How Long Is a Playthrough in Red Dead Redemption 2?
The question of how long a Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2) playthrough is, doesn’t have a simple answer. It depends heavily on your playstyle and what you want to achieve in the game. At its core, a focused playthrough of the main story will take a significant amount of time, but the true longevity of RDR2 lies in its rich open world and endless side activities.
A standard, main-story focused playthrough of Red Dead Redemption 2 will take approximately 50 hours. This playtime focuses solely on the essential story missions, bypassing much of the optional content. However, this time can vary depending on how quickly you progress through the narrative and how much exploration you engage in.
Understanding Playtime in RDR2
Real Time vs. Game Time
One key element to understand when discussing playtime in RDR2 is the difference between real-time and in-game time. An hour within the game world of RDR2 translates to roughly 1 to 3 minutes in real-time. This compressed time scale helps the game move along at a brisk pace, while still offering a sense of daily life and change within the world.
Factors Influencing Playtime
There are many variables that affect how long your playthrough of RDR2 will last. Factors include:
- Exploration: Wandering the massive open world, stumbling upon hidden locations, and discovering random events will increase playtime significantly.
- Side Quests & Activities: Engaging with optional side missions, hunting legendary animals, and completing challenges all add to the overall length of the game.
- 100% Completion: Attempting a complete 100% run will require considerably more time and dedication than simply focusing on the main storyline.
- Personal Pace: Some players prefer a slow, methodical approach, soaking in the atmosphere, while others prioritize speed and efficiency, leading to differences in overall game length.
The 100% Completion Journey
For those aiming for 100% completion of Red Dead Redemption 2, the playtime jumps dramatically. Achieving 100% requires completing all story missions, engaging in extensive side quests, discovering hidden locations, and fulfilling a wide array of challenges. Players should be prepared to dedicate well over 150 hours to achieve this daunting goal. This is because many of the 100% completion tasks rely on stumbling upon random events, finding hidden collectibles, or fulfilling specific requirements within the game’s open world.
The Epilogue and Beyond
The main story concludes at around the 70% completion mark. However, the game does not end here. What follows is an extended epilogue that can be considered an additional chapter of the game, playing out like a second, smaller story in its own right. This epilogue adds about 6 hours of gameplay to the overall experience. Furthermore, after completing the epilogue, players can still roam freely within the game world as John Marston, pursuing additional challenges, completing outstanding objectives, and experiencing any side content they might have missed. It is crucial to understand that a 100% completion can still be achieved after the epilogue.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How long can you play as Arthur Morgan in RDR2?
You can play as Arthur Morgan until the mission “My Last Boy”. The following mission, “Our Best Selves,” leads directly to the final mission and marks the end of Arthur’s playable story segment. It is essential to complete all desired side quests and activities with Arthur before advancing beyond “Our Best Selves.”
2. Is it required to watch the whole theatre show with Mary?
No, it is not required to watch the entire theater performance to progress in the quest line with Mary. While achieving the gold medal for this mission requires going to the theater, you can leave partway through the show. Mary will even acknowledge this in her dialogue. The show consists of three acts that would normally take about half an hour to complete.
3. What happens if you decline to help Mary in RDR2?
If you refuse to help Mary, you will not be able to accept a future mission involving Mary’s father. This choice prevents a portion of side content. If you wish to explore all potential storylines, it’s recommended to accept Mary’s plea for help.
4. Why can’t John swim in Red Dead Redemption 2?
John Marston’s inability to swim is a recurring element from the first Red Dead Redemption. This design choice is both a nod to the original game and part of the game’s canon, establishing John as a famously poor swimmer.
5. Can you prevent Arthur’s death from tuberculosis (TB) in RDR2?
Unfortunately, Arthur’s illness and death are core plot points of the game, and there is no way to avoid this from happening. The only way to technically keep Arthur alive is to halt story progression before his TB symptoms appear. His fate is intrinsic to the story.
6. Does John Marston inherit Arthur’s money in RDR2?
No, John does not inherit Arthur’s money. Upon reaching the epilogue, John only receives Arthur’s weapons and clothing. The game removes all of Arthur’s wealth to establish John’s initial struggle and need for economic recovery.
7. Is it possible to achieve 100% completion after Arthur’s death?
Yes, 100% completion is possible after the epilogue, playing as John Marston. Many side tasks, challenges, and collectibles can still be accessed with John, allowing for the 100% completion to be reached after finishing the main story. The few missions that are available to only Arthur can be missed and you can still get 100%.
8. What year is Red Dead Redemption 2 set in?
Red Dead Redemption 2 is set in 1899. The game portrays a world at the cusp of the 20th century where the Wild West is declining and modernization is rapidly taking over.
9. How long is Red Dead Nightmare?
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare is significantly shorter than RDR2. A main objective focused playthrough will take about 7 hours. A full 100% completion of Undead Nightmare will take around 13.5 hours.
10. How long is the Red Dead Redemption 2 epilogue?
The Red Dead Redemption 2 epilogue takes approximately 6 hours to complete. This epilogue functions like a second smaller story, continuing the game after the main story ends.
11. Will there be a Red Dead Redemption 3?
While there is no official announcement of Red Dead Redemption 3, Rockstar Games has hinted at further installments in the franchise. Based on the company’s release patterns, it is unlikely for RDR3 to come before 2026 at the earliest.
12. Who gave Arthur Morgan tuberculosis?
Arthur contracts TB from Thomas Downes, a man he is sent to collect debts from. This is a pivotal event in the story that eventually leads to Arthur’s inevitable demise.
13. Is John Marston blind in one eye in RDR2?
Although John’s left eye is scarred, it is not explicitly stated that John is blind in that eye. While he closes his left eye when aiming, it is a stylistic choice rather than an indication of blindness.
14. Why does John look different in RDR2 than in RDR1?
John looks different in RDR2 because he is younger and has not yet gone through the hardships depicted in the first Red Dead Redemption. The character models reflect the changes and wear and tear they would have accumulated as outlaws.
15. Can you meet Mary-Beth as John Marston in RDR2?
Yes, as John, you can meet Mary-Beth at the train platform in Valentine. She is now a romance novelist using the pen name Leslie Dupont. This encounter is a nod to her life after the Van der Linde gang.
In conclusion, the length of an RDR2 playthrough is highly variable, but on average a main story focus will take approximately 50 hours. If you delve into side activities, exploration, and aiming for 100% completion, you should expect to spend over 150 hours enjoying the game. Ultimately, the longevity of Red Dead Redemption 2 is a testament to its richly detailed world and abundance of content.