Red Dead Redemption 2 continues Rockstar's exploration of the Old West, as the Van der Linde gang survives the harsh frontier with their outlaw ways. One of the main ways that Red Dead Redemption 2 drives home the danger of this period in American history is through the rival O'Driscoll Boys.
The O'Driscolls are led by their namesake, Colm O'Driscoll, and they serve as the antithesis of everything the Van der Linde gang stands for. Where the Van der Linde gang is a small, tight-knit group of well-seasoned outlaws, the O'Driscolls have low standards and a general lack of moral compass. This makes them a strong adversary against Dutch Van der Linde and his men. The Van der Linde gang may be outlaws, but they boast a lot of character and loyalty. However, there is one gang that is arguably far worse than the O'Driscolls: the Lemoyne Raiders.
8 Mistakes Everyone Makes On Their First Playthrough Of Red Dead Redemption 2
There are some common mistakes that every player makes in their first time in Red Dead Redemption 2, and these tips might help ease players into 1899.
The Lemoyne Raiders are the True Bad Seeds of Red Dead Redemption 2
A Group With Practically No Redeeming Quality
- The Lemoyne Raiders are made up of ex-Confederate soldiers and violent men lacking direction in life.
- Lindsey Wofford leads the gang.
The combination of Confederate veterans and purposeless men who have been swallowed up by anger makes the Lemoyne Raiders a truly horrifying group of people to encounter in Red Dead Redemption 2. This militia quickly gained a reputation for being racist, violent, and strongly against the government, as the group was fueled by a desire to take vengeance against the Northern states.
Even more terrifying, Lemoyne Raiders will ambush players, making predicting them incredibly difficult. Going head-to-head with any gang in the Wild West is a challenging task, but going up against violence-hungry militia members with a lack of any morality is definitely stiff competition against the O'Driscolls. The O'Driscolls may stand against what the Van der Linde gang stands for, but the Lemoyne Raiders essentially stand against human decency in general.
Red Dead Redemption 2 can be unforgiving, and the Lemoyne Raiders are a strong example of just how violent and debaucherous the landscape of this time is. The legacy of the Van der Linde gang makes them feel like folk heroes by the end of the story, but the Lemoyne Raiders are straight out of a nightmare.
The Lemoyne Raiders are also extremely territorial and are known to terrorize law-abiding citizens they disagree with.
The Gangs of Red Dead Redemption 2
- Van der Linde Gang
- Lemoyne Raiders
- O'Driscoll Boys
- Laramie Gang
- Del Lobo Gang
- Murfree Brood
- Skinner Brothers
Red Dead Redemption 2 Brings Out the Harshness of the Wild West
Since this period of time feels so far removed now, it's easy to forget that the classic image of the American cowboy came from an incredibly harsh and unforgiving environment. If it wasn't the gangs that killed someone, it could simply have been the weather or an attack from an animal, and Red Dead Redemption 2 excels at showing the harsh reality of the era. A lot of life in the Old West seemed more luck-driven than anything, and running into the likes of a group like the Lemoyne Raiders was indeed a very unlucky day.
The Van der Linde gang may be outlaws, but they boast a lot of character and loyalty.
The future of the Red Dead Redemption franchise is a big mystery at the moment. Once Rockstar launches GTA 6, there will hopefully be word on the next Red Dead Redemption chapter, but only time will tell. If a third chapter is ever brought to life, there are bound to be even more gangs waiting on the horizon for which players will need to be on the lookout. Until then, there is only room for speculation, but it's terrifying to think of groups that are more dangerous than the gangs of Red Dead Redemption 2.
Red Dead Redemption 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 95 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
- Released
- October 26, 2018
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Engine
- RAGE
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- N/A
