its narrative strength and fantastic single-player campaign. With Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar Games introduced online multiplayer and match-making modes that had cowboys hooked. In an age where Treyarch is scrapping single-player content from the upcoming Call of Duty Black Ops 4, multiplayer content is clearly king, and Rockstar would be silly to buck the trend. Now that we know the latest Red Dead game will have multiplayer, here are our predictions as to how it’s going to turn out.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Multiplayer: The Good
Red Dead Redemption‘s multiplayer content was more than serviceable. In fact, it was great; there was a multiplayer mode for every type of gunslinger out there. Fancy yourself a lone ranger? The traditional death-match Shootout mode was the one for you. Keen on good ol’ capture the flag? Rockstar had you covered. Why should Red Dead Redemption 2 be any different?
Having a variety of modes and maps to choose from would be spectacular. Since the game is technically the prequel to the events of Red Dead Redemption, it’ll revolve around John Marstons’ life as an outlaw. Plus, we already know that Dutch’s gang is going to feature heavily. Thinking up a squad-based multiplayer mode where you loot and shoot your way across territories isn’t too difficult. The previous Red Dead game laid the groundwork with its posse system, and this would be a welcome elaboration.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Multiplayer: The Bad
Red Dead is a franchise with an established aesthetic and design philosophy. Sometimes, it pays to take risks when there’s been some time between a series’ latest installment and its popular older sibling. However, Rockstar Games probably shouldn’t fix what isn’t broke. One plausible (but questionable) innovation on Red Dead Redemption‘s multiplayer would be a survival mode.
Yes, it would make the most of the game’s open world sandbox. However, foraging around in the dirt for scraps and making bandages out of tumbleweed seems far-fetched. The barren West isn’t the most glamorous setting; that’s why everyone’s got guns and hot tempers. Reducing Red Dead Redemption 2‘s world to sticks and stones would be a downgrade from the action and adventure that the franchise is known for. Plus, ditching cowboy threads for loincloths would be a fashion faux pas.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Multiplayer: The Ugly
Fewer things are considered more of a “hot button” topic than battle royale games. Everyone and their mother has played a game that riffs on Fortnite and PUBG at this point. Imitation may be the best form of flattery but a battle royale mode does not make a good multiplayer game, even though fans of the mode are incredibly vocal.
Another multiplayer genre that has equally enthusiastic fans is the brawler. Characterized by funny outfits, bombastic combat, and a satirical premise it’s a recipe for surefire entertainment. If Rockstar Games wanted to go all out, a Battle Royale mode with clothes-ripping would be a good way to do it
Sure, you’d have all the tools at hand to create that mode for Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar Games could easily scrape up some abandoned saloons to serve as hiding spots. Cowboys wear a lot of tight leather, so they don’t leave much to the imagination anyway. However, that nightmarish mishmash is unlikely to match the scope and the polish of existing heavy-hitters occupying those two niche spaces.
In fact, why stop there? Zombies are making a resurgence these days. Maybe adding some undead to sugar and spice could be the winning formula. Fans may take some time to come around to the idea of John Marston being engaged in titillating gunfights, but everyone’s a winner as long as they keep an open mind!
We’ve spared you some of our more esoteric multiplayer predictions, but one thing’s for certain: whatever Rockstar Games has planned for us, it’s going to be a wild ride. Based on the success of Red Dead Redemption‘s multiplayer content, fans are probably in for a real treat when the latest in the Red Dead franchise hits the shelves. Are there any multiplayer modes that you can’t live without? Let us know in the comments below.
