The Wild West is a staple of western fantasy, but in the world of video games there are decidedly few to choose from. That’s not so bad though because your only option happens to be your best option. Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the greatest games of all time, and its online mode is just as fun as the single player modes. If you read about Red dead anywhere online you’ll see reports about the game suffering more than anything else. I’m here to tell you to disregard the bad headlines about this game, as things are just fine over here in Stadia Land. Let’s go over a quick list of reasons why Red Dead ain’t dead.
1. There are plenty of players.
Red Dead’s unique online mode means that even if tens of thousands of people are playing the game at once, there will only be a couple of dozen players that you’ll see in the game world at any given time. So, no matter how busy the servers are, the game will always feel like it has people playing the game. While I don’t know how well the game sold on Stadia, I know from logging in to the game at various times this week that there’s always a large group of people playing that I can group up with. For reference, Red Dead Redemption 2 has averaged 19,000 Steam players daily in 2022. That puts the game in the top 30 most-played games on Steam. Not bad for a “dead” game.
2. No hackers.
Red Dead Redemption 2 has well documented problems with hackers on PC and consoles. Stadia’s servers are locked under Google’s tight security and crossplay is disabled (in Red Dead, at least), so you will only play with other Stadia players. You can enjoy the game without ever worrying about hackers or cheating. I can’t tell you how nice it is to be playing a game on my desktop and being fully confident that no one can hack.
3. There’s a lot to do. Like…. a LOT
Yes, I’m sure you’ve read plenty online about how the developers “stopped updating the game,” but if you had logged into the game this year, you’ll have seen that Rockstar adds incentives, bonuses and discounts for different items and activities at least several times a month. They’ve also been mixing up where many of the missions take place, giving regular players some variety. Hardcore players will complain about content, but its important to remember that hardcore players also complain about the content in World of Warcraft, Fortnite, and Final Fantasy 14 – games that take thousands of hours to see everything. There’s a LOT to do in Red Dead Online. Its the complete cowboy fantasy that allows you to be a hero, outlaw, fisherman, hunter and treasure hunter.
4. Rockstar has supported their games for years.
Grand Theft Auto 4 came out in 2008 on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. You can still log in to the game and play online today, in 2022. GTA 4 sold a “measly” 25 million copies. Red Dead Redemption 2 sold a whopping 40 million copies and came out in 2018. Based on those numbers, it’s safe to say you’ll be able to play this game until 2030, and possibly beyond. Rockstar said they were done with “major” updates. That doesn’t mean they’re done with the game. You can expect Red Dead Online to be around for years to come.
5.There’s no Battle Pass
How would you like to play a game that isn’t obsessed with you earning experience, levelling up, and collecting a bunch of limited-time cosmetics that you’ll never wear? Red Dead Online doesn’t have limited-time quests, battle passes or ridiculous cosmetic items that are only available this month. Everything in the game can be done at your pace, even if you only log in once a week or once a month. Its a refreshingly simple way to enjoy a game, and one of the big draws for me personally. I like getting on and playing the game my way, without feeling pressured about completing a quest or hitting a certain milestone.
I have personally been horsing around in the game for the last month and having a great time. From my perspective, Red Dead is far from dead. Ready to start playing? Red Dead Redemption 2 is available on Stadia now. For an interesting analysis on live service games on Stadia, check this out.
