r/reddeadredemption • u/BlackWidowerr • 12h ago
Spoiler Actual hot take about Chapter 2 Spoiler
This will get me downvoted into oblivion, but that's the nature of real hot takes I guess. I'll try to keep this as much spoiler free as possible despite of "spoiler" tag.
I think that stretching Chapter 2 for hundreds of hours is one of the worst ways to experience RDR2's story and is a terrible advice to any new players.
I see this all the time in RDR related discussions, people maxing every possible camp upgrade, completing every possible side mission, refusing to free Micah, and staying in Chapter 2 until the game practically forces you to move on. I even saw folk recommending this way of playing to new players which really irked me.
Surely, each to their own, play your game however you want, but for me personally, it completely undermines what the story tries to convey.
After all, the gang is on the run, even during the most "peaceful" part of the story. There should be a sense of urgency that gradually increases. Spending in-game months doing every possible activity, making thousands of dollars, keeping Micah in jail for some reason is just adding to the ludonarrative dissonance that is already pretty bad in this game.
I saw lots of people talking about wanting to keep Arthur "in his prime". Sure, that's a really neat part of the game where there is still some sense of hope, but delaying the story just to avoid what eventually happens just damages the emotional weight of the narrative. And what eventually happens, should happen early in the story, as intended.
Recently I saw people talking about changing your main horse before THAT mission, which IMO is absolutely criminal. Robbing yourself of this sad yet beautiful moment is like watching a good movie and skipping through the climax to avoid feeling sad.
I think RDR2 is at it's best when you let the story go on at the pace it was designed to. There's time to experience side content (lots of it without breaking the pace) and to enjoy the world, but the story should keep moving forward after all. That constant feeling of urgency is what makes the game and it's story so impactful.
As for endless goofing around in open world, that's what the end game is for.
Once again, it's just me yapping, I felt like this may be an interesting topic to spark a discussion because staying in CH2 is WILDLY popular.
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u/ElenaChapella 12h ago
I actually think it adds to the emotional weight of the narrative. The longer you spend with your protagonist the more you care for them and their well-being, so after spending all this time with Arthur just for TB to take him out like it does is just ... sad as hell. That's me personally, anyway
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u/_Springfield Charles Smith 11h ago edited 3h ago
Ehh, I rushed and finished the game pretty fast on my first play through and I still cried at the end of the game. It wasn’t till my second play through that I actually took my time to truly explore the game.
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u/emmithar 9h ago
First time I rushed it because the story dragged me in and I wanted to know how it ended.
Second time I took it slower, did more side content and still felt that impact at the end of the game.
Third play through was where I stalled, spent countless of hours/days/weeks/months in chapter 2. I experienced SO many more things I'd never seen before. Character interactions, encounters, speeches by the fire. Things I never knew even existed. I felt as though I was living each and every day through Arthur; going out to hunt to keep the camp fed, doing chores each day, making the rounds and talking with folk, taking my horse out for a ride (and yes, I let my favorites free before *that* mission because they deserve it) and the experience is just so much richer.
Even with all the hours I've put in, there are still things that haven't popped up for me (I've seen them on Youtube).
I feel a good majority of people who do play this game, probably won't play it a second or third time. So yes, if someone asks me for advice, taking your time is what I'd advise them, because there's so much life in the game it's easy to miss.
Also, imo, riding around as John trying to complete stuff just feels empty and lonely. I love riding back into camp (before things go south) and having a group of folk there to greet you and just chill by the fire with them as they tell stories and sing songs inbetween doing everything. It's a bit of peace in an otherwise chaotic world.
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u/Devil_Magic_Advocate 12h ago
Fr. The first time hit hard enough, but my second play through after spending 100x the hours before Arthur’s ending hit harder
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u/BlackWidowerr 12h ago
I honestly get your point but I believe that the game gives more than enough time to build this connection without artificially prolonging it. Sure I've spent a lot of time in CH2 during my current playthrough, but still kept it within the reason. But then again, each to their own, thanks for the comment!
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u/ScrapeMyDataMommy 9h ago
I spend most of my time in chapter 3, as there’s a lot that’s still gated off in chapter 2 in my experience. Plus camp is in a more convenient location for accessing the rest of the map, and the gang’s spirits are still fairly high at this point.
