I have spent more hours than I care to admit roaming the frontier in Red Dead Redemption 2, and even in 2026, it remains one of the most detailed open worlds Rockstar has ever built. The gunfights feel like something pulled straight from a classic Western, the random encounters are wonderfully strange, and the whole thing has a cinematic weight that few games can match. But if Red Dead Redemption 3 wants to outdo its predecessor, there are a few rough edges from RDR2 that should be smoothed over. I'm not asking for a complete overhaul. The shooting, the atmosphere, the writing? Keep all of that. I just want the sequel to expand three areas that always felt undercooked.

🎯 More Minigames, More Often

Let me start with minigames, because finding them in RDR2 sometimes feels like a treasure hunt. When I do stumble across a Five-Finger Fillet table or a random horse race challenge, I usually drop whatever I'm doing. The problem is those moments are too rare, and some activities are locked behind random encounters or specific missions.

Poker is easy enough to find in saloons and casinos, but Five-Finger Fillet only pops up in a handful of scattered spots. Duels are mostly story beats or chance meetings, and shooting contests barely exist outside one memorable NPC. For a game that's supposed to be a cowboy sandbox, that's a missed opportunity.

What I would love to see in RDR3 is a more reliable home for every activity:

• Poker and blackjack in every major saloon

• At least one Five-Finger Fillet table per big town

• A dedicated side quest or recurring NPC for horse races

• Regular shooting contests outside general stores or gunsmiths

This isn't about making the world feel smaller. It's about making the fun stuff easier to actually play. If I'm trying to complete 100% of the challenges, I shouldn't have to ride across three states hoping for a random encounter to trigger.

🗡️ Give Melee Combat a Real Purpose

Now, RDR2's combat is fantastic. Shooting enemies in the leg makes them stumble, a shot to the arm makes them drop their weapon, and every firefight has that tense, cinematic rhythm. But melee combat? I'll be honest, I mostly ignored it after my first playthrough.

The problem is simple: when most enemies are carrying rifles and revolvers, rushing in with a knife is usually a quick way to get shot. That's a shame because the melee weapons look incredible, and some of the Weapons Expert challenges force you to use them. RDR3 could fix this by giving unarmed and melee play a tactical niche.

A few ideas that could work:

• Let players move slightly faster while using a melee weapon

• Allow ambush takedowns from cover or behind enemies

• Add a disarm move when unarmed or holding a knife

None of these would turn the game into a brawler, but they would make melee feel like a legitimate option instead of a last resort. I still want to live out that revolver-toting gunslinger fantasy, but I would also like to appreciate the detailed knife models and brutal hand-to-hand animations Rockstar obviously put time into.

🚂 Train Heists Should Feel Worth the Risk

Train robberies should be the ultimate outlaw fantasy. But in RDR2, they often end with a massive bounty and a payout that doesn't cover the trouble. After a couple of attempts, I stopped bothering outside of missions, which is sad because the potential is right there.

For RDR3, I hope Rockstar treats train heists like dynamic events rather than scripted set pieces. Different train types would go a long way:

Train Type	Potential Reward	Risk Level
Passenger train	Wealthy travelers to rob	Medium
Cargo train	Random equipment or valuable loot	High
Armored train	Huge payout, heavy guards	Very high

There's also a smart way to handle the bounty problem. If I survive a shootout with the guards and the passengers are clearly intimidated, they could delay reporting the crime. That would give players a head start to escape before the law catches on. It's a small change, but it would make train robberies feel less like a punishment and more like a profitable outlaw move.

Final Thoughts

Red Dead Redemption 2 set a high bar, and in a lot of ways it's still one of the best games ever made. The sequel doesn't need to reinvent the wheel. It just needs to take the sandbox elements that already exist and make them more accessible, more useful, and more rewarding. More places to play, better reasons to fight up close, and train heists that actually pay off would go a long way toward making Red Dead Redemption 3 feel like a true improvement rather than just another beautiful sequel.

This is my wish list. If Rockstar delivers even two of these three, I'll be a very happy outlaw.