Comparing Horizon Forbidden West and Red Dead Redemption 2's Open-World Design

Horizon Forbidden West and Red Dead Redemption 2 are both stellar games, and their approaches to the open-world format are markedly different.

[Jin_Sakai]

Both games have amazing graphics but one is actually fun to play.

[MajorLazer]

Wow, over 40 million people bought a game that isn't fun. 97 meta rating, universally praised as one of the most detailed and realistic games ever with detail no other game has ever matched. This site has a proper hard on for hating on RDR2.

[lucian229]

I got bored of the game in three hours. It's soooooooo slow and boring. Needlessly so.

[tay8701]

red dead redemption is one of my all time favorite games, red dead 2 was a massive disapointment for me though. i too got very bored with it very quickly.

[Jin_Sakai]

“I got bored of the game in three hours. It's soooooooo slow and boring. Needlessly so.”

Same. It’s an amazing looking game but It got boring fast and it controls like a sloth.

[Elda]

40 million may have bought RDR2 but that doesn't mean all 40 million enjoyed it. I bought it & thought it was a bore-fest.

[outsider1624]

What hate? I was hyped like anything for Rdr2. Got it on day 1. Yes the game is freaking immersive and one of the if not the most detailed game I've ever seen.

But boy...Jin Sakai is right, it does get boring and so unfun to play. After i finished the campaign, i haven't touched it again.

[KyRo]

It sold 40 million because it's a Rockstar game. A quick Google search will show you a lot of people found RDR2 Boring. The first game was enjoyable but the pacing of the second made it boring.

[EnricoPallazzo]

I must concur with the prevailing opinion. Honestly, including a fast travel option other than the mostly useless one they gave would have helped a lot. I got tired of retreading the same ground just to get to a mission start

[Bathyj]

40 million bought it and I bet you about a million finished it. Game was a snooze fest and I'm a big western fan. First game was way more fun.

[MajorLazer]

44% completed the main game and 40% completed the epilogue according to the trophy list so try again. Shocking how so many people completed a game that's supposedly boring and long.

[ScootaKuH]

That's all fine and that, but that doesn't mean that Jin has to find it fun just because it sold a lot and got great reviews.

Does the fact that The Last of Us got rave reviews mean I'm wrong because I didn't like it? Have you never liked a game that reviewed and sold well?

[Wrex369]

That and almost everyone here can't see two words that is talking critically about their preferred platform or game without knee jerking into a rant.

[Lexreborn2]

Honestly, I didn’t like the game at all. Tried it on Gamepass and was not impressed.

[NecrumOddBoy]

I bought RDR2 day one and got bored of it too. But it just wasn’t the time to play it. I picked it back up last year and played it on PS5. What a masterpiece of game design, storytelling, and world design. 97 Meta doesn’t mean it’s for everyone and for me, it wasn’t at the time but I am glad I restarted it. It’s a great game but truly does take committed time to experience.

[anast]

Nice opinion. The thing about opinions is that they can still be bad opinions.

[Ezio2048]

It is an honor for Horizon that its world is being compared to RDR2.

[Gardenia]

Better to compare Horizon Forbidden West with Horizon Zero Dawn. There is so much more variety in the world of HFW, the people, nature, weather, enemies, towns. It's all a step up from HZD.

[gammaray13]

Forbidden West leaves RDR2 for dead and its not boring

[Sciurus_vulgaris]

RDR 2’s world is more dynamic than the one present in Horizon Forbidden West. NPC behaviour and interactions in RDR 2 are more dynamic too. But you have to keep in mind the worlds of the two games are designed for differing levels of interactions.

[WGAF]

I think it is better to compare HFW to more AC like games or Farcry, particularly Farcry Primal to be exact. These games do have more focus on combat and such (which can be quite fun) and looks insanely beautiful.

Nevertheless, interm of insane details, how grounded/interactive the world are (has actual physicality that enable ones to really play around with it surrounding), and surprising randomness elements of encounters as you explore, it cant be compare to games like RDR2, Skyrim, or BOW, not by a long shot.

Games that really put emphasis on pure exploration, surprising random encounters, or provide trully interactive environment (a true sandbox), are quite rare. Most open world games just looks pretty, but you just cant interact with it by any means. Perhaps, that weren't their focus anyway, so cant really compare them in that case.

[mkis007]

Skyrim rdr2 and BOW sacrice in other areas though to get there.

