This game... man. I don't quite know how to express this in words, but throughout the game you obviously interact with the world through John, but I don't think any other game has made you feel like you're not actually the main character as well as Red Dead (this is a good thing). It's quite intentional too, after all, it's how this game tells it's story. The game's intro has no words, but John and these two men behind him know exactly what's going on, but the game leaves the player in the dark--which is key. This happens throughout the entirety of the game. The player gets left in the dark. But if this happens throughout the whole game, how do you know the story? Simple: John. John reveals bits and pieces of his past to people (and the player) which we use to piece together who John is (and consequently the story). He is a simple man; he just wants his family, and he'll do anything to get to them. He plays both sides in the Mexican Revolution just so he can hunt his former gang (which he doesn't even want to do). We learn he has a past, we learn he has a family, and we learn he's willing to do anything to leave his past behind. The game is ultimately about John's redemption, but it's also about how you can't hide from your past. "People don't forget. Nothing gets forgiven."