Red Dead Redemption Fans Share What The First Game Did Better

Summary

• Red Dead Redemption and its sequel are regarded as two of the best open-world games of all time.
• Most fans think that RDR2 is the better title overall, but that hasn't stopped discussions about what the first game did better.
• The Red Dead community has highlighted several things, such as the lonely atmosphere, the use of music, and, of course, the presence of Undead Nightmare.

Red Dead Redemption fans have shared some of the things that they think the first game did better than the second, from its overall tone, use of music, and to wilder picks like the beloved Undead Nightmare DLC.

Although most Rockstar Games fans have their sights steadily set on GTA 6's Fall 2025 launch, there are a lot of gamers out there who are still thinking about the studio's other iconic series - Red Dead Redemption. Although both the first and second games don't get quite as much attention as Grand Theft Auto (how could they?), they're still regarded as some of the best open-world titles of all time.

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As fantastic as Red Dead Redemption is, I think it's fair to say that most Rockstar fans agree that Red Dead Redemption 2 is the better game overall. There have been many discussions about why the sequel is the overall winner, but the Red Dead community has changed tact a little bit and started sharing what they think Red Dead Redemption does better than Red Dead Redemption 2.

Red Dead Fans Discuss What Redemption Did Better Than Redemption 2

The debate was started by Redditor Mandalorymory over on the RDRsubreddit, who asked fans what they thought the first game (not counting Red Dead Revolver, of course) did better than the sequel. They also started things off by sharing that they thought the tone and ambience of the first game was better, as there's a much creepier and isolated vibe than what we see in Arthur Morgan's Western adventure.

That's a good way to kick things off, as several Red Dead Redemption fans mention the lonelier atmosphere as one of the highlights of the first game. There are also a lot of shout-outs for the soundtrack and use of music, which is mostly down to So Far Away's use as John Marston crosses over into Mexico.

One of the most frequent points across the thread, including the most up-voted comment overall, is that the first game had a "really good DLC" in the form of Undead Nightmare, something that the sequel never even attempted. Although I'd personally count Undead Nightmare as its own thing, it's mentioned enough times in the thread that I'm clearly in the wrong.

One thing that shockingly isn't mentioned much in the thread is that Red Dead Redemption's online modes were far and away better than Red Dead Online. Sometimes simpler is better.

There are a lot of gameplay examples that get listed off in the thread, but two that pop up a lot are the inclusion of Liar's Dice and the use of Euphoria when taking down enemies. Some fans have specifically pointed out that Red Dead Redemption's gunplay and combat were better since you didn't have to worry about the state of your gun or whether Arthur's had a snack recently.

Overall, there are a surprising number of things that fans think Red Dead Redemption did better than its beloved sequel. I don't think there are too many arguing that the first game is the winner overall, but it's clear that there's a lot of love for John Marston's last ride.

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