How would you improve RDR's story?

[Journey_95]

There are similiar threads for GTA IV and V & nothing is perfect so I figured one should be made for RDR too.

Overall it was an outstanding story and John Marston is one of the best video game protagonists ever but nothing is perfect.

 

Personally I would have killed Bill Williamson in the Act 1 ending and given Javier Escuella more screentime in the Mexico arc (dude appears for the first time in the mission he dies, wtf).

 

I would also shorten the Mexico revolution plot as it felt way too dragged out and repetitive & apart from Ricketts the characters were meh. Act 1 and Act 3 are much better in every way.

 

Also instead of Undead Nightmare a prequel DLC about Marston's time in the gang would have been better imho, it would have fleshed out the gang more + Abigail too.

Edited September 22, 2016 by Journey_95

[The Dedito Gae]

I would change the ending because no matter how good it is, for me the game dies with John.

[RogerWho]

I've always found the whole government angle a bit odd. I'd like it better if it was say, a rival gang that kidnapped John's family and he's forced to get rid of his old pals first. Then he could get involved with the government and with their help, destroy the kidnapping gang and free his family. Eventually, of course, the agency would kill him too as a final cleanup since he'd be the last one.

[wagszilla]

The Mexico segments are the only sections that needed any improvement.

 

While the Mexico plot lines were good world building and allowed Rockstar to make various commentaries on the world, in game and real, they also complete undercut the dramatic tension of the main narrative. After a certain point, I stopped feeling engaged because I didn't believe that John would put up with Abraham Reyes, et. al. spouting sh*t and jerking him around.

 

I disagree with your revisions, OP. The setup of Javier as a character might've been lacking but he served his purpose within the plot. Rockstar kept things close to the vest which established a sense of mystery. It was far more subtle characterization and storytelling and the game's story was the better for it.

 

The driving force was always John vs. Dutch and Bill.

 

It's only logical that killing Bill was the climax to the 2nd act of the game. Combine that with the fact that he's an obnoxious son of a bitch who taunts you during the opening, it's good motivation to keep playing simply so you can get the last word via the end of your pistol.

[Pedinhuh]

Nothing at all.

The story is perfect the way it is for me.

[ColePhelps]

More Bonnie MacFarlane

[BoulderFaceplant]

I would make it so that Marston is portrayed as being wrong about certain things, instead of having moral and logical superiority over everyone he meets. Rockstar titles have constantly suffered from making the protagonist the voice of reason 100% of the time, and only broke free from it with GTA V.

Edited November 1, 2016 by BoulderFaceplant

[Indy007]

Honestly, I would have ended the game after John is killed. I do like the fact that we get in the shoes of his son, but it's just not enough time to get to know the character and before you know it, it's over. I think I would have just preferred to end it that way. Or, now that the sequel is being made, maybe start it with the death of John in a prologue and then go from there. But, yeah I think I like the idea of ending with John's death.

[Lemoyne outlaw]

like many people here i loved the red dead redemption story but there are some things that could have been added.

 

more of marshal johnson and his deputys. i thought the missions involving them were some of the best. they were great and funny characters. when they were brought back in undead nightmare i was very excitied but then it just turned out to be a side quest. i would love to see a younger marshal johnson in red dead redemption 2. maybe he is a sherrif in another town before he moved to armadillo.

 

a bigger native american role. native americans are very interesting and are very big in westerns. unfortunatly in rdr they play a minor role. but it is understandable since during the time there wasent any major indian wars going on so it makes sense. but i would still add more missions involving them. i will say though the idea of dutch making a gang of natives from reservations is pretty cool. also i wish we could have had more missions with nastas he was the only friendly indian and he met a sad end.

 

a bigger story with john at home. it was nice when john comes back home and is with his family but it feels so short. i also love beechers hope and that area and it would have ben nice if we could do more stuff there. and also i would have liked to learn more about uncle he was a great character and he deserved more screen time. and a warm and tender embrace he earned it after sacraficing himself for the family. and last but not least dont kill john.

