Making a prequel to the acclaimed Red Dead Redemption was understandable given the game was largely about making up for past failings. However, it was also a tall order. Following one of the most revered open world games of all time (as well as a compelling western) comes with a heap of high expectations.
Against all odds, Rockstar delivered. Red Dead Redemption 2 not only gives players a tremendously enrapturing western world to lose themselves in, but it's a deeply personal tale that actually proves more engrossing and affecting than its predecessor. As everyone knows, though, nothing is perfect. The game comes with a plethora of plot holes that left players scratching their heads. Be they inconsistencies with the first game or simple flaws in logic, Red Dead Redemption 2's narrative oversights make for some annoying blemishes on an otherwise incredible experience.
10 Marston Uses His Real Name
In the epilogue, John Marston attempts to make the most of the second chance that Arthur gives him, looking for honest work and a new life. Of course, this means living under an assumed name to keep a low profile. As such, he goes by "Jim Milton."
After a while, however, he simply drops this façade and starts using his real name again. He even applies for a bank loan and buys a house this way. What's more is that he does this in Blackwater, a town bound to have some lingering heat from the gang's disastrous boat robbery. It's no wonder the Pinkertons find him.
9 Why Do The Other Gang Members Go Free?
During the end credits, players see several gang members living peaceful lives on the right side of the law, but how is that possible? Sadie Adler and Charles are understandable since they presumably went to South America and Canada, respectively.
Characters like Tilly, however, are in public places where their activities are sure to have made headlines. Pearson works a shop in Rhodes, for crying out loud! Granted, they were often maintaining the camp instead of doing fieldwork, but that didn't stop the authorities from tracking down Strauss. Why couldn't they do the same for the rest of the outlaws?
8 How Does Lenny Get Out Of Jail?
When Arthur takes his young friend out for a night on the town, they both get hammered beyond belief. This leads to a hallucinogenic sequence that eventually ends with Arthur on the run from the law. One of the last things he sees is Lenny arrested. One would think that calls for a jailbreak mission like with Micah, but the next time players see the kid is back at camp as if nothing ever happened. Is this an oversight, or did Arthur just imagine Lenny was there? Maybe Dutch wanted to leave him in prison like John.
7 Javier Changes Personality
Although his screen time in the first game was limited, Javier quickly distinguished himself as a spiteful little weasel. In addition, his flightiness and silly dialogue nearly made him a Speedy Gonzales-esque stereotype.
In stark contrast, the second game's Javier is loyal, measured, and strong. The developers make no attempt to explain this shift, though it likely boils down to spending more time planning the character and wanting to make him less cartoonish. Still, it would have been nice if they had bridged the gap a la Goro Majima in Yakuza 0.
6 Why Didn't Cornwall Hire More Government Agents?
Leviticus Cornwall is a man of seemingly limitless resources, and he devotes much of his wealth toward the Pinkerton detectives in their pursuit of Dutch's gang. Putting aside the fact that he can just hire government agents as his personal bloodhounds, why does this business mogul stop at the Pinkertons?
He's supposedly dead set on killing these crooks for robbing him, and some US marshals or bounty hunters would probably be in his budget. If anything, that would ensure his victory even more quickly. Stomping a single band of outlaws shouldn't be a problem.5 Why Didn't The Gang Leave The Country If It Was So Easy?
After the Saint Denis robbery goes south, Arthur and a few of his allies stow away on a ship headed for international waters. Doing so only requires sneaking past a few guards at night. Dutch had previously spoken about leaving the country for Tahiti or some other paradise after one last score, but learning the shipping schedules and sneaking onboard seems much easier. If they really wanted to start a new life elsewhere, they probably could have done so without all the hassle. Surely, not all of them would be greedy enough to stay.
4 Why Are The Characters Seemingly The Only Survivors Of The Shipwreck?
When a storm befalls the Saint Denis ship, the stowaway gang members are stranded on the tropical island of Guarma, where they become embroiled in a conflict between rebels and local militia. The other people on the ship are never seen nor heard from again.
Granted, they could have drifted to a different island. However, that still means that the fleeing outlaws all miraculously survived and wound up on the same island, entirely separate from whomever else survived. There's suspension of disbelief, and there's plain contrivance.
3 Why Don't The Other Gang Members Pay Off Their Bounties Like Arthur?
This comes down to a disconnect between gameplay and story. Whenever Arthur commits a crime and racks up a bounty on himself, no matter how serious the charge, he can simply pay said bounty at the nearest post office. Since players will rarely be hard up for cash after the Strawberry bank robbery, this is an easy way of erasing any wrongdoing.
One wonders why the other characters don't take advantage of it. Rather than packing up and moving when things get hot, why don't they just take the camp funds and pay their bounties?
2 Why Does Dutch Join Back Up With Micah?
Upon Arthur's death, he tells Dutch that Micah sold them out to the Pinkertons. Although he seems to reserve judgment at first, the outlaw leader refuses to go with the turncoat when beckoned. This makes it all the more surprising when he's still working with the little leech in the epilogue.
One could argue that he's secretly assessing his loyalty, and that assumption is supported when he shoots Micah. However, that's only an assumption; there's still a huge narrative gap that should have been filled.
1 How Did Dutch And Micah Get The Money Out Of Blackwater?
Throughout the whole tale, players are told that the gang's Blackwater heist yielded a hefty sum of gold. Since the town is crawling with law enforcement, however, the characters can't get to the goods they have stashed there. Imagine people's surprise when Micah offhandedly mentions that he and Dutch went back and swiped the cash during the epilogue.
How did they dodge the cops? How did they transport the gold up the mountain without suspicion? Was it before or after they hired a bunch of thugs to guard it? Why aren't they using it to flee the country or pay off their bounties? Who cares? The money's mainly there to give players an endgame reward, so people probably aren't complaining about this leap in logic. If only the other plot holes could be overlooked with a simple payoff, then the game would be held in even higher regard.