Since its release near the end of 2018, Red Dead Online has seen a varying degree of updates, but none have ever managed to scratch the itch that many players went into the game expecting. Unlike the story-packed single-player, which features bank robberies, stagecoach robberies, and other things you’d expect outlaws to do, Red Dead Online always shied away from those types of missions. Now, Rockstar is finally giving players a deeper look into the fading criminal world that ruled the West, and so far, it’s been an absolute blast to explore.
Life In the West
I’ve long been a fan of the Red Dead series, and when Red Dead Redemption 2 launched, I was excited about the potential of its online multiplayer. While Red Dead Online offered a nice mix of mechanics and things to do, the game always felt like it was missing the minor crimes that we often see illustrated in various books and movies when it comes to the Wild West period: stagecoach, train, and homestead robberies. With Blood Money, though, Rockstar fills that gap with a new mission-based system that allows you to take on various missions and jobs. It builds off the stranger non-player character (NPC) system already present in the game by introducing new characters to talk to. Alongside the new missions, Rockstar introduces a special currency called Capitale, which you can earn from completing some of the new jobs. You can also find it hidden in stashes and loot if off of enemies you kill. Once you’ve earned up enough Capitale, you can take part in the new update’s real bread-and-butter missions, Opportunities. These jobs act similarly to those players have already seen from the Bounty Hunter job and include robbing a train. They do take a bit longer to complete and have a few more moving parts than most of the regular missions, but it’s a nice way to break up the grind when you’ve earned enough Capitale to afford it.
Falling Short
While it all works well, overall, Blood Money has a couple of problems that stand out. First, the lack of any real progression system like the other jobs makes it feel a bit hollow after a while. Sure, you can keep grinding the Blood Money jobs and the new Free Roam missions, but that’s only going to satiate players for so long. Grinding for Capitale can also be frustrating, especially after a few hours of playing. There doesn’t appear to be any guarantee that the regular jobs will net you Capitale, and you can’t take part in the more lucrative, story-based missions without earning it. Unfortunately, the new jobs get stale quickly, as there are only a few of them available before they start to repeat. This problem has long plagued the content updates for Red Dead Online, and one that players shouldn’t expect to be fixed with Blood Money. Rockstar does grant you some Capitale if you pick up one of the recent content passes, but that comes at the cost of 25 Gold Bars ($10 USD), which is a premium currency you need to spend real money on. You earn the bars back by completing the pass, but not everyone who plays enjoys the progression from these battle passes. Sadly, without that extra Capitale, getting into the first opportunity can take a few hours of playing, maybe more, depending on your luck. Despite those shortcomings and the lack of any progression unlocks, Blood Money feels like Rockstar has taken a step in the right direction. Releasing the content freely is a good move, especially after some of the feedback from the community with past releases—all of which have cost Gold Bars to start up. However, it does feel like there could have been more to Blood Money, and perhaps Rockstar will add more as time goes on. For the moment, though, I’m content to log in, posse up with some friends, and live out my outlaw life in the hills of New Hanover.