[Fuzzknuckles]

While I do kind of agree that ending it at the point of John dying is kind of a good idea, it would immediately cut out the possibility of completing anything you hadn't done. And there would be no end-game state where you can just explore the world, so really, that's completely out of the question for me. As much as I hate Jack, he does at least allow the world to continue after John's death, which is absolutely integral to the story and the mood of the game.

 

I'd have spent a little more time at the McFarlane ranch, and perhaps given Bonnie a bigger part to play, though she does get decent time in the game generally.

 

Honestly though, I can't think of anything that would improve the story as such, other than maybe trimming down the Mexico section slightly. For me, it has the best story of any game I've played and it feels utterly authentic and true to the great Western genre.

[Jabalous]

I would only suggest the story writers to do something else with the Mexico part of the story. I didn't like how John got involved with the different factions in the revolution and how he was running like a 'headless chicken' and meeting with boring characters like Luisa. This doesn't necessarily mean to get rid of Nuevo Paraiso, but maybe rebuild the story into something that has nothing do with a revolution and make us meet with more interesting characters that would help us finding Williamson and Escuella.

[HailHydra]

Give Javier more screen time and story, he feels a bit rushed to me

[TedBundyPonyTail]

The narrative needed more Herbert Moon!

[Jeansowaty]

Excuse the bump but this place is pretty dead anyway.

 

Me personally I'd agree with the OP, I'd kill Bill at the end of New Austin and have Javier be more threatening in Nuevo Paraiso. Plus I'd shorten that part a bit, I didn't really like the "headless chicken" thing that much, too much focus was put on the revolution and John just felt like he was caught up in something he didn't even have to be caught up. 

 

Before RDR2's release I'd say more of Dutch would be welcome too but now I think it's fine as is. Maybe I'd cut up on the wacko characters that seemed a bit filler. I think West Elizabeth was done the best, it might have been less Wild West-esque but you work for the big man Edgar Ross personally now and you're tasked to kill your father figure, very emotional. 

 

I'd also add more unique random encounters or side-tasks for Jack, like meeting people that John has met through his journey and them paying homage to him, also make the pursuit for Edgar Ross a bit more deep, like, not just have him killed in one mission but have multiple ones where you train your dead-eye to be like John's, earn money for weaponry etc., when you get enough money you can finally exact revenge on Ross.

[billiejoearmstrong8]

In the New Austin segment I would reduce the number of missions done for silly characters (Seth/Irish/Nigel West Dickens - especially Nigel since his missions are also less gunslinger type and often involve a lot of tedious travel, the race ones could've just been a side activity instead) and increase the number done with Marshal Leigh Johnson, perhaps another one with Bill featured in it too. The Bonnie missions to start you off are perfect though.

 

I didn't mind Mexico being a long detour but I would make the order more forced so you work for the army and then the rebels instead of rather ridiculously working for both at once to the level you can, and I'd prefer if Luisa didn't turn out to just be a dumb fangirl and if she actually participated in some fighting with you during some missions (they already do have some women fighting with the rebels as happened irl so no reason why not). I would also have liked to see Javier more than once so another mission with him in it would've been good.

 

Would've liked a few more missions in West Elizabeth before getting to Dutch, it's a bit quick. They could be for an additional character providing a small side plot to go with the main finding Dutch one maybe as I found Harold MacDougal to be kind of lame. Too many "comedy characters" giving main missions in this game imo. The ranch missions are just right so I wouldn't change them, perfect false sense of security and suspense before the final one.

 

This is all nitpicking though lol because overall I absolutely love the story side of the missions and the pacing etc. I love how the New Austin, Mexico and West Elizabeth segments (and maybe even the ranching segment of WE) each almost feel like an entirely new world/game.

 

 

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by billiejoearmstrong8

[Alexlecj]

I would've liked one or two more missions set in Thieves' Landing, the lawless swamp town of New Austin. Especially since it is linked to the rustlers of Pike's Basin, famously known to harass the MacFarlanes.

 

Irish seems unnecessary to me. He's annoying, achieve nothing useful, and his relation with John or people in general doesn't change at all despite him giving four missions.

[williamhcarlton]

This thread is blasphemy. Mods, pls delete