[Elda]

To me no comparison. The Horizon games are fun to me RDR2 was very boring.

[Aussiesummer]

The world of rdr2 was astonishing, it truly captures the feeling of living in that era and being an outlaw. The situations and interactions you could observe and be a part of were amazing, it really did feel the closest to a living breathing world that any game has so far. Controls were a bit frustrating at first but over all a stellar achievement. Definitely not for those with a short attention span.

[pietro1212]

I love both games especially RDR2, but man RDR2 had some wonky controls. That being said I love the world of RDR2 it was more believable, more a live. Horizon does a good job at feeling familiar, but that isn’t always a good thing for open world games.

[Sol4ris]

It simply incomparable, Rockstar's magnum opus is in a league of its own and likely no game will best it in the genre until RDR3.

[MADGameR]

Horizon 2 Forbidden West is graphically superior no comp. Anyone who disagree is a Rockstar fanboy

[Sol4ris]

"Horizon 2 Forbidden West is graphically superior no comp. Anyone who disagree is a Rockstar fanboy"

The irony in your post will not be lost on anybody, friend 🤣🤣

[pietro1212]

Oh the irony. Lol

[iplay1up2]

Red Dead 2 feels like everything is a chore. Stunning world, but needs a 60fps patch for the PS5 and Series X. The OG Red Dead got a 4K update for X1X, and was fantastic. Not sure if the Pro also got that patch.

[Popsicle]

RD2 received a 4K patch for the X1X also. A Series X and/PS5 60 fps patch would be great, but I highly doubt it will ever happen.

[Ashunderfire86]

Horizon characters are the most realistic looking characters I have ever seen, in an open world game! But Red Dead 2 characters are far more dynamic with more routine schedules throughout the day. Horizon Forbidden West like Zero Dawn’s characters mostly stay at one place during the day and night.

The combat in Horizon is more fun facing the machines and even some improvements in the human enemies. But Red Dead 2 still holds up with its awesome Western combat and great storyline. Both games in this area the storyline is awesome! I like the lore of Horizon too.

I say wait until BioWare’s Mass Effect 5 game that will revolutionize the open world genre! With the most detail characters ever created!

[Binarycode]

I wanted to love RDR2 but Just could not.

I tried it on PS, Then tried again on PC some time later. It's the pacing and the feel that killed it for me.

I love westerns, thought the graphics were awesome but it just never pulled me in.

I'm playing Elden Ring atm and it's hard in places, but it's fun to explore and the feel and pace of the game just works. Even though alot of it you have to figure out as you play.

Horizon Zero dawn I enjoyed once I got used to the character Personally I don't like her voice at all, just annoying. But loved the graphics, story was ok, but the machines were centre stage.

[Christopher]

You don't need to love RDR2 to respect what they did with making the world feel dynamic and alive. I'm not a fan of the gameplay, but it's got the best world for immersion through NPCs and activities IMHO.

[DankSinatra]

Regardless of who believes what. The fact that people are even comparing a brand new game to red dead 2 says a lot about said game.

Hell it still holds up in terms of detail:
https://youtu.be/8dZY6xgpp4...

[mastershredder]

One is a gritty-mature game. The other is Disney-esque goody-goody as F. It comes out it the world design too. I prefer grit in my mature. Horizon's design feels like theme park attractions focused more on wow-spectacular factor than actual practical/natural erosion, shift, wear and tear. Oh yeah, and then there is the fact that the most areas in Horizon are obviously flat-out designed around encapsulating the NPC/ large /small ...you know, totally natural.

[Christopher]

"Goody-goody as F" equates to murder, betrayal, tons of killing, end of the world, etc. It's definitely not as gritty as RDR2, but to call it goody-goody seems unaware of the story being told.

You do know that the NPCs in RDR2 are designed to appear in specific locations as well, right? RDR2 is a more dynamic world as far as what will happen, but that dynamic element doesn't throw people where they aren't intended to be by design as well. Same with animals by region, towns, farms, etc. Go after a gang in the story, that gang is going to show up at the same place every time when you go to take them out.

[z2g]

personally, i feel like RDR 2 does a better job of world design. it feels near endless in scope and things you can interact with/explore. I think Rockstar are masters of this. Even GTA V has one of the most fully realized, interactive worlds out there and how old is that game now?? i mean - not only can you take a shower in your home(s) but theres a mini game to sing in the shower. the level of detail in their games is nuts.