Red Dead Redemption 2 is the game I've had on my backlog for the longest amount of time and now that I've finished it not only am I relieved that it no longer holds that title, but I'm ashamed that it took me so long to play this absolute masterpiece of a game. From the moment I started the game exactly a week ago (yes, I played a 60-hour game in just a week) to when I saw the credits roll, I was hooked on this game and pulled into its world through its fantastic story, gameplay, setting, and most of all its characters.
A big part of what makes Red Dead Redemption 2 so great is its well-defined setting. First off, the game is incredible to look at and has some of the most detailed and realistic graphics in any modern game I've seen. Secondly the open world is far more diversified and interesting environmentally than it has any right being. Despite being a western story, the game does not limit itself to the basic homogenized setting of such stories (i.e. open prairies and vast deserts) and instead opts to be more unique with its areas and the reasons that the characters would find themselves in such areas. There are of course a few basic western setting areas but there's also a small southern town, a New Orleans like city and Bayou, a harsh mountain region, and a lush wooded area all of which, despite the proximity between them on the map seeming very small, feel separate in tone and environment and allows for an open world that feels natural and realistic. And finally, perhaps the most important strength of the world is just how much there is to do in it. Around every corner in RDR2 there are random encounters with rival gangs, strangers that need help, and side quests with writing that's just as good as the main storyline and it all makes for a world that's immensely enjoyable and rewarding to explore and one that truly feels alive.
It isn't just the setting that makes Red Dead 2 great though, the gameplay is also phenomenal. RDR2 allows the player to live out the fantasy of being a lawless outlaw in the wild west and every part of it is just great. Though there is plenty of variety in the gameplay here, I'd say the main gameplay loop that the story consists of are the shootouts and the horse riding. The shootout sections in RDR2 are incredibly simple and yet because of this manage to be extremely satisfying and enjoyable. These sections usually consist of you and your squad of men taking on a large number of enemies, but the lack of automatic weapons that can plow through these enemies keeps things engaging, relying much more on taking deliberate shots to your opponent’s weak points like their head or heart and knowing when to take cover and heal. There's also the incredibly useful dead-eye mechanic in these fights that shows up as a meter and allows you to slow time for a few brief moments to take aim at enemy weak points directly for an instant kill. Add onto that slow motion effects whenever you get a really impressive shot on an enemy's weak point and a decent amount of weapon variety and you get some of the most satisfying and fun third person shooter mechanics in a game that I've played. The other main aspect of the gameplay is the riding/driving sections which provide a really nice break in the non-stop action of the rest of game. Though it seems like it should be an incredibly forgettable part of the game, hopping on your horse and just riding is where a lot of memorable moments of the game come from. The gameplay here is simple, simply tap the accelerate button to gallop continuously, or hold it down to slow down all the while keeping your horse's stamina and health up, but it's not so much the gameplay of it that's enjoyable here, more so the range of different atmospheres that this simple action can convey. Since riding is your way of getting to and from anywhere on the map the game has to do it's best to make it interesting and thankfully it does for the most part. Whether you're riding with the whole gang to perform a task, riding alongside another character and getting to understand them more, or riding alone and reflecting upon the weight of the story or your actions, these sections exceed by providing versatile gameplay and cinematic moments. Apart from this there are of course other things to do in the game, you can play games like poker, drive wagons or trains, do side quests, rob people, help strangers out, and just explore the world as a whole all of which have their own levels of nuance and fun to them. The game also has an honor system that adds meaning to your actions, playing like a true outlaw and robbing and killing anyone you please will catch up to you and make you look less favorable to townsfolk and local law officers, playing honorably and using discretion when you rob or kill leads to favor in this system and allows cheaper prices at shops and less bounty hunters and law officers to be actively hunting you. This system also has effects on the story and, based on side quests you do can do, can lead to entirely different character interactions and scenes in the story, adding even more weight to your actions and making how you play the game something you feel personally responsible for.
“By 1899, the age of outlaws and gunslingers was at an end, America was becoming a land of laws… Even the west had mostly been tamed. A few gangs still roamed but they were being hunted down and destroyed”. In a few short but effective lines at the very opening screens of the game Red Dead Redemption 2 lays out exactly what kind of story it aims to tell and as it plays out you see exactly what it’s talking about. Red Dead 2 is the story of the Van der Linde gang and it’s downfall, more specifically it’s about the people that make up this gang and how they interact, change, and cope with the events that transpire, but perhaps most importantly of all, it’s the story of Arthur Morgan and the of his unyielding loyalty. At the beginning of the game we see the gang on the run and in the worst shape they’ve ever been, having lost several members to a job gone wrong and desperate to get away to the point of fleeing into the mountains in the middle of a violent snowstorm. Though eventually they’re able to leave the mountains and set up camp somewhere else, this image of a desperate gang never really fades, as the gang try to succeed in making one big score so they can move back west and try to escape their oncoming downfall they only fall further, as a series of bad jobs pushes them further east away from the wild west and further into civilization that doesn’t tolerate them anymore. And yet despite these circumstances, RDR2 is not just a pure tragedy story, the sheer range of scenes and feelings is one of the best parts about the game. The sad moments are depressing, but there’s also happy moments of pure wholesomeness and joy, and insanely badass moments of pure triumph and action that makes my mouth water, and it’s this range that gives RDR2 some of the most satisfying storytelling in a video game. Even despite their circumstances though the Van der Linde gang is like a family to one another, comprised of all sorts of people of different backgrounds. The game does a really good job of fleshing all of these characters out and making you care for them; everyone has a role to play in the gang and the story and through interacting with them at camp and during missions just adds layers onto the complexity of their characters. One of the most important characters in this story is Dutch Van der Linde, the silver-tongued leader of the gang who has the responsibility of getting them out of the mess, but as every plan he makes fails them and only brings pushes them further east he starts changing for the worse, becoming more desperate, reckless, and deceptive towards those who stand in his way and inciting dissension within the gang. The most important character though is none other than Arthur Morgan, the protagonist of the game and the one who undergoes the most change by the end of it. Arthur has been in the gang since he was a boy and is loyal to a fault, he’s sort of the breadwinner of the gang and is the man to call to get the job done, but most importantly he’s honorable, loyal to a fault, and good at heart and helps those who can’t help themselves, he’s truly the example of a good man in a bad life and does everything he can to support the gang who he sees as family. As the story goes on he’s the one who the audience views the changing of the world and gang’s dynamic through, and as these things change so does Arthur turning from a loyal man who admires Dutch and does anything that needs to be done, to one unsure of the way things are going and receptive to the change the world is going through, aware that he’ll probably die in this life and wanting to see things set right before he does. I’ve avoided spoilers here for as long as I can but there are some aspects of this game that cannot be talked about without spoiling things, so if you want to read the rest of this section click this link (https://pastebin.com/86sUXJSA). All of these things add up to make one of, if not the best story I’ve ever played through in a video game and one that needs to be experienced to be believed.
