If RDR2 had a mediocre story, would you still love the game?

Nowhere near as much but I’d still have fun with it, so much to do!

probably no

it would be painfully slow and uninteresting without a good story, I'm the type of guy that most of the time keeps the secondaries and everything apart from the main story last, meaning that I'd probably wouldn't even explore the world much and call it mid all around

The open world concept is what I enjoy most. All of the side details and stories are a huge plus.

Arthur as an insurance salesman with mild depression and back pain just wouldn’t be the same. Rather, the game’s exploration of themes of loyalty and redemption told through the gang amongst the backdrop of late-19th century North America will never leave me…

Probably not so much, the big part of why I love RDR2 is because of the game's screenplay, story, dialogues. It almost overshadows the graphics and the gameplay, because without a doubt there is no match to RDR2 in these regards in gaming world.

Tbh I think it does have a mediocre story. There’s a lot of filler and mistakes made. Such as needing another score but having 10s of thousands of dollars and this “last score” is only about 5k max yet the game is brilliant all the same

I’ll level here and probably get downvoted. I didn’t think the story was that great. Not nearly as good as people hyped it up to me to be. But the game has beautiful graphics still.

If they had unlimited events and activities like in rdr 1 then yes, it would probably even be my favorite singleplayer game. But with how it is rn, no, the story carries it.

You can't ask a question like this with such a beautiful screenshot :)

let me ask you this, If I were a worm, would you still love me ?

Hell yeah. The story is good but its nothing compared to the great works of fiction in cinema; the biggest appeal of the game is the world and gameplay imo

Probably not, but I'd still enjoy playing

Since the thing I do most is just roaming around, camping and all yeah I guess I’d still love it, I just wouldn’t play the missions

Look at that scenery.. that should be your answer

Love the game. It's a top-10 all time. Maybe number 1 if the mood is right. But its phenomenal story, voice acting, and writing are a huge piece of that. The story is so good that it lets you look past clunky controls, so-so save system, and the drudgery of its completionism tasks. These are big problems that would sink lesser games. If it weren't a visually beautiful game with a well-acted, compelling story, it would be a B- game.

Nope. I don't like the gameplay and I don't really dig the open world aspect in general. Great characters and stories are why I'm play video games for nowadays and RDR2 delivers on that.

Unfortunately yes, I’m a sucker for cowboy stuff since Neversoft’s Gun. Even if RDR2 was just a cowboying, horse back riding, hunting, fishing, camp side chatting, poker playing simulator, I’d still love it.

Yh I probably enjoyed most side stories and the open world more than the story

Honestly I don't think the story was that great. Especially Micah, he didn't have any interesting traits, he was just pure evil. Kinda a waste of potential

I have spent hundreds of hours on this game disconnected completely from the story, whether it was hunting, playing table games, finding collectibles, and other non story related content. So I would still love the game, but not as much as I currently do.

That's a tough one. I love just hopping on and fishing, hunting for game or outlaws, just chill. But the story is what drew me into the world. My first run throughs of games I usually dont pay a lot of attention to the story. Just figuring out gameplay so I can do a better second run. This game did NOT allow me. I wanted to know everyone's story.

It doesn't, obviously. It has a novel-like narrative, but, that aside, there is much to the game that'd be to its merits were the story mediocre.

The mechanics, setting, attention to detail, and overall atmosphere alone would certainly lend itself to being entertaining if it lacked the gripping plot.

I love the mechanics of the game and how it works and the nice little camp you run. So probably.

The world building they did is what keeps me coming back. Not the story.

If the open world exploring crafting finding stuff would be the same I would still be in.

YES

Yes. 100. Really the story is secondary to me compared to the overall experience

Yes.

Yes it already has a mediocre story

Rockstar's games are way more than just their story, so yes. If I played it still then it would be primarily for it's open world and sandbox, and less about replaying the story.

Yes

I’d still play if there was no story

I'd argue that large chunks of RDR2's story is pretty mediocre. It has a very strong start, and a heartbreakingly memorable ending, but if the whole thing played the way large chunks of the middle of the game played?

I'd still love it. At it's core, RDR2's brilliance is in it's characters, world, and immersion.

Let's be honest - we've all put significant amounts of time into the game, with very little of it related to the main story at all.

With so much to do and find, for sure i would be stuck on the screen for a long time. But wouldn't play it for 7 times in a row for instance 😂 the story is what makes me come back all the time, the feeling of playing as arthur, just cantering around on my horse and finding shit to do, just to good

I personally thought the story WAS mediocre, and yet I still love the game.

Considering that, to this day, I haven't gone past chapter 3... yes.

