Summary
- Dutch's gang in Red Dead Redemption 2 could have benefited from a companion system.
- A companion system would have allowed players to better know the characters and deepen immersion.
- While a companion system isn't likely to be added, a PC mod offers a similar experience.
A Red Dead Redemption 2 fan has shared a video of Dutch's gang that highlights just how cool a companion system could have been. While Red Dead Redemption 2 was a huge success, this feature might have made it an even more unforgettable adventure.
Despite being a numerical sequel, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a prequel to its predecessor. The plot follows Butch Van der Linde and his gang as they make their way across the American southwest looking for opportunity. The Van der Linde gang includes Arthur Morgan, Josiah Trelawney, Micah Bell, Simon Pearson, and more, some of whom quickly became fan favorites. Players can also learn some backstory to the first game's protagonist, John Marston. While the Red Dead Redemption 2 gangs' story was successfully told, with multiple branching plot points, one gamer has pointed out the missed potential of including a companion system.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Fan Points Out Interesting 'Mistake' on a Character's Grave
A Red Dead Redemption 2 player online discovers a 'mistake' on a character's grave, which actually may not be an error after all.
Reddit user Itchy-Engine6605 recently shared a clip of Red Dead Redemption 2 that focuses on the Van der Linde gang riding their horses in formation. Arthur rides in the middle, with the rest of the gang on either side. While similar moments happen fairly regularly in the game, the Reddit user points out that a companion system may have improved the experience. The player can do multiple side quests that add context and background to different members of the gang, but a companion system may have allowed them to get to know these characters better. There's also a missed opportunity for roleplaying experiences that could have deepened a player's immersion in Red Dead Redemption 2's Western setting.
How Could a Red Dead Redemption 2 Companion System Work?
Games like Fallout 4, Mass Effect 3, and Skyrim feature rich companion systems that flesh out certain characters in each game. These companions often agree or disagree with a player's decisions and provide different dialogue depending on how a conversation goes. With Red Dead Redemption 2's characters having unique personalities, a companion system may have improved dialogue sequences. Even without the added system, the game featured a 2,000-page script. Players can also earn a companion using a glitch that's initiated using the wagon at the camp, but these characters don't do much other than follow them.
As Red Dead Redemption 2 only occasionally gets big updates, it's unlikely to receive a companion system in the future. The PC version of the game includes a companion mod that provides an experience loosely similar to Itchy-Engine6605's idea. With this mod, players can team up with characters like Javier, John, Bill, and Hosea, but because it's not in the base version, it's lacking compared to what Rockstar may have been able to accomplish with a companion system.
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed. After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him. From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age.
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