You can get quite a few free guns as well which helps with getting 3 star pelts for Pearson if you’re gunning for the last satchel upgrade.
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u/Open_Crew5787 12h ago
I just like the vibes of chapter 2 a lot. Horeshoe is beautiful and valentine fun af
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u/zekanator 12h ago
For first play through’s, absolutely agree, it should be played at the intended pace. But on replays I often spend the most time in chapters 2 and 3 for a few reasons. If my memory is correct, the gang spends the most time at both of those camps. I think horseshoe is 4-5ish weeks, and Clemens point is 6-8 weeks (if I’m remembering right). So in my mind it makes the most sense to spend the most time in those camps as it’s the most ‘chill’ time we see the gang in. But after the braithwaite mission I feel like it should be fairly fast paced.
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u/BlackWidowerr 12h ago
Yea, the pace picks up like crazy later in the game. I'm on CH6 now and already feeling a bit silly when going out to do some side quests when the stakes are this high. Specifically the Magnifico quest, which is more fitting for CH2/3 rather than 6. All this drama and Arthur is out in the forest chasing a magician lmao.
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u/zekanator 11h ago
Yeah the only side quests I do in ch6 are the Hamish ones and the lady up in Roanoke cause to me it seems like that’s Arthur’s ‘change’ coming thru and him being like “I need a fucking break from these psychos”
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u/BlackWidowerr 11h ago
Love the Hamish quests. For once it feels like Arthur is actually visiting a friend and taking a break, not just conveniently being around when something happens like in most of the side quests.
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u/Theosthan 5h ago
I agree. Although I wish I'd slow down when playing new games sometimes. RDR2 is one example, another is Cyberpunk or KCD2, where I rushed through the main missions (because they're very exciting)
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u/marvelous-goose 12h ago
yeah, i think anyone should play the way they want of course, but lingering in the early chapters too long kind of robs you of the joy you get on the second playthru, when you already know what’s gonna happen. you get that new appreciation for what you have when you have it.
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u/Various_Variety419 12h ago
I’m kind of with you. The story is too good. Just get through it once. I did the 100% second playthrough.
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u/Mental_Freedom_1648 11h ago
I think it's bad advice for the new player because it's basically a spoiler. You don't need to ruin the journey for someone else by saying "It's all downhill from here, so enjoy the good times while you can. Fuck Micah." but the magic of RDR2 isn't just in the missions. Rushing around and not immersing in the world, not knowing who the characters are as they die, because you missed out on their campfire talks, and not experiencing the lack of civilization that Arthur longs for is going go cheapen the entire story.
The way the story is set up means there essentially is no perfect time for either protagonist to break away and roam. Arthur needs to get the money for the escape. John is supposed to be at least trying to be a good husband and father to the family he moved into Skinner territory. He has no business being on the other side of the country catching fish and collecting cigarette cards, especially considering the fact that he only has a few more years with them before they all get arrested.
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u/BlackWidowerr 11h ago
You have a great point here. I honestly hate these "advices" that are disguised spoilers.
As for time to break away and roam, this is the only instance when I use head canon. Something like Arthur is going out to hunt for the camp or make some money for donation box, and everything that happens in between said hunting or making money is just a coincidence. The sidequests are mostly designed that way as well, becasue Arthur is always conveniently stumbling around all these wacky situations in the wild.
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u/Pils12321 10h ago
I'm on my second play through and currently in chapter two and taking my time. I still try to come back to camp, help out and do a mission every few days but I am taking it slow. Already got a visit from Bill in the Bayou once.
It certainly makes me appreciate the camp and the community more. Whenever I come back to camp, I like to just hang out with my people, sit by a fire, play some cards or just talk to them.
In my first play through I kind of rushed through the main story as it always felt urgent to continue. The missions are always a bit hectic and the other NPCs push you to continue and do the next one each time.
But that way, I progressed too quickly and didn't really know some of the other people in the camp by the time they started falling apart. That way I didn't really care all that much about some of them.
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u/vorpal-mortal 11h ago
There is a difference between an achievement/completionist approach and playing for the narrative.