It does have a mediocre story. It has phenomenal characters.

I’ve never played the story lol, so yes 100%

Yes. I played it for the horses and the scenery.

Yes

Everyone saying no is either caping or is crazy. The world is too beautiful and immersive to simply not be enjoyable even with a bad story.

There is so much to do and see, sorry but even 6 years after and no open world game comes even close (except Elden Ring).

The free roam is fun AF

Pretty much there are no western open world games, so yes definitely

Can't imagine a world where I don't like RDR2.

Hell yeah.

Think I spent most my time hunting and enjoying the scenery so definitely

Well, the story IS mediocre. And I do love the game. Not for its story. But for the pace, the art, the detail, the opportunity to enjoy a believable environment. Some of the characters are made up very well, act believable, have a consistent perception of their world view. That’s all that.

The story is meh.

Yes, the free roam is amazing. I’m on my second play through and focusing on everything BUT the story. Game is still phenomenal.

Yes, screwing around after the main story is like half of the fun!

It wouldn’t be the hit that it is. But the “Frontier Simulator” part of the game is one of the best parts. It would still be critically acclaimed for that part.

Been playing the same save for nearly 4 years. Dad of three so ain’t got much time to play it consistently. The epilogue is when the game really opens up. I love it, it is quite easily the best game I’ve ever played with or without the story.

The story is great but it’s my least favorite part, the exploration is where it truly shines.

I didn’t understand what was happening the whole entire time I was playing this game. Until the final mission when things happen. That’s when my mouth dropped and I had realized I wasn’t keeping up with the story in no way shape or form. That was with 100 hours played on 1st play through too. I loved it so much and realized I missed out on the whole entire story, I’m on my second play through now and am only Chapter 3 with 200 hours so far on this one. I didn’t even know the story mattered like it did and I loved it enough to play it 100+ hours the first time and over 200+ hours the second time and am not even finished. So yes by the 1000’s

Yes because I don't play the story anyways. Haven't finished it because I keep spending all my time just walking around, riding the horse around, or hunting/fishing.

Yes, because my favorite part of playing the game, doesn't have anything to do with the story. I just enjoy riding around existing in the world because it is so immersive.

Was not at all interested in this when I saw it, or was recommended it by friends. Ended up playing poker for a friend to make him money while he was at work. Incidentally, became overwhelmed with the grandeur and visuals, and thats how that goes, as they say,when you have 4+ thousand hours on a game.

Game play and graphics are good enough to be a standalone. It has upped the game and future games will have to be even with or surpass in quality of game play and graphics

I love movies but for whatever reason I don’t pay the same attention to a games story as a movie, the story is probably something I have the least interest in even in RDR2 and yet it’s still one of my favourite games ever. The open world and the game on a technical level is just unmatched, I’ll even wait for the PC version of GTA 6 because I don’t really care if the story gets “spoiled”

Absolutely.

Most immersive and realistic game ever made in my opinion. Companies LOVE to throw those words around but red dead 2 is the king.

The gunplay is satisfying, horse mechanics are cool, and the hunting is so fun.

If Rockstar did a stand alone hunting game with added species, animations, and weapons....I wish!

I wouldn't expect a mediocre story from them but if they put out something mid, I wouldn't play the game at all.

The real question is, would you love the game more if it got remastered and DLC's and Mexico expansion or is your love for this game already maxed?

no

beautiful but otherwise forgetable

Nowhere near as much

If the open world and realistic graphics and the combat stayed the same then yes. Maybe not as much but I'd still love it.

Nah the story is what made it for what it is.

I guess yes but you never know

I think it would have still been a decent game, but the story weaves the world into what it is. I'd enjoy it, but I probably would have played it once and been done.

The hunting, exploration and random encounters add a lot to this game, but the story mode and character writing are what really holds the game together, knowing Arthur's time is limited and the fun interactions within the gang do not last motivates me to explore and interact with all the game has to offer.

Without the masterful writing, the world would not be nearly as immersive.

Probably not lmao, it’s already pretty slow but could you imagine it being slow AND bad?

it has the best horse mechanic out of all games… yes

Play the game? Yes. Love the game? No.

RDR2 taught me sins and redemption more than any film or school could. When I completed RDR1, I was like John cannot be bested but Arthur was like: "Hold my tuberculosis" (forgive my broken humor). Arthur wasn't that much of a badass but he still was the perfect elder brother for Marston. Perfect uncle for Jack. Arthur's end struck me harshly. There was also an interaction with John and that old war veteran geezer where he remembers him (even after 8 years). So heartbreaking. The 2 games really upped standards in terms of story. Arthur is still the greatest video game character ever (not open to opinions on this statement)

This will be the first question I’ll ask when GTA 6 comes out. The game will be no where near as good if the story is lacklustre

Red dead online is a look at a mediocre version o:f rdr2

The answer is no

Great question. I lean towards yes, bc I loved the acting, the mechanics, the graphics. I think i would still love it, but probably not replay it

Why would we ever entertain such a ludicrous hypothetical question?

