Since its launch in 2018 alongside Red Dead Redemption 2, Red Dead Online has somewhat played second fiddle to Rockstar’s flagship, GTA Online. It hasn’t received the same level of attention or frequent content updates, and its player community isn’t as massive. However, with an impending update that will bring more content for everyone, it’s worth considering whether now is the ideal time to dive into Red Dead Online.
A Fresh Outlook for Returning Players
If you’re a returning player, like me, you’ll find that Red Dead Online has improved considerably. While the updates have been infrequent, they have introduced additional content. Beyond the standard story missions, players can now embrace various roles that provide more depth to Red Dead Online’s vast open world. Additionally, three new Telegram Missions have been added, with promises of more to come. Although Red Dead Online has expanded its matchmaking options, it still can’t quite match the thrill of GTA Online’s stunt races.
Roles and Gold: A Different Experience for Newcomers
For new players, the early stages of Red Dead Online offer a distinctive experience. Unlike in GTA Online, where you can steal planes, drive fast cars, and engage in small-scale robberies, Red Dead Online’s early game revolves around its lackluster story missions. Unfortunately, these missions don’t yield much money.
To make progress in Red Dead Online’s current state, you need two things: time and gold bars. Gold bars serve as the game’s premium currency, which players can accumulate slowly by completing daily challenges or uncovering treasure marked on maps. However, instead of earning complete gold bars, you receive gold nuggets, equivalent to 0.1 gold bars. This slow accumulation process can make it a bit tedious to earn enough for access to the game’s lucrative and engaging content.
Most of Red Dead Online’s engaging content is tied to its roles, which allow players to assume various professions within the Wild West. However, these roles offer mixed experiences, with some receiving updates from Rockstar while others remain unchanged since their initial release. The most captivating role is undoubtedly the bounty hunter, where players engage in interesting player-versus-environment missions. In response to its popularity, Rockstar has expanded the bounty hunter role with an additional 10 ranks and more legendary bounties.
Apart from the bounty hunter, players can choose to be a trader, focusing on hunting, a naturalist observing nature, a collector scanning the West for valuable items, or a moonshiner, which is one of the slower money-making roles in the game. It may seem like I’m portraying these roles as dull, but each has its own advantages and disadvantages, ultimately enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
The Blood Money Update: What Lies Ahead
Exciting new content is on the horizon for Red Dead Online with the upcoming Blood Money update. Starting from July 13, players will have the opportunity to delve into organized crime with an Old West twist. While we don’t have specific details about the payout associated with this role, if Blood Money offers engaging, free player-versus-environment content, it is bound to be a remarkable addition to the game.
Red Dead Online hasn’t gained much traction since its release, but with the arrival of Blood Money, it seems that 2021 might be the year when everything changes. Although the game still requires substantial additional content to establish itself as a robust live-service game, the future looks promising for Rockstar’s black sheep.
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