A Twitter user identifying himself as NikTek recently tossed a very straightforward question that practically opened a whole Pandora’s box to the discussion. He asked: ‘If you had the opportunity to change anything in Red Dead Redemption 2, what would be your choice?’ And the reaction of the gaming community was to put it mildly, quite harsh. It has been around five years since the launch party of the game if I am not wrong. Nevertheless, the players’ excitement is still the same, raw and authentic. There are various opinions, each one more powerful than the other. From gamers asking for a certain cowboy to be cured of a bad cough to Rockstar‘s plea for next-gen love, the talks are a thrilling ride throughout the entire wish list of the players for this jewel.
First and foremost Arthur Morgan’s fate. It is what still heartaches. Most gamers are eager to rewind the past. ‘Another chance for my boy Arthur,’ Danny expresses. Another user, ARDIKHA75, very simply stated: ‘Change the plot a little bit, so Arthur Morgan can heal his pneumonia 😂😂😂’. And dikshant1984 was very straightforward and came up with a meme along with the request: ‘I would take away tuberculosis from the game 🤠’. It’s a sarcastic remark, but you can feel the pain underneath it.
Arthur was and still is a character who wins the public over. No question about it. One player, til_nextime, presented a detailed plan: they want the option to choose whether or not to let Arthur live and continue playing with him, or even switch with John like in GTA V. That’s a big ask, but it shows how deeply everyone has gotten attached.
Yet, it wasn’t all about the ending. Some players wished to change a few specific moments, that were hard to bear. CHIster_Myster pointed to one mission in particular: ‘I would change the fate of Arthur during the mission-Lending and Other Sins III’. That’s the one, you definitely know which one. Following that, theillerbunch wished for ‘Mr. Morgan not to take up the gang’s debt collection 😔’. These are tiny storylines that lead to a massive tragedy, and the players want to play God with them.
The techies were next in line, and they were frustrated. The absence of any genuine upgrade for PS5 or Xbox Series X|S was the elephant in the room. CAceHarrison took a jab at the problem: “The fact that it’s 15-year-old predecessor got a ps5 version before it”. That stings, but it is the reality. Voided__Reality went off on a rant, tagging Rockstar and calling them “trash who don’t respect the community anymore” for not coming up with a 4K 60fps patch after five years of demands. SameerShah0 simply stated: ‘Ps5 compatibility and 120fps 🤌🏻’. The request for a current-gen upgrade is without a doubt the loudest, most persistent theme throughout the whole thread. The gamers want to experience the magnificent game all over again but with modern features turned on, and Rockstar’s silence on the matter is highly revealing.
The game play peculiarities were another matter that was encouraged to be discussed. The weapon crafting system was a classic source of trouble for RDR2 players. crahow555 said, ‘Make it easier to keep a weapon mounted’. Preach it. Who has not experienced a shooting duel only to find out that Arthur has decided to return his most excellent rifle to the horse? JediAray would like the weight managing system to be abolished as he finds it not user-friendly. And EmmAMT141, who posted in Spanish, got a very relatable problem: ‘Abrir cajones lentamente’, which when translated means ‘Open drawers slowly’. Sluggish, thoughtful animations might be very engaging but when you are in the process of looting a whole house it may feel like forever when the house is empty and you are just reaching for the drawer.
The epilogue and John Marston’s phase were inferred. Kub3_r spoke up ‘Fixing the epilogue jhon (I know there are mods, but it’s a pain in the ass)’, seemingly referring to John’s strange, not-quite-right character model that modders have to fix. CURIOUSGUYS911 only wanted ‘More mission for John maybe’. Then there are the camp lovers. 05jake5 proclaimed, ‘Be at horseshoe overlook for much longer. My favourite camp.’ That early-game camp vibe was something beautiful, and a lot of players wanted to stay there.
Of course, it would be impossible to debate RDR2 changes without someone ever mentioning the Red Dead Online. The needs there are… sharp. Not60AT proclaimed, “Story DLC plus Undead Nightmare 2 with Arthur and erase RDO from existence”. A rude critique, yet a sentiment.
