Red Dead Redemption 2: Unleashed Feels Like An Entirely New Game

4 hours ago 9

Published Feb 27, 2026, 1:00 PM EST

James is a gaming writer from London who has spent thousands of hours exploring titles from every genre. Though he has a particular affinity for multiplayer titles like World of Warcraft, Destiny 2 and League of Legends, he has also put thousands of hours into single-player experiences, from deep RPGs to epic PC strategies. When he's not playing or writing, he can usually be found supporting his beloved Brentford FC.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game that's all about living on the edge of the law, as Arthur Morgan treads the thin line between his own solid moral compass and the more nefarious inclinations of those he associates with the Van Der Linde gang.

The Wild West is a tough old place across the board, for that matter, where, for every person trying to make an honest living, you'll find two or more doing their best to score a quick buck, robbing unsuspecting travelers or extorting merchants.

Though lawmen are common, and the Pinkerton's very effective in taking them out once they find them, it's difficult to not think that the world would be a better place if Arthur decided to pursue criminals full-time. Well, in one version of the game, he has.

Red Dead Redemption 2 First Response: Unleashed Is By Fans, For Fans

Arthur Morgan and a female companion ride a horse in RDR2 Unleashed

Red Dead Redemption 2 First Response: Unleashed is a fan-made script mod that finally lets players patrol the Wild West as an out-and-out lawman, bringing bad people to justice along the way.

Developed by Ryo Hazaki, the mod is actually an extension of an older mod called Red Dead Redemption First Response, with the most notable change being that patrols can now take place anywhere on the map, rather than just in settlements.

The way the mod is set up essentially sees your character get called upon by the well-meaning citizens of the land to dispense justice, with what that looks like being highly dependent on the crime they've committed. Along the way, you'll need to conduct a full investigation before handing out the appropriate punishments to the perpetrators. You can even call for backup if things get out of hand.

Both the base version of the mod and the Unleashed edition add-on are available to download for free from the Red Dead Redemption 2 mods site, and it promises to be a transformative experience if you do.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Mods Keep The Game Alive

Given that the original game came out all the way back in 2018, the mod scene really has done a remarkable job of keeping the game alive and relevant in the long term.

Rockstar's attention is also going to be all in on GTA VI for a long time to come now as well, so who knows when we'll get to play around in a new Red Dead Redemption game. Which means we'll just have to keep creating new cowboy experiences for ourselves.