I know this is CRAZY regarding how much playtime I have but let me explain.
I played a fair bit of RDO back in 2021 (even more than is displayed here because I also own the full game on R*launcher and i have another 3k hours there). I joined an online community and had so much fun, even made some lasting friendships. That being said RDO is an absolute joke.
Modders and Griefers EVERYWHERE, and it's completely abandoned by R*, gamebreaking bugs have been around for years at this point, customer service takes ages to reply if you have a concern (which you will have). The game had so much potential but in 2025 it's not just bad, it is downright UNPLAYABLE. Seriously, the game is a wasteland yet you will get incinerated, teleported across the map, turned into a UFO and whatnot. There is no way to play in a private lobby the way you can in GTA.
GET THE FULL GAME and play the story, it should be a crime to only play online without playing the story anyways. This game is old AF and yet still one of the most realistic, immersive and visually stunning titles of all time. Including new releases. It somehow hasn't aged one bit and continues to wow me with it's gorgeous views and beautiful moments. It's the type of game that makes you feel like you are living in it.
Why do I have so many hours clocked in RDO if it sucks?
Because I play RedM - it's an online roleplaying community that requires you to launch some version of the game. You play on heavily player moderated servers that uses the game's map and assets, yet are their own game. If you love Red Dead I could not recommend this enough, you do have to follow some rules though. If you are looking for a good server to join I would go with Ranch or Gilded.