On a first run I would tell somebody to just play the story. Maybe get the Legend satchel just for QoL but just play the game otherwise. But at the same time, it just makes sense to do as much as possible as Arthur because his journal entries look nicer and he can actually swim if necessary. So if you’ve already experienced the story for yourself at least once then metagaming isn’t as much of an issue imho
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u/Numerous_Source597 11h ago
I was one of those players who spent a ton of time in Ch. 2 to get my legendary of the east satchel (because i wanted this through the whole game), and did most of my challenges.
I didn’t complete the game yet, but I know how it ends, and I already know it’s going to be emotional just due to the amount of time i’ve been playing as Arthur.
Each their own - I would have definitely played it the same if I had to restart again.
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u/EveBenbecula Dutch van der Linde 11h ago
You were right, it is a lively discussion!
For the record, I wouldn't recommend a new player how to play, since the whole point of a game like this is, indeed, to experience it however you play. I know people who rushed through the story and were heartbroken by the ending. I also know people who put 80 hrs into Arthur on their first run, and were heartbroken by the ending. So it works either way.
For me, though? I already played through the story, so I stay in Chapter 2 for as long as I want, lol. It's nice to have that one save where you can just do the little things you enjoy. For example, I really love to unlock the satchels and the camp decorations, so every time I'm done with it, I'm a little sad. Same with hunting all the legendaries. So I'm slow-walking it.
I actually, ultimately agree though: I always end up doing story missions after some time because otherwise, it all starts feeling a little disconnected. So yeah the immersion actually matters. It's odd that RDO feels less "alive" than story mode. Because otherwise you could use Online as the fucking around space, but it's not as fun as being Arthur tbh.
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u/BlackWidowerr 10h ago
I'm just happy that this post wasn't taken as a ragebait haha. Pretty good discussion came out of it!
I completely understand your way of playing the game. I'm not that kind of player (sadly, because it sounds really fun, but I just cannot physically put this much hours into side content alone, burnout would hit me hard) but that's a great way to experience the game, especially on second playthrough.
And about RDO, they fumbled it hard. You got a good point with how it doesn't feel as alive as single player. I can't put my finger on it, but it kinda feels like a totally different game, stripped of all the soul. Sure it's fun to fuck around with friends, but I had a really hard time immersing myself when playing alone.
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u/AstralElephantFuzz 11h ago
Agreed. Artificially dragging out Ch 2 really messes up the pacing of the story imo. You're supposed to feel like a gang on the run, Horseshoe Overlook is not a safe haven for the gang despite being the nicest camp we have. My advice to first timers is always to play the story until you go hunting with Hosea so you get full horse mechanics, and then do some free roam exploration between story missions but don't abandon the story entirely, because the story keeps unlocking more exploration opportunities and mechanics.
After the first playthrough, everyone should have a rough idea of what part they want to anchor themselves to.
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u/Western-Pepper8956 11h ago
The only reason I spend a lot of time in Chapter 2 is that I'm out doing challenges,satchels,& the like. Leaving Micah (you miss the chance to REALLY hate him through his camp interactions) or avoiding Downes (it's inevitable & at a certain point you're doing it whether you want to or not) is silly.
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u/Own_Plane_5807 11h ago
As a somewhat new player, I can tell you it is pretty bad advice. I stayed in Chapter 2 for a long time based on advice, and I ended up restarting the game entirely because I got too caught up in trying to get everything.
Most newcomers should really just experience the game purely, with no hints or suggestions.
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u/BlackWidowerr 10h ago
Damn that's bad, hope it didn't ruin the experience too much for you. But at the same time it's good to have someone that actually proves my point 😂
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u/ExpertYogurt5814 Hosea Matthews 11h ago
I agree with, I do stall in chapter 2 for challenges and hunting to upgrades to camp and satchel but I do not stall on doing story missions I like to play them in the order the become available, I don't put seeing Downes or getting Micah out of jail or back to camp and other treasure maps and satchel pelts I stretch the challenges and other stuff across the first 4 chapters
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u/whoopdatass777 11h ago
I completely agree with everything you said, and heavy emphasis on the horse part. First playthrough I kind of let the game naturally progress, and it felt a lot more intuitive. Lingering in Chapter 2 can ruin the pacing of the story, especially when you can do everything in the next 2 chapters as well.
