For years, Red Dead's Arthur Morgan and John Marston can take part in during Red Dead Redemption 2's story mode can be enjoyed online, such as robberies, gunfights, and hunting. However, there is one important aspect of RDR 2 that is missing from online play, and that is the lack of camaraderie that the Van Der Linde gang offered in the single-player story.
The ability to lead a gang is something that would add a lot to Red Dead Online, and give an already good experience an element that it is sorely missing. The lone wolf lifestyle appeals to many players, but outlaw gangs are one of the most famous tropes of the Old West, which is likely why gang dynamics are such a major part of RDR2's story. Red Dead Online's specialist roles haven't empowered players quite as much as they should have, so getting a gang of their own should absolutely be on the table, as it could open so many doors for new, long-requested experiences, like outlaw activities that are integrated into the open world.
In order to make their own gang, players could recruit NPCs and create their own gang to experience Red Dead Online's missions. The game could offer several types of people as potential recruits, such as reckless bar brawlers, smooth con artists, and gunslingers looking to test their skill. The players could choose gang to accompany them on missions, getting different dialogue and interactions with each one. Some would be easygoing and friendly, while others would be gruff and unpleasant, and all types in between. Red Dead Online already has its multiplayer posse system, but this concept would be great for players who really want to roleplay as the leader of their own Wild West gang.
Red Dead Online Needs RDR2's Gang Dynamics
Life on Red Dead Online's frontier can be isolating, but fleshed-out gang dynamics could help solve that. As time goes on, the recruited gang could have their opinion of the protagonist rise. After going on so many missions, they would go from being skeptical or blindly eager, and really start trusting the player's plans and actions. They would voice more confidence in fights, and perhaps even provide additional bonuses. Experienced gang could pull in more money from a successful mission, as a reward for taking the time to train them into great outlaws. The reward of making gang better could even provide a way of making Red Dead Online's money grind less repetitive and more rewarding.
Whatever way they could be incorporated, letting the online protagonist be a part of a gang would open up possibilities for Red Dead Online to replicate Red Dead Redemption 2's most immersive and emotive elements. A gang of the player's own, even one that is not especially detailed, could enable them to play a more important role in the world of Red Dead Online. A camp full of familiar faces, a home base that feels truly safe no matter what's going on elsewhere, is what the multiplayer mode is really missing at the moment. At the moment, while the game has some friendly figures to chat with, such as Cripps, Red Dead Online's camps lack RDR2's best features, and feel relatively soulless by comparison.
Incorporating player gangs into Red Dead Online would make for a pretty massive feature, and would address one of the biggest issues with the game currently. Players should be allowed to carve out their own legacies in the same way that Arthur and John did during their time with the Van Der Linde gang. Although Rockstar is yet to reveal any of its plans for Red Dead Online going into 2022, with any luck, maybe one of the planned updates will have players riding alongside a gang of their own, finding whatever new adventure lies over the horizon.