The experience I have had with this game over the last week has been a fantastic one and I’m sad to see it end, but I’m happy that I finally had it. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a triumph in every aspect, from it’s fantastic setting, satisfying and hooking gameplay, and its truly unforgettable story, I have truly never played a game quite this perfect and I’m proud to call it not just one of my favorite games ever made, but also one of if not the best I’ve ever played.
A big part of what makes Red Dead Redemption 2 so great is its well-defined setting. First off, the game is incredible to look at and has some of the most detailed and realistic graphics in any modern game I've seen. Secondly the open world is far more diversified and interesting environmentally than it has any right being. Despite being a western story, the game does not limit itself to the basic homogenized setting of such stories (i.e. open prairies and vast deserts) and instead opts to be more unique with its areas and the reasons that the characters would find themselves in such areas. There are of course a few basic western setting areas but there's also a small southern town, a New Orleans like city and Bayou, a harsh mountain region, and a lush wooded area all of which, despite the proximity between them on the map seeming very small, feel separate in tone and environment and allows for an open world that feels natural and realistic. And finally, perhaps the most important strength of the world is just how much there is to do in it. Around every corner in RDR2 there are random encounters with rival gangs, strangers that need help, and side quests with writing that's just as good as the main storyline and it all makes for a world that's immensely enjoyable and rewarding to explore and one that truly feels alive.
It isn't just the setting that makes Red Dead 2 great though, the gameplay is also phenomenal. RDR2 allows the player to live out the fantasy of being a lawless outlaw in the wild west and every part of it is just great. Though there is plenty of variety in the gameplay here, I'd say the main gameplay loop that the story consists of are the shootouts and the horse riding. The shootout sections in RDR2 are incredibly simple and yet because of this manage to be extremely satisfying and enjoyable. These sections usually consist of you and your squad of men taking on a large number of enemies, but the lack of automatic weapons that can plow through these enemies keeps things engaging, relying much more on taking deliberate shots to your opponent’s weak points like their head or heart and knowing when to take cover and heal. There's also the incredibly useful dead-eye mechanic in these fights that shows up as a meter and allows you to slow time for a few brief moments to take aim at enemy weak points directly for an instant kill. Add onto that slow motion effects whenever you get a really impressive shot on an enemy's weak point and a decent amount of weapon variety and you get some of the most satisfying and fun third person shooter mechanics in a game that I've played. The other main aspect of the gameplay is the riding/driving sections which provide a really nice break in the non-stop action of the rest of game. Though it seems like it should be an incredibly forgettable part of the game, hopping on your horse and just riding is where a lot of memorable moments of the game come from. The gameplay here is simple, simply tap the accelerate button to gallop continuously, or hold it down to slow down all the while keeping your horse's stamina and health up, but it's not so much the gameplay of it that's enjoyable here, more so the range of different atmospheres that this simple action can convey. Since riding is your way of getting to and from anywhere on the map the game has to do it's best to make it interesting and thankfully it does for the most part. Whether you're riding with the whole gang to perform a task, riding alongside another character and getting to understand them more, or riding alone and reflecting upon the weight of the story or your actions, these sections exceed by providing versatile gameplay and cinematic moments. Apart from this there are of course other things to do in the game, you can play games like poker, drive wagons or trains, do side quests, rob people, help strangers out, and just explore the world as a whole all of which have their own levels of nuance and fun to them. The game also has an honor system that adds meaning to your actions, playing like a true outlaw and robbing and killing anyone you please will catch up to you and make you look less favorable to townsfolk and local law officers, playing honorably and using discretion when you rob or kill leads to favor in this system and allows cheaper prices at shops and less bounty hunters and law officers to be actively hunting you. This system also has effects on the story and, based on side quests you do can do, can lead to entirely different character interactions and scenes in the story, adding even more weight to your actions and making how you play the game something you feel personally responsible for.
“By 1899, the age of outlaws and gunslingers was at an end, America was becoming a land of laws… Even the west had mostly been tamed. A few gangs still roamed but they were being hunted down and destroyed”. In a few short but effective lines at the very opening screens of the game Red Dead Redemption 2 lays out