Playing RDR2 feels like a chore.

[the_matrix_guy]

So due to CV, I've had a lot more time to catch up on my extensive backlog. I started playing RDR2 but I'm not having a lot of fun. And I think I know why. Don't get me wrong, the world is absolutely beautiful, the scale of it is amazing in and of itself, and the storytelling is great... but when it comes to actually playing the game, it feels like a chore... and the shooting mechanics are wonky as hell. I am an FPS purist, I played classic CS at the highest levels, and so I think that good gunplay is paramount to me, and it keeps me interested in games. And that's basically why when it comes to playing the game, I'm just not having fun playing it. And yes, I've already upgraded my guns for iron sights. Even in FP with iron sights: the mechanics are wonky as hel, and I lose immersion when the action unfolds. Does anyone feel the same?

I'm on PC, BTW. I just finished the second chapter in the game but it took me like 2 weeks of small 30-60 m sessions.. which is a sign I'm not having fun. I usually put in 2-3 hr sessions when I'm getting ready to beat a SP campaign. I'm just not having fun playing it. But I have OCD and I cannot not finish a game I paid $45 for. Looking at mods now but nothing I see fixes the shitty gunplay. And of course I knew this going in, GTA's gunplay is also nothing to write home about, but at least the game is fun regardless.

Thanks for reading

[SignOfZeta]

I have no idea what RDR2 is but I think I’ve felt this frustration before. My advice is to ditch it and play something you know you love. Life is too short to blow 200 hours on a game and then not be sure you even enjoyed any of it.

[the_matrix_guy]

True. It's like starting a book and finding that you're just not enjoying it 200 pages in. There are thousands of books. You don't have to finish it if you're not enjoying it. Find something you like, that connects with you.

[punkncat]

I felt the same way about Witcher 3. Gorgeous game, so expansive, and such a JOB.

I have been having a harder and harder time finding games that (IMO) are worth paying for. Everything is moving to these massive multi player schemes and I like a good old single player campaign.

The Battlefield titles were recently really cheap, I got three games for $30. The older one doesn't play right with my controller. The two newer ones are fun, but I find them frustratingly hard even on the easy setting. Otherwise I have been playing the crud out of the Division titles.

[the_matrix_guy]

I finished the TW3 main story. I thought it was long but it was so good that I didn't mind. But it is interesting, I consider TW3 one of my favorite SP gaming experiences of all time, and yet, I never played the DLC even though I know it's great. This is probably why CDPR is making Cyberpunk's SP campaign shorter. But yes, I honestly feel the open-world fatigue. Sometimes its nice to just play something linear, or do multiplayer in something you can just have a quick session.

[Scottybeans]

I didnt finish RDR1 for similar reasons. Gave up early, played some batman games and a lot of Kerbal Space Program. No regrets

[the_matrix_guy]

I should probably do the same.

[gabe]

I'm with you on RDR2. That was my biggest gaming disappointment of the last couple years. I bought it when it released for full price and downloaded it....and played maybe 5 hours before uninstalling it.

First off, the story line is just grindy as hell. First you're playing what's basically a couple hours of intro missions to get you used to the horribly over-complex control scheme, then you have to do missions to "build" your camp's status which take forever. Then there's the wanted level system which means you'll pick up heat for just simply being attacked by NPC's of the opposite gang then have to do jail time or spend cash to lose your wanted level. Like why can't it just go away slowly like in any other game?

And then yeah, finally the control scheme for character interaction and gunplay is just way overly complex. Dead eye is a cool concept with with how it was pulled off it really doesn't work as well as it should. Plus it's just a bandaid for how awful the shooting mechanics are straight up. The guns aren't very accurate and don't have that satisfying sound or hit mechanic that other games like FO3/4 or COD or anything else has. It's just dead feeling guns with hit markers.

IDK yeah, it's a pretty trash game IMO. In other news I just started playing The Outer Worlds and holy shit that's a great game. If you liked Fallout and/or Borderlands it's a pretty much perfect pairing of the two.