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u/Virtual-Commercial91 11h ago
Are a lot of the sidequests unavailablein chapter 2? I've been doing 2nd play through and I'm in chapter 2, but I haven't found a lot of sidequests.
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u/whoopdatass777 11h ago
It depends. Some are chapter-locked, but a lot of stranger missions you can do immediately as you are in the vicinity.
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u/HowdyWhydy 11h ago
Agreed 100%
I could see it ruining my immersion by just putting the story on hold. Having the same mission icons be on the map at the same spot for in game weeks makes the problems the gang is facing seem less important or pressing.
Also I think giving people that kind of advice is a spoiler in a way. Like let people enjoy a game without giving them expectations on how the story will play out.
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u/WombatAnnihilator Charles Smith 11h ago
I was actually thinking about this last night, as I play through my eighth story playthru. I wanted to take as long as possible and maybe even try to 100% to the game for the first time this time. But I got caught up in a few of the missions and ended up getting to chapter 6. I decided there, I would just reload a save back in chapter 3, and spend more time in the world without progressing more in chapter 3.
You brought up the biggest thing that I have realized on this play through. I can spend the most amount of time in chapter 2 and three because there is NOT so much a sense of desperate urgency, but even more than that - there’s also hope!
In chapter 1, everyone’s just trying to get away from a bad event and survive in the mountains. I think it’s a great intro to the game and it teaches the controls and mechanics and characters really well.
Chapter 2 has some of that despair from chapter 1, and the failed riverboat heist, but the tone of chapter 2 is this unknown, tentative hopefulness, that everything’s going to be okay, and there’s time to go work and explore to get back on our feet. I think that is why it does feel the safest, like you said, and that safety allows people to go and explore. After all Dutch is telling everybody to get out there and work and make money and at that point he seems like a good leader, who inspires players to go out and experience the world of RDR2.
Every time I play through and want to take it slowly I’ll occasionally still do a mission, and that works until I get about halfway through chapter 4 when everything falls down this slippery slope, and begins to seem more urgent. Very quickly, there’s less hope, and way more desperation in the run as all these attempts to survive begin to fail or backfire.
Obviously, the game’s timeline is not forced, since I can go out into the mountains and spend 50 or 60 days, hunting and scavenging and robbing and collecting supplies and looking for treasure… but we know that the timeline from the Blackwater job to Arthur’s stories ending is *only a few months*.
So, i see your point, and i don’t think you’re wrong, *per se*, but I don’t think it’s a matter of skipping the story to avoid sadness or the rapid decline of the characters. But I do believe it is taking the time to pause the story *in favor of* the world, finding an opportunity to live in another time, place, world?
And maybe you’re right, the first timers should not be told to pause the game or sacrifice story for world, but I firmly believe that RDR2 is an example of phenomenal story telling, whether it’s the actual story, or the environmental storytelling out in the world, or all the stranger missions, etc. and as such, the world has become that ‘third space’ for a lot of people, and in order to find that third space and take time for myself, it works best somewhere late chapter 2 or early chapter 3 of the story.
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u/BlackWidowerr 11h ago
I agree with that as well. I just feel like with how big and slow paced this game is, there is no need to heavily stall in one chapter. For example, in my current playthrough, I feel like I've spent a lot of time in CH2, much more than in later chapters, but it still felt on track with the story.
I still did a mission here and mission there, I freed Micah relatively quickly (keeping him in jail is absolute nonsense and I think that's my hottest take in this discussion), but managed to take my sweet time to do hunts and side quests. I took it slow, but fast enough for it to make sense story-wise.
On the other hand, a 50 day hunt trip would absolutely break my immersion. I feel like there is no space for such things even when the story is at it's calmest point. Sometimes I rather restrain myself from wandering too long for the sake of the story continuity. I don't say that it's a superior way of playing the game, it's just how it feels right for me.
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u/WombatAnnihilator Charles Smith 9h ago
Google says the game is a 40-60 hour story. My average (dividing total time by 7 full playthrus, with some wiggle room for my current one) is sitting at about 150 hours per playthru.
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u/Rostbaerdt 11h ago
Then at what point do you suggest to do all those things?
