Play Red Dead Redemption 2 in Dad Mode
Red Dead Redemption 2 not for kids.
The expansive western video game Rockstar Games has been rated M for Violence, Torture, Profanity, and many other adult pleasures. Fortunately for parent gamers, the most unsettling, antisocial, and bloody chaos can be found either in the game’s missions or as a result of player choice. So, if you make the right choices, playing Red Dead 2 can be as rewarding as Roy Rogers’ western, and you can save the bloody gunfights and robbery train robberies after the little ones go to bed.
Below are some of the many things you can do in the game to make it kid-friendly but fun.
Avoid mission at any cost
It’s tempting to stop by the campsite to see what the Dutch and their gang have in store, but if you want to filter out disturbing content, don’t do it. Dutch and his footmen will almost certainly need your help in a “reliable” heist, but it will go horribly wrong and you will have to shoot outside, so if you don’t want your child to ask, “Daddy, why did you blow up? Besides police beheaded? Avoid at all missions.
Likewise, don’t stop to talk to strangers on the side of the road. These pop-up missions may seem like a chance to teach your child the importance of helping others, but sometimes people in need are road mates looking to rob and / or kill the Good Samaritans, so it’s best to drive by.
Play in a variety of mini-games
Red Dead Redemption 2’s minigames can be hours of fun for kids if you don’t have a problem with low-stakes gambling. Opportunities to play cards and dominoes are scattered throughout the map, so you and your child can cast a spell with the locals and earn some extra cash while you do it.
Texas Hold’em is a perennial classic, and playing it can teach your kids the basics of poker, but the hooligans and city dudes that populate the Red Dead 2 card tables sometimes tell salty stories, so maybe turn down the volume as you play.
Blackjack is fun too, and teaches your child to add to 21. You can even use it to teach the basics of card counting so that your child has career choices later in life.
There are three types of dominoes in Red Dead 2 : All Fives, All Threes, and Draw. It’s a simple enough game that even the little ones will love, and although the domino stakes are low, every little money will help when the younger goes to bed and you visit the gun shop.
Avoid the Five Finger Fillet mini-game at all costs. You shouldn’t encourage your child to put his hand on the table, grab a knife and see how quickly he can poke the space between his fingers. Mimicking this in real life will lead, at best, to a ruined coffee table, and at worst, to an ambulance.
Let’s go hunting
If you’re willing to expose your child to the primal brutality of hunting and skinning, you can spend hours tracking and bagging all kinds of animals, from lousy little varmints like muskrats and rabbits to legendary beasts that give you unique opportunities. in-game items (if they do not kill you first).
Hunting in Red Dead 2 is more than just “find the animal, aim, pull the trigger.” You must hunt down your prey, use the right weapon to kill it without damaging its valuable hides, and use scented bait and stealth to sneak up on it. If you can come to terms with realistic animal skinning, you and your child can have hours of fun enjoying the fake nature as you chase and kill God’s majestic creatures.
If you are an animal rights advocate, you can simply study and photograph the wild animals of Red Dead 2 without killing them by adding their characteristics and descriptions to the game’s wildlife collection. But be careful, predatory animals will attack, so you may have to shoot one or two bears to save your skin.
Or try fishing
Like everything else in Red Dead 2’s open world, the fishing system is complex and varied, but it can be largely ignored if you want to. But do not ignore it. It is insanely fun and relaxing trying to catch a huge amount of fish swimming in the rivers, lakes, streams and oceans of the game.
Most of the “rules” of real fishing apply here, so you’ll need the right bait to catch the fish you want, and you’ll catch more at dusk than at noon.
Once you’ve mastered the basics of hook and reel fishing, you can try your luck at catching the legendary fish and learn something interesting at your local lure store. You even have the option to toss the fish back into the water if you’re a nimble barn.
Collection of daisies on the prairie
There are many different beneficial plants scattered throughout the Wild West, so if your child is an aspiring botanist, you can pick flowers all day and then sit by the fire and create medicated tinctures, ointments and ointments that you can sell, use, or feed your horse. You can dive into cowboy cuisine and improve your caught meat and fish with the spices of your choice. Finding rare plants can give you hours of pleasure as you have to explore the game’s detailed, immersive environment and ride or climb into remote areas to find the most exotic herbs and spices.
Horses, Horses, Horses
The only people who love horses more than cowboys are little girls, so if you have a horse-obsessed youth, Red Dead 2 brings you hours of horse-focused entertainment to tie together.
You can tame, steal, or buy a ton of breeds, from the gentle Tennessee Walkers to the majestic wild Arabs. Once you’ve contacted your animal, you can name it Buttercup or Killing Machine, feed and care for it, and even buy new fancy saddles and gear to keep them looking stylish.
The real joy of horses, of course, is to ride them, and the game’s challenge system provides many horse-related challenges, but beware: some challenges include dragging people after your horse or trampling on small animals.
High fashion in the high plains
The unusual style isn’t just for horses. If you and your child want to play dress-up, Red Dead 2’s criminal anti-hero could be a fashion icon. You can dress Arthur any way you want – from a beggar, dirty farmer in rags to a rococo fashionista swinging a paisley vest and top hat. You can change your clothes every morning at camp or in your hotel room. You can buy clothes and accessories at any department store, and in a big city you can visit a tailor or hairdresser for a more sophisticated look.
The main character’s hair and beard grows throughout the game, so you can give him a cool mustache on the steering wheel, keep yourself clean by shaving every day, or combine a combed back with a huge beard, like the hipster Echo Park. You can even buy a hair toner at a general store to help your hair grow faster.
Enjoy Old West-style theater
There are tons of magic lantern shows you can enjoy in the small towns of Red Dead 2 for a low price, and once you get to the big city of Saint Denis, you can catch a real burlesque show that doesn’t get any more assertive than cancan dancers from Bet.
I probably wouldn’t watch these animated shows if I played alone, but I checked them out with my child and I’m glad I did. It’s a fun little detail that brings the world of Red Dead 2 to life.
Become the friendliest criminal in the West
I found it fun to just say “Hello!” everyone who plays Red Dead 2 with my 5 year old niece. Imitating her sociability, we went with her to the big city and just greeted everyone we saw.
You don’t get any in-game reward for being good neighbors, but it’s fun to watch the gray-haired barn scamper through the streets like a caffeinated kid taking off his cap and yelling, “Hey ma’am!” and “Good morning!” every passerby. We didn’t meet any unfriendly people, but all my awards were paid and I was wearing my trendy clothes, so your experience may be different. You can even use this as an opportunity to appreciate some of the marks to be robbed after the child goes to bed.
If you’ve played Red Dead Redemption 2 with your child, please include the G-rated fun and in-game activities below.