I think so.

The story is the reason this game is widely considered a masterpiece.

With that world and that gameplay the only way to have a mediocre story is on purpose

No, absolutely not. It would then become what people mistake it for; GTA but cowboys

I would like aspects of it, but I definitely wouldn’t have bothered finishing it.

Love? Probably not. But I'd still thoroughly enjoy it.

I just probably wouldn't have replayed it four times.

No

Honestly no. The gunplay is fun, but the missions are painfully linear and the open world gives you less freedom than it feels like it should - eg it being literally impossible, no matter what you do, to rob a train without getting a wanted level, even if you stop it in the middle of nowhere and no one could have plausibly got the law that quickly. These are forgivable with great characters and story, but without it I don’t think it would be a particularly great or even good game. It would still be technically impressive ofc.

This game could have no story and it’d still be a great game.

No because the gameplay is mediocre, the story is what makes this game as legendary as it is

I think that if the story was mediocre, I’d either finish the story & then never play the game again or I’d just flat out not even finish it. Sure there is so much to do but it’s hard to truly explore all of that stuff until you’re properly into the story & are properly invested in the game & the story is the thing that gets you invested. Idk, maybe other people are different but a much as I’d like to say yes, my answer is no. I wouldn’t. That doesn’t mean I not love the game for its story as it does have so many other great things about it (like literally everything) but without good story, I’d never would have gotten into it in the first place & thus never exploring all the other great things the game has to offer.

Probably not as nearly as much. The characters and impactful story is what made red dead 2

Why did I read this as R2D2 T^T

As long we got our pretty boah

After the 4th or 5th time playing through the whole story it's still fun to play the side missions and the random encounters...(I personally love to run into the KKK. There's no interaction but I feel like I'm watching the 3 stooges every time I run into them.) It'd still be fun, yeah

But OP, the story IS mediocre.

/bait

This game is just perfect

It’s probably be some goofy fun. But the story is what solidifies it as a goat.

Fuck no. Story is everything and if it sucks then why play, finish, or replay it at all?

I just finished God of War (2018) & God of War Ragnarök, I don't love the gameplay, but the story kept me hooked and will make me come back.

I would say that some part of the story is mediocre and could be written better though.

Aside that, probably not if the mediocre part took away a lot of Arthur's character

What made me fall in love with the game Was the story. So I wouldn’t say so, especially considering the slow pace of the game, which only seem proper by the story itself imo.

I NEED a ps5 version of rdr2 so badly

No, it's basically horse simulator with occasional shootin.

I can still commit unspeakable crimes, so yes

My mind goes to phantom pain. A great bit of games design which was cheapened by a awful story and poor attention to the world's lore. It was unfinished if I remember rightly but considering how deep MGS lore is it was a disappointment because of the story.

So yeah probably not nearly as much.

It does, and no

I would.

Probably no. I enjoy the open world more when I know that the characters are so well written they are existing on the other side of the map.

To be honest I don't think so? I would still enjoy the game, but the story and the characters such as Arthur, Dutch, Saddie, etc kinda elevated the experience for me. I also find the gameplay boring sometimes and my second playthrough

RDR2 with a mediocre story is Red Dead Online

Those who love open world games will like this, but the story is the main key here imo. Without the story it wouldn’t be the same at all

No

If?

Honestly, no. The story is what I love about this game & RDR1. I love everything else like the gameplay, hunting, challenges, open world etc… but it just wouldn’t be the same if these games didn’t have such an amazing story.

Probably not ngl. The gameplay is great. Don't get me wrong, but the story is what makes the game so much greater! I mean, no one finds the bit where you have no more missions to do at the end of the game, the most fun part of the game now, let's be real.

I would max play 10-15 hours. Just having fun being a cowboy and being amazed by the detail and realism and getting ove it the moment I see a game with a better story.

Most games nowadays have a mediocre story but even the graphics is good and the gameplay is decent ...people will play .

The story is pretty mediocre. The characters are what makes you care about the game and their interactions and views about their situation and the world around them. But the story is not that good when you break it down.

