Christian is bored in Red Dead Online. But then comes the Blood Money update – and that changes everything. At least for the moment.
Oh Cripps, just shut the fuck up! As my trusty campmate told me about his “bank job in Tennessee” for the umpteenth time, I realised how many times I’d played through all the activities in Red Dead Online. Deliveries, bounty hunts, missions … nothing felt new and exciting anymore, everything was just grey western routine.
On 13 July, the new Blood Money update for Red Dead Online came out and changed everything for me. And that despite the fact that it doesn’t add as much new to the game itself as many of the hardcore fans on forums like Reddit would like.
The old criticism that there just isn’t enough new content coming keeps flaring up among gamers. Especially really big things, like housing or complex heists on banks and à la GTA Online, remain a dream for now.
Blood Money lures me back
I can only agree with the criticism to a limited extent: While I, too, of course wish that Rockstar would deliver nearly as much and as quickly with Red Dead Online as they did with GTA Online. But that doesn’t take away from the great fun I’m having with the latest update. I was fully gripped by Blood Money and am now drawn back into Red Dead Online for longer periods of time. This is also due to the way Rockstar rolls out the new content and weaves it into the gameplay.
While Blood Money doesn’t reinvent the wheel gameplay-wise, one feature does ensure that I have longer-term fun: It’s the grind. I like it! At least when it’s well integrated and rewarding – even if it’s not free of criticism, of course.
Fun gameplay, meagre rewards
I collect Capitale for the nefarious (but mafia-smartly dressed) underboss Guido Martelli. To do this, I take on special missions from NPCs that revolve around crime. Here I rob stagecoaches, steal horses in the open world or shoot up entire gang hideouts. There are even multi-level story missions with interesting (and completely crazy) characters.
I find the special currency from criminals or hidden in boxes when I play the new missions. My collecting instinct is awakened. So I happily grind away and slowly accumulate more and more capitals. You can think of this stuff as a kind of gangster currency, but so far it has only one function.
Once I have collected enough of it, I can play the first of three new “opportunities” on one of three difficulty levels. Specifically, it’s about an emerald that I have to steal from a heavily guarded train. Both the grind to the capitals and the mission itself kept me very entertained. And two more of the heists are to follow. I can’t wait!
No idea what I’m even talking about? You can check out the content of Red Dead Online: Blood Money can be seen in the trailer:
The only downer for me is that there is no sign of a real reward. For the train robbery, which I easily spent six hours grinding towards, I get 50 dollars and 0.x gold at the end on the lowest difficulty level. Whew. The bullets were almost more expensive! So it’s even more profitable to make a small delivery for Cripps! Rockstar should readjust here, after all, it shouldn’t be a losing proposition to work for the mafia.
Salary increase, please!
Now I want to play the mission again on higher difficulty levels. So the grind starts all over again. Currently I still really feel like it – especially because the new missions are fun and varied. But if the yield continues to be so meagre, I’m afraid that the joy could turn into annoyance for me, too. Other players are already feeling this way. Please Rockstar, listen to the community and increase the dollar profit!
Besides, it would be nice if I could buy more with Capitale. And here comes the old criticism again that there is too little content for end-game players. I’d love to grind for new weapons or a fancy flat, but so far there’s only one use for Capitale, and it doesn’t really pay off.
But hey, even the now quite diverse other activities in Red Dead Online are fun for me again now. Variety is the magic word! I can experience my own personal Western again, sometimes hunting, sometimes fighting, sometimes peddling booze. And all of that together saves the game for me, at least in the medium term.
A relaxed hunt like that in between is supposed to be good for the nerves. Besides, it brings more money than the actually so exciting raids. Cripps, tell me again about that bank job in Tennessee.
