Eight years after its console launch, Red Dead Redemption 2 still splits the room. Polygon ran a Spicy Takes piece calling it a terrible game, and the comments filled up in both directions within hours. Some players love the deliberate pacing and cinematic set pieces. Others bounce off the slow controls, the horse maintenance, and the mission-fail-on-detour design. If either camp is you, and you want an open-world PC game that either gives you the RDR2 feeling without the friction, or gives you the friction with a different setting, the seven Red Dead Redemption 2 alternatives below cover the ground.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Free plan | Price | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 | Slow-paced RDR2 fans who want medieval realism | No | AAA price | Real historical Bohemia |
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | Story-first open world with meaningful side quests | No | Modest AAA price | 200-hour campaign |
| Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut | RDR2 pacing with samurai combat | No | AAA price | Cinematic photo mode |
| Assassin’s Creed Shadows | Modern AC formula in feudal Japan | No | AAA price | Two-protagonist stealth |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | RDR2-scale cinematic story in Night City | Demo | Modest AAA price | Choice-heavy branching |
| Grand Theft Auto V | Rockstar sandbox with jokes and chaos | No | Modest one-time price | Three-protagonist story |
| Hunt: Showdown 1896 | RDR2 setting turned into PvP horror | No | Modest indie price | Bayou weapons and bounties |
Why some players walk away from RDR2
The controls fight you. Reddit’s r/reddeadredemption2 has years of threads on the sticky context menu, the multi-tap loot animation, and the mission-fail-on-detour design. Some players adore the intent. Others burn out.
Horse and camp management can feel like chores. The camp economy rewards attention that many players would rather spend elsewhere. Newcomers often ignore it and miss story beats.
Mission structure is rigid. RDR2 penalizes creative approaches to missions. If your instinct is to play sandbox-style, the game corrects you.
The alternatives
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, best slow-paced medieval realism
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is the RDR2 for medieval-history nerds. Real 15th-century Bohemia, a first-person combat system that models timing and stamina, and a narrative loop that rewards patience over speed. Warhorse tuned the sequel’s pacing and combat after community feedback on the first game, and it lands.
Where it falls short: No horse camaraderie in the way RDR2 has. Combat has a learning curve. First-person perspective is not everyone’s preference.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: AAA price on Steam, GOG, and Epic
- vs RDR2: Similar price, similar depth of world
Migrating from RDR2: No importer. If you loved the slow rides through nature in RDR2, KCD2’s countryside sections are the closest match.
Bottom line: Pick KCD2 if the deliberate pacing of RDR2 is what you loved, not the western.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, best story-first open world
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has hit the “back in the spotlight” news cycle regularly since its 2015 release, and the reason is that its 200-hour campaign still holds up. Side quests are as well-written as the main story, the choice consequences ripple across acts, and the Complete Edition ships everything for a modest price.
Where it falls short: Combat is stiff by 2026 standards. Some pacing issues in the middle act. No horse depth like RDR2’s Rachel.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: Modest AAA price on Steam and GOG, often heavily discounted
- vs RDR2: Lower price when on sale, longer main story
Migrating from RDR2: No importer. Reading The Last Wish adds context but is not required.
Bottom line: Pick The Witcher 3 if the side quests were the highlight of RDR2 for you.
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, best cinematic samurai open world
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut brings Sucker Punch’s samurai open world to PC. The pacing is close to RDR2, the horse traversal is fluid without the maintenance overhead, and the combat replaces RDR2’s gunplay with stance-based sword duels that click within the first hour.
Where it falls short: Shorter than RDR2. Combat repetition in the late game. Some players miss the deliberate friction RDR2 forced.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: AAA price on Steam and Epic
- vs RDR2: Similar price, faster pacing
Migrating from RDR2: No importer. Photo mode alone rewards the switch.
Bottom line: Pick Ghost of Tsushima if you want the cinematic pace of RDR2 without the horse chores.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows, best modern AC in feudal Japan
Assassin’s Creed Shadows puts you in feudal Japan with two protagonists, a shinobi and a samurai, and lets you swap between them mid-mission. The stealth is the strongest in the series in years, the seasonal world changes are a rare open-world feature, and the story runs long enough to satisfy RDR2 fans used to a 60-hour campaign.