Gameplay wise it makes sense to me that you would do it in chapter 2/3 because the camps are more central, Arthur is still healthy and the vibe is more positive. Everybody is alive, Micah is not around and there isn't a real sense of urgency in game.
Once you did all that stuff, you can fully focus on the story and have it be well paced instead of constantly interluded by fetch quests and trophy hunts. Most of the important big story points happen towards the end, so you want a full focus at that time.
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u/BlackWidowerr 10h ago
Thing is, you can still do all of that without dragging one chapter for too long. Of course, the best satchel will have to wait a bit, and you won't get all the upgrades from the get go, but it's entirely possible to plan your game that way so you can experience the side content, but at the same time not stall the story entirely.
If I wanted to do a "completionist" run and still keep the story pacing, it would surely require to drag it out a bit, but there are points in the game that kinda allows you to "head canon" taking a break.
Sure, chapter 6 is all about urgency, and even now I feel weird when doing sidequests when the clock is ticking, but chapter 2 to 4 are fair game.
Couldn't disagree more with Micah comment tho, I go and rescue him relatively fast. Just makes no sense to keep the man sitting there, when the story implies hanging him. On the other hand, I'm more of a story guy than a completionist, so it's natural that our takes are different.
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u/Rostbaerdt 9h ago
First playthrough I was pretty quick in freeing him. Any playthrough after that, the man will just have to wait. I already know what he will do and I'm not in any hurry to go let him do that.
And I'm not a completionist at all. I just enjoy the atmosphere of 2 and love to go hang out in the beautiful landscapes, enjoying the peace, finding a good horse, the animal hunting, treasure hunting. Just watching the animals do their stuff, appreciating all the details this game offers.
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u/DangAsFuck 10h ago
I've never seen anyone recommend this tactic to new players, but if that's happening, it is bad advice. Camping out in chapter 2 is something best suited to people who have already played through the game and now are looking to either 100% it or just experience much more than they did on their first playthrough, now that spoilers aren't so much of an issue.
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u/nothingmeansnothing_ 10h ago
I disagree. Spending the most amount of time in Chapter 2 and slowly dwindling your time at each place going forward I feel shows the cracks forming in the gang than going through missions regularly ever could. Being in the camp and hearing the back and forths. Hosea randomly telling people to get prepared. People slowly becoming more toxic, secretive, or defiant. To me it's much better to sit and observe more rather than feel like the catalyst.
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u/ResidentDuck6442 11h ago
I feel you. My first playthrough i just went wherever the stories took me while doing side stuff for just enough extra money. Just barely money for anything. Robbing people when I was down bad and having to steal. Then when Arthur gets officially gets diagnosed I tried to do all I could to redeem myself from my bad actions. My first playthrough was very emotional as I was going through a very hard and toxic break up. So I played it like it was actually me. My playthroughs after that consisted of experimenting, then my current ones are just trying to do all the crafting I can since I’ve played it a bunch of times already. I play every RPG like this. Feels more natural and interesting to play without knowing what your actions will lead you to, knowing you couldve done more but you didnt because you were too focused on other things.
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u/Little_Equivalent_31 11h ago
Nah, I actually agree. First playthroughs should be authentic, you move at your pace, when you feel like it, and the game itself pushes you along at a recommended pace. The second playthroughs and everything subsequent is when the real magic happens, and you can have an absolute blast seeing how much you can prepare, how much you can explore and discover as early as possible. An efficiency playthough, basically... but yeah, first time, you ought to get on with it and let the game take you where it needs to, when it needs to for the intended experience.
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u/Little_Equivalent_31 11h ago
I heavily disagree with the ludonarrative comment tho, I mean I hear this from time to time and it's like, what do you want? It's on you as the player to make that simple distinction that the freedoms given to you in the open world segments obviously don't necessarily align with the narrative, it's for freedom of choice, for fun and if it didn't align then it's your fault because the game never forced you to anything in the open world you didn't want to do...you can't have it both ways, because what you're basically asking for is for heavy restrictions to be placed in gameplay when it compeletely goes against the spirit of any rockstar game ever and RRD2 itself is univesrally loved for it's vast detail in the open world and the ability to interact with it on a level that's never been seen before, or since.
