10 Things Red Dead Redemption 2 Must Learn From GTA Online

3. Contact Missions And Dynamic Events Are A Great Combo

Red Dead Redemption Multiplayer Gatling Gun
Rockstar

Online's aforementioned contact missions have done much to extend its life cycle over the years, occupying a niche area in the virtual economy that enables players to maintain a steady source of income in spite of the game's ever inflating costs. Of course, this is itself accompanied by a certain kind of repetitive tediousness that makes these missions wear out their welcome fairly quickly, but that by no means warrants their omission from further adventures in online mediums.

In fact, they're damn near essential for Red Dead's next outing, and here's why.

Dynamic and linear events are simply perfect for the type of open world gameplay Rockstar have been gunning for since GTA IV, since not only do they serve as fun distractions themselves, they help to add some much needed 'oomph' to the everyday business of the open world on offer. Could you imagine if armoured cars made a return in the form of armoured carriages? And again, you could even turn gang attacks into a fun little Alamo-esque distraction - charging players with holding a fort until their AI pursuers retreat.

There's lots to do with a western theme, so don't be surprised if Red Dead's online gets a boatload more of these events when it drops.

Content Producer/Presenter

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.