Where it falls short: Ubisoft’s typical open-world checklist creeps in. Some players feel the two protagonists are unevenly written.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: AAA price on Steam and Ubisoft Connect
- vs RDR2: Similar price, deep stealth system
Migrating from RDR2: No importer. Ubisoft Connect account required.
Download: Steam · Ubisoft Connect
Bottom line: Pick AC Shadows if you liked the stealth camp raids in RDR2 and want that as the primary loop.
Cyberpunk 2077, best cinematic story at RDR2 scale
Cyberpunk 2077 finally lives up to its promise after five years of updates and the Phantom Liberty expansion. The choice system is deeper than RDR2’s, the branching story hits multiple endings, and Night City rewards exploration in a way that recalls Saint Denis at its best.
Where it falls short: Still occasional bugs, though far fewer than launch. High system requirements for max ray tracing. Some pacing dips in the middle act.
Pricing:
- Free: Demo on Steam
- Paid: Modest AAA price on Steam, GOG, and Epic
- vs RDR2: Similar price, includes Phantom Liberty
Migrating from RDR2: No importer. Consider Phantom Liberty as an extended second act.
Bottom line: Pick Cyberpunk if you want RDR2-scale storytelling in a sci-fi city.
Grand Theft Auto V, best Rockstar sandbox with humor
Grand Theft Auto V shares the Rockstar DNA with RDR2 but leans into comedy and chaos. Three protagonists, Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, let you swap between three different playstyles inside one story. GTA Online continues to receive updates and is where much of the community lives.
Where it falls short: Story is a decade old and shows in some ways. Online can feel hostile for solo players. Cars replace horses, which is a genre shift.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: Modest one-time price on Steam, Epic, and Rockstar Launcher
- vs RDR2: Lower price after years of discounts
Migrating from RDR2: Same Rockstar controls, same cinematic mission design. Muscle memory transfers.
Download: Steam · Epic · Rockstar
Bottom line: Pick GTA V if you want the Rockstar feel with more humor and less deliberate pacing.
Hunt: Showdown 1896, best RDR2-setting PvP
Hunt: Showdown 1896 takes the American 1890s and turns it into a competitive extraction PvP game. Weapons, sound design, and bayou atmosphere all echo RDR2, but the loop is bounty hunting other players and monsters, not narrative missions.
Where it falls short: PvP focus is not for everyone. Steep learning curve. Free-to-play patches its economy every quarter.
Pricing:
- Free: None currently
- Paid: Modest indie price on Steam
- vs RDR2: Lower price, PvP replaces story
Migrating from RDR2: No importer. Weapons handle differently to reward precision.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Hunt: Showdown if the western setting mattered more than the story.
How to choose
- Pick Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 if the deliberate pace was the appeal.
- Pick The Witcher 3 if the writing quality mattered most.
- Pick Ghost of Tsushima if you want cinematic pacing without horse chores.
- Pick AC Shadows if stealth was the highlight of the RDR2 camp raids.
- Pick Cyberpunk 2077 if you want RDR2-scale storytelling in a very different setting.
- Pick GTA V if you want the Rockstar feel with more comedy.
- Pick Hunt: Showdown 1896 if the western setting was the appeal and PvP is your thing.
FAQ
Is Red Dead Redemption 2 still worth playing in 2026? Yes, if you have patience. The deliberate pacing is the point, not a flaw. If you want a snappier open world, one of the alternatives above is a better fit.
What is the best open-world game like Red Dead Redemption 2? Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 for the pacing, Ghost of Tsushima for the cinematics, The Witcher 3 for the writing. Any of the three lands as a strong step across.
Are any of these free? No, but Cyberpunk 2077 has a free demo on Steam, and GTA V is regularly discounted heavily.
Which has the best story? The Witcher 3 for sheer length and consistency, Cyberpunk 2077 for player-choice branching, Ghost of Tsushima for cinematic pacing.
Are these on Steam Deck? Ghost of Tsushima, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Witcher 3 all run well. RDR2 is playable but heavy. Kingdom Come 2 needs tinkering.