[the_matrix_guy]

This. I forgot to mention the God awful inventory menus and QTE's. I agree with everything you said even down to FO3/4 gunplay mechanics. Say whatever you like about the hateable factions, repetitive side-missions, but the gameplay was fun as hell. I put like 200 hrs into FO4 in two separate runs. And it's because the gunplay is phenomenal. Sniping ghouls and mutants was especially rewarding. I will check out the Outer Worlds, thanks. I also gave up on The Stranding...lmao

[Jonnydread]

I just picked up Outer Worlds on Switch and have been really enjoying it.

[mtaylor]

And here I am really enjoying it. I just played though the story to the end credits, and now I'm just fiddling around in chapter 2 after my save disappeared from my PC.

A difference could be that I am very much a casual gamer, and enjoyed that it was more of a story with some game play than a shoot everything that moves first person shooter. I also enjoyed it much more when I switched from mouse and keyboard to controller.

[the_matrix_guy]

Well, this is why I even bothered posting. I mean, I know that the game is awesome in terms of the storytelling and the world itself. And I know that it was received well, overall. So which is why I wanted to see how many felt the same as me. But I'm glad you're enjoying it. I just lose all immersiveness when the action unfolds, and I've narroewd it down tot he God aweful wonky ass controls and shooting mechanics.

[gabe]

Reflecting on RDR2, I think another thing that bothered me was the graphics. It was billed as having a super beautiful world and insane graphics but even running max settings on my PC it just didn't impress that much. I felt like it was somewhat on par with GTAV and maybe FO4 but it just wasn't mind blowing.

[the_matrix_guy]

I do think the vanilla graphics are nice, but like any game, re-shade mod + other graphics mods take up a notch.

[gabe]

They just put the graphics emphasis in weird places. Like the ground effects like snow and mud textures are amazing but the trees are pretty weak TBH. Trees just look like your usual collection of 2d textures thrown together in a bouquet. The vanilla ground textures in the arid areas and normal grass weren't very impressive either. I felt like they sacrificed the overall world beauty for having better particle physics/moving ground textures.

[glaman5266]

I love huge games & timesucks. But the game itself has to be FUN. Dark Souls & Zelda BOTW have stunning environments & engaging gameplay mechanics. Borderlands 3, by contrast, does not. The writing, environments & characters are all great. The general BL gameplay is stale by the 3rd installment. It’s no longer engaging. There’s a crap-ton of everything else in BL3... But not enough in the gameplay to improve on past installments, or at least set it apart. Loved the first one, 2nd was grindy but fun, 3rd is just overload and not in a good way.

I’ve never played a RDR game, but I think I know where you’re coming from.

[mtaylor]

Reflecting on RDR2, I think another thing that bothered me was the graphics. It was billed as having a super beautiful world and insane graphics but even running max settings on my PC it just didn't impress that much. I felt like it was somewhat on par with GTAV and maybe FO4 but it just wasn't mind blowing.

I still laugh when I look back, I remember being amazed at the graphics for Test Drive 5 on my PS1. The improvement from that to modern games is the mind blowing thing for me.

[Seajay]

I recently got access to RDR2 and I kinda felt the same way. I played all of like 30 minutes and it immediately felt tedius. I did play Witcher 3 all the way through and am working on a second playthrough. I think the difference is that I love Witcher 3 and was excited to play it. The Game to me was also and is stunning and just wandering around can be really engaging. Hopping into RDR2 and not having really any background on it was not able to capture my attention.

Currently super enjoying Horizon Zero Dawn.

I have not played BL3 yet, but loved 1 and 2. I'm sad to hear people still not really loving it yet. It seems like there is huge emphasis on these main bosses like a JARPG event where your stuck on a platform fighting a boss. I know the gunplay is old but it is still great, so maybe they should have stayed with the more open world boss fights and mini-bosses like 1 and 2.

[mtaylor]

One problem with red dead is that awful tutorial chapter. It just seems to go on forever.