Fans have been requesting a PC port of Red Dead Redemption 2 since the open world action game was originally announced in late 2016 and that is finally becoming a reality on November 5. This is great for those that waited for the game to come to the platform, but considering it has already sold over 25 million copies, it’s likely that many players wound up playing it on either Xbox One or PlayStation 4 during the one year wait for the Red Dead Redemption 2 PC version to materialize. That means many of the people purchasing the PC port will be double dipping and reliving the adventure of Arthur Morgan for a second time. Considering how great that game’s story is and how much of a technical achievement the release is, that isn’t the worst use of people’s time, but it still would be better to skip out on it and play something new instead.
Let’s face it: Red Dead Redemption 2 is absolutely massive. Chances are that players that picked up the console version didn’t finish everything on their first go around and still have plenty to do in their current save (if they even finished the main story in the first place). After all, it will take well over 100 hours to experience everything that Rockstar has carefully crafted for the Western adventure. That is quite the time commitment, and if you’ve already done it once before, then it’s a hard to justify giving up days of your limited existence to experience the same thing again. After all, time is the only thing that you can’t buy more of.
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The PC version of Red Dead Redemption 2 adds even more content, but nothing that really screams that it’s a necessity to replay. The addition of new bounties, weapons and hideouts is definitely a welcome addition, but it’s not like the action game was ever light on content in the first place. The real appeal of the PC version is the ability to mod the shooter and take advantage of improved visuals and technical performance. So, those that haven’t left the Wild West since the original dropped will find the most value here. More casual players will still be wowed by how the game looks on consoles, so there’s not much value for non-hardcore fans.
You could play dozens of games in the span it takes to complete the Red Dead Redemption 2 PC version
The biggest reason to pass up on spending all of November replaying Red Dead Redemption 2 is that there are so many other great games you could be experiencing. While it’s easy to go back to games you already know you enjoy (it’s why we see so many remasters and remakes every year), it is even more rewarding to try something new. It might not always be your jam, but discovering a new release that you truly appreciate is a lot of the thrill of gaming. Thankfully for those looking for new releases to play, November has a ton of worthwhile ones.
Rather than going on an adventure you’ve already departed on once before you could be experiencing Hideo Kojima’s first game since leaving Konami. Death Stranding looks like his weirdest title yet, which is certainly saying something considering how bizarre his past titles have been. There are new releases in huge series like Need for Speed, Pokemon, Star Wars, Professor Layton, and Shenmue 3 against all odds. Over 15 years since the last chapter, Ryo Hazuki’s quest to find out why his father was murdered will continue. The lengths of each of these titles vary, but you could play the stories of at least two of them in the same time as it will take to get through RDR2 and they’re new experiences rather than something you’ve already had before.
If you’re not fixated on major releases, there are also hundreds of worthwhile indie titles that could be checked out as well. A game like Abzu only takes two or three hours to finish and can be just as memorable as bigger releases. One could easily fit in dozens of these type of releases in the 100 or so hours or so it would take to see everything that Rockstar has packed into the PC port. As gamers, we should be prioritizing new experiences and broadening our horizons rather than just replaying the same things repeatedly. Rockstar is already financially set due to its microtransaction-filled online modes and it is not the company that needs your support via double dipping.
Every purchase is ultimately a vote with your wallet
Every purchase of the Red Dead Redemption 2 PC version is also supporting Rockstar’s attitude toward tiered release schedules. For a company of its massive size, there’s no real reason why a PC version couldn’t have happened at launch. This isn’t some small indie struggling to handle multiple SKUs; it’s a gigantic publishing label that owns several studios and is backed by Take-Two Interactive. The studio staggers these releases for a reason and that is due to knowing that PC players are likely to buy a game twice since they’ll get the best version with enhanced graphics and mod capabilities. It’s far from the worst business practice in gaming, but know what you’re supporting. If such a delayed release was met with disinterest (which is highly unlikely considering Grand Theft Auto 5 is still topping sales charts years after releasing), then there would be a chance for this to change.
Of course, it ultimately comes down to what players want to do. If people are dead set on playing Red Dead Redemption 2 for a second time and paying $59.99 again, then there is nothing that will convince them otherwise. Likewise, the specter of hilarious mods is an alluring prospect. However, there are options and plenty of other games that are worth checking out rather than just experiencing the same story multiple times. Supporting a wider range of titles helps the industry stay healthy, and your time is far too valuable to be stuck on constant reruns. RDR2 is a great game, and one that is worth experiencing, just not worth spending hundreds of hours of your life on just a year later for full price.
