The Last of Us Director Criticizes Red Dead Redemption 2’s Lack of Player Freedom

Red Dead Redemption 2 won many awards last year, including Best Audio Design and Best Narrative from the Game Awards, among other awards from various outlets. It also currently holds an impressive Metacritic score of 97, an accomplishment that should not go unmentioned. Despite its praise, many critics and influencers have found issues with the game, further proving that no game is perfect for everyone. Recently, Bruce Straley, game director of The Last of Us and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, has given some interesting criticisms of Rockstar’s open world cowboy game.

In a response to a tweet from Matthew Gallant on Twitter, Straley expressed his dislike for the game keeping one of its most cinematic moments as gameplay instead of as a cutscene, stating, “the game killed me when I tried to flank in that mission—like so many RDR2 story missions.”

The game killed me when I tried to flank in that mission – like so many RDR2 story missions. They need me to do what the story requires & continually remove my choices. The env was open & I had the skills, but they punished me for thinking for myself instead of rewarding me. ☹️

— Bruce Straley (@bruce_straley) January 14, 2019

Straley also noted:

They need me to do what the story requires [and] continually remove my choices. The [environment] was open [and] I had the skills, but they punished me for thinking for myself instead of rewarding me.

One of Straley’s most salient points was one regarding the game’s lack of player-freedom in story missions. He argued that the game wants to tell an epic story, but does so at the expense of player-choice which, to him, defeats the purpose of interactivity. His frustrations are bolstered by the idea that Red Dead Redemption 2 misses the mark of telling an epic story because “the game just doesn’t trust me.”

It’s an interesting critique how Red Dead Redemption 2 handles narrative and interactivity. Not all gamers look for the same things, so to others, this idea might be appealing because it means the game can tell an epic story. Others might not see it as a lack of player-choice at all.

Do you agree with these criticisms? Let us know in the comments!

[Source: Via Only SP]