There is a special kind of magic in Red Dead Redemption 2 when two cowboys lock eyes across a dusty street. As a player, I have always been captivated by the slow-motion tension, the twitch of fingers, and the sudden bloom of gunfire. Duels are the purest expression of the Western fantasy—quick, deadly, and cinematic. Yet, after dozens of hours with Arthur Morgan, I was left wanting more. The game offers a handful of duels, but they dry up far too quickly. That is why I firmly believe Red Dead Redemption 3 needs to expand the role of dueling, not just by adding more standoffs, but by weaving the underlying mechanics into every corner of the open world.

When I first discovered the gunslinger side quest in RDR2, I felt a thrill I hadn’t experienced since the original Red Dead Redemption. Tracking down legendary outlaws like Black Belle or Billy Midnight and challenging them to a duel felt like stepping into a spaghetti western. But the joy was short-lived. Once those encounters were finished, the game’s dueling opportunities essentially vanished. A few story missions feature scripted duels, and random encounters occasionally offer one, but there is no way to initiate a duel on demand. For a game that prides itself on giving players a massive sandbox, this felt like a glaring omission.

The scarcity of duels in RDR2 is especially frustrating because dueling is one of the most iconic tropes of the Western genre. The image of two outlaws, lawmen, or strangers measuring each other up before drawing is instantly recognizable and emotionally charged. I can still picture the wind blowing dust between two figures as the camera zooms in on their hands. RDR2 does end with a climactic duel, but it never fully explores the idea. By the time the credits roll, I had run out of people to test my quick draw against, and that felt like a missed opportunity for a mechanic that could have been a defining feature.

Beyond the Classic Standoff

One of the most exciting possibilities for Red Dead Redemption 3 is taking the slow-motion, precision-aiming mechanics of a duel and using them in more creative ways. In RDR2, there’s a mission where Arthur shoots a gun out of the hand of Mary’s brother Jamie, disarming him without killing him. That moment proved the mechanic can serve dramatic, non-lethal purposes. Imagine using the same duel-like slowdown to tackle all sorts of environmental and narrative situations:

• Shooting a lock off a door during a heist

• Disabling a wagon or carriage wheel mid-chase

• Severing a rope to drop a heavy object on enemies

• Humiliating a rival by shooting their hat off

These moments would add puzzle-like depth while making the protagonist feel like an ace gunslinger. I love the idea of walking into a tense situation and knowing that a perfectly timed shot can change everything. Red Dead Redemption has always made me feel powerful, but giving the protagonist near-supernatural aim in these scripted moments would elevate that feeling without breaking realism entirely—after all, it’s already established as a game mechanic through Dead Eye.

Too Much of a Good Thing?

Although I clearly want more duels, I’m also aware that overusing them could backfire. A duel is special because of its scarcity and its dramatic weight. If every random bandit started challenging me to a showdown, I would quickly grow tired of the mechanic. Rockstar needs to find a careful balance. The main story should reserve duels for the protagonist’s most personal enemies—the final confrontation with a betrayer or a rival gunslinger should feel like a cinematic event. At the same time, the open world should offer optional duel challenges from NPCs, perhaps tied to a reputation or challenge system, so that I can always find a worthy opponent if I want to test my skills.

I remember the legendary gunslinger quest line in RDR2 and how thrilling each duel felt. Those moments worked because they were set up with backstory and personality. Red Dead Redemption 3 could expand on that by adding a procedural or radiant duel system—maybe traveling gunslingers appear in different towns, or you can provoke certain NPCs into a duel based on your honor level. That would keep duels fresh without forcing them into every mission. The key is moderation: use duels to punctuate major story beats and offer them as optional side content, not as a default conflict resolution.

Ultimately, dueling is one of the most underused treasures in Red Dead Redemption 2. It is a mechanic that perfectly captures the romance and danger of the Old West, yet it is treated almost as an afterthought. I want Red Dead Redemption 3 to build on that foundation—to give me more standoffs, more creative uses for the slow-motion aiming, and more reasons to feel like a legendary gunslinger. If Rockstar can strike the right balance, the next game will not just match RDR2’s ambition; it will surpass it, one bullet at a time. 🤠