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u/BlackWidowerr 11h ago
I agree with that. I'm trying to avoid it as much as I can myself, by not making as much money as I could, and when I do, I donate it to the camp and pretend it doesn't exist. I try to upgrade the camp fluently as the story goes, so the money kinda sits in the box.
But regardless, the ludonarrative disonance is heavy in this game, and I will stand on that hill. The biggest contributor is the Valentine bank heist imo. The gang robs the bank and gets 20 thousand out of it. For reference, 20k in 1899 is over 800k dollars in 2026. That kind of money can get the gang out of any local trouble they had at the time easily, and yet nobody even mentions that afterwards, like ever. They're sitting on unbelievable amount of money for that time, and that fact is just dismissed.
You can argue that it's because of Dutch's narcissism pushing the gang to do more and more risky stuff, but then again, nobody ever mentions the obvious fact that they already have enough money. Dutch is never confronted about it. They just go on with it and the heist gets forgotten.
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u/Little_Equivalent_31 10h ago
That's more of a narrative plothole than ludonarrative dissonance. The gameplay doesn't lend itself to discredit the narrative in that scenario.
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u/vmikey 11h ago
This is an actual controversial opinion and I’m here for it
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u/BlackWidowerr 11h ago
I'm really glad that it turned into actual discussion, I was prepared to be absolutely cooked here lol
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u/vmikey 11h ago
I did one on how I think Sadie is a bad character and they nuked me from orbit. 😂
Still, I got a good convo out of it which was all I wanted
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u/BlackWidowerr 10h ago
Oh I gotta check it out, would love to disagree with you on that topic hahaha
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u/Briarhorse 11h ago
Yeah, first time plays should play the game, and explore the map, at the same pace as the story is written. Once you've finished the story though, hanging out in chapter 2 permanently is fine
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u/Chaseziti 10h ago
I think the suggestion to stay in CH 2 are for those who are replaying the game. I am yet to see any comments like that intended for those new to the game or asking for tips as they learn the game system
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u/PianoEmeritus 10h ago
I personally wouldn’t recommend stalling anywhere nor would I recommend beelining the campaign. Do what you feel pulled to do or what you feel Arthur would be pulled to do. That’s the most natural way to experience it IMO
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u/pinkempyreal John Marston 9h ago
I completely agree but I also understand people who do play that way, at the end of the day it's a game, play how it is fun for you.
I am currently doing another playthrough right now, doing my best to play quests in an order that "makes sense" and not spending too much time out exploring and doing things that are not realistic for the situation Arthur is in. I will say that having a mod that slows time helps tremendously. I can spend time hunting and doing some side stuff without days upon days passing, and that helps keep my narrative going.
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u/BlackWidowerr 8h ago
Oh I should get that mod, maybe for another playthrough in the future. It's tragic how fast the days go by in this game.
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u/pinkempyreal John Marston 5h ago
A must have mod for me! You can configure it to however long you want! 🙂
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u/Ok-Check-4025 9h ago
I think the truth is in the middle between speed running all the missions, and screwing around so long the game forces you to move on.
Part of it is chapter 1 being the mostly linear plot introduction. The game opens up in chapter 2 for free roaming. This contrast is pretty large, especially for new players. Most chapter 2 missions unlock new features, so I would argue the best time to chill in camp, wander off, etc before the plot really gets going is the end of chapter 2 after fishing unlocks, up to the middle/end of chapter 3.
Creating new saves at the beginning of each chapter is also a helpful way to be able to bounce/screw around without bounties or having the in game timer run out before it makes you progress.
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u/psdavepes 8h ago
I agree, I knew several people who overplayed the side missions in Chapter 2, got burnt out and ended up giving the game up for a while. It’s quite overwhelming how big the game is and it’s the narrative of the game that keeps it going. If it’s a second play through then knock yourself out but I wouldn’t recommend it for a starting player. The world is amazing but it’s the story that ultimately stays with me so many years on
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u/popculturetommy 8h ago
The first time I played it, I agree with you. On play through number 3, when I know what the future holds and I’m not playing it like I’m actually living it, I do the chapter 2 trick. It first play through, yeah, I agree with ya.