Mate is that a dead donkey on your horse?

you talking about main story or story as a whole, i mean main story is important but still i would like the game. on the other hand, with boring side quests i don’t think i would like rdr2

No, not at all. Then it would be the same as frontiers of pandora, a beautiful game with amazing graphics and detail, but bad story and gameplay. No point in playing

Not really no. Free roam would be great. The actual missions would be painfully slow and tedious without any good story or dialogue to go with it

No, definitely not. It's why I don't play Bethesda titles anymore (or at least their main stories).

I think if you only changed the story, it would still be a hit, but everyone would focus on the graphics and the gameplay. I think it's extremely successful in so many facets.

The story is the best part of the game, but the gameplay is the reason I stayed for it. Honestly 90% of my time playing it after I beat it for the first time was just to freeroam and everything but the story. So I’d probably play it a ton, just not as much

A big nope. Writing is what separates rockstar from everyone else. Every single dialogue outside the story is still written very well. I cannot tell you how many games I would have enjoyed if the dialogue was somewhat interesting. I would have honestly played every single far cry after 4 if it’s not the healing pile of shit it is now

Somewhat, I played a lot of RDO before I even played the story. So I would still enjoy the open world part.

Yes, because the exploration and open world encounters are fun and still immerse you in the game at a mild level.

It would still be worth it with a mediocre story. I didn’t play it on release. Played it much much later and was blown away by the level of detail put in. Not just the visual detail, which is impressive even now, but gameplay mechanics themselves.

A list of things that impressed me (even the ones that killed me)

1. Killed a random thief and attempted to throw his body off a cliff. The rock face was slick and I also fell to my death.

2. Rode my horse around at night and was flung off when my horse hit another dead horse that was on the path up there. I don’t think it was quest related just some dead guy and his horse.

3. Almost lost a buck when I sniped it in a river. Was able to lasso its corpse to pull it up on a riverbank.

4. Went after some redneck kidnappers. Thought there was only one so I attempted to lasso him. His buddy I didn’t see flanked me and stabbed me fatally.

5. Only game with hunting I’ve played where you actually skin them. Played other games with hunting mechanics after and they felt shallow.

6. Things can happen in the world independently of you the player. I’ve seen thieves blow themselves up trying to crack a safe, chain gangs assault lawmen and escape, a guy getting kicked to death by a horse, spooky ghosts having a campfire in Lemoyne. I could go on.

I would’ve played it a time or two I really enjoy the shooting

I think the most wonderful experience in this game is to be a man live in western historical time which is always regarded as a symbol American spirt. Not only witness people in that time explode western region and the American industrial culture spreading in such background, but also see the conflict between races and classes caused by the civilization developing.

No

Yea I probably would still like it a lot

Probably but would prefer a better fast travel system otherwise game would be too slow to stay engaged

Nope, it's all mostly about story for me with games

RDR2 has a mediocre story, and I still love the game

Honestly, I don't think the STORY is all that great, but the characters and their relationships are what really make it great.

Yes I would. Such a brilliant game even if the story was kinda of Meh( not that it is as the story line is incredible) I would still enjoy it. RDR2 is my highest rated game it’s a game I love so much & can play it through several times with ease.

The Story Beautiful The graphics beautiful The Sounds of the wind, animals, rivers, people talking, foot steps, etc so much more I can say about this game

The attachment I got to Arthur was unreal that my eyes watered at the end when Micah shot me in the head on the mountain.

Still so damn beautiful.

I don’t know

Yes

Yes but no, this game is fantastic because of the story.

The shooting is great and it feels fun to play, but most of the experience is living as Arthur and seeing the downfall f the Van Der Linde gang.

Gameplay is fun, but the story is what really made it

Yes, but not as much. The gameplay is amazing, the mechanics are wonderful, but would it have the same impact if we weren't playing as Arthur and experiencing his development? I don't think so.

probably not as the story just makes rdr2 it’s the best storyline and the most unique. that’s why i love the game so much

Story is always secondary. Always.

I mean the story isnt even that good and the gameplay is like a chore so, if you worsen anything even more then yeah its gonna be shit

I already do

So much to do besides the story it would still be a good game

If the game had a mediocre story then the game probably would lose a lot of other stuff that maxe it great so probably not

If it had a mediocre story, it wouldn't be red dead 2 anymore.

"If it wasn't good, would you still like it?" 😐

No but I still have fun creating town massacres

I mean... I kinda think the story is pretty mediocre so yes to the question.

I would, but I would love it in the same way I do GTA V, GTA V also has a mediocre story but it is a fun and beautiful looking game for its time and maybe still. The story in RDR 2 morally deepens the game and the way you experience it.

Parts of the story are already mediocre, but I still love this game.

Probably not. The characters and story carry it besides how beautiful the game is