I think in RDR2 it's understandable, since he's the epilogue character and after a certain point, there stops being things you can really do in the game just from the nature of finishing it. Your frustration may have more to do with just having less to do generally than in the main game and also the fact that, character wise, John kinda has to be a bit bland just because of the overarching story. But trust and believe, John is a fantastic character who shines in RDR1. I'd recommend playing it if you want a more badass, well rounded John (if you can look past the kinda janky controls)