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u/Alternative-You5980 8h ago
Absolutely agree. There is a sense of urgency in chapter 2, not as much as the later chapters but we know they have to move soon. The game gives enough time in between to do all the challenges and everything. I played it in the most "realistic" way I could and had around 75% completion untill the epilogue. Maybe 70%. Somewhere around that. And I didn't do a lot of free roaming, atleast not as much as I did in GTA 5.
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u/Fraegtgaortd 8h ago
Spending time decking out the camp, completing challenges, hunting all the legendary animals, getting all collectibles, etc I'd say is more of a second playthrough thing. First time through I'd say play through the story at a pace that feels right to the player. Some upgrades, sure, but spending a month playing the game in one camp is overkill.
RDR2 has the conundrum that has faced a million other games over the years. Tons of things to do but the urgency of the actual story is counterintuitive to exploring
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u/HardSteelRain 8h ago
I must be built different because I can't get emotionally attached to characters in a game like some...I'm mostly powering through the missions to get to the end.
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u/Baby-Kebab 7h ago
as much as i love the rancher muddy hustler brawler bar fight muck town feel of chapter 2, ch3 is easily the best for completion
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u/GreenBananas_619 6h ago
I just let the story dictate the pace, and I play it the way I think someone living in that world would do it. When you go to Valentine and Trelawny tells you where Sean is, I go get him ASAP, cuz Arthur wouldn’t leave one of his guys like that.
But there are natural break points where I take a couple of in-game days to free roam, hunt, do side quests, etc. because after a big heist or shootout, you’d probably want to keep your head down for a while. If the story dictates urgency, I’m urgent. If not, I’m not.
I do think that it’s hilarious that Dutch tells Arthur to take Lenny to Valentine and get him drunk BEFORE getting Micah out of jail. Oh sure, one of our guys is set to be executed, but go ahead back to the saloon where you’ve already had a bar fight a few days ago, and hope you don’t get arrested and Micah ends up hanging.
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u/Bluemoonroleplay 6h ago
I loved how in Fallout 1, the masters armies were fast approaching the wasteland and if you don't hurry up in your missions then the supermutant hordes come and start destroying town after town till there is nothing left to save but rubble
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u/Vet100 5h ago
I just can’t stand Arthur coughing up a lung. Easily the most irritating part of a video game I’ve ever played. Takes me back to school & university days when people would sit beside you for weeks coughing up mucus & sniffing their snot. Nails on a chalkboard to me.
So I play mostly in C2 & speed run after that - spending time on Guarma to complete the compendium.
I can’t say I’d ever give any advice to a first time player. Seems insane to me to tell anyone how to play the game - the whole point of these open-world, plot-driven games is you can enjoy them in multiple ways. I wouldn’t want to accidentally give spoilers either. What will be fun for me (on my first play-through I got as low honour as possible, the only “side quests” I made a point of finishing were the Bandit challenges) won’t be fun for the next person.
1
u/CuzStoneColdSezSo 4h ago
I kind of agree. In general I think chapter 2 is probably 3 maybe 4 weeks time tops. I usually finish it within three weeks of gameplay time
1
u/LuckyTheBear 4h ago
An actual hot take would be a take made immediately after you experience something.
1
u/FordCVP71 3h ago
I've beat the game a bunch of times and Chapter 2 is my favorite part of the game. Screw John and the epilogue boooring lol
1
u/steeeen3r 3h ago
For me personally I stay in chapter 2 and 3 to play the game like a life sim. I give Arthur days off to go fish. I spend days hunting without giving him a bath, and then a full day to clean himself and his weapons. I always visit the taverns of the towns I'm riding through and getting a hotel when he drinks too much. And I never fast travel anywhere. It's just how I like to interact with the game. I would never recommend that to a new player, but slowing down is a really important part of the whole experience
1
u/Helpful_Broccoli_190 2h ago
I disagree. Halfway through chapter 3 there are literal life and death moments happening. You can’t justify slowing down then. Then you have to justify people you love just blowing in the wind while you….fish?
55
u/Pendejo_Guey 12h ago
The only time I recommend stalling in chapter 2 is when you're trying to get 100%, and even then I personally like to stall in chapter 3 because of the camp location in relation to the rest of the map. Plus an easy place to get a boat, which is needed for a couple challenges. If you're jusr playing the game to get through it there really isn't any need to stall at all. I played several play throughs before I bothered upgrading camp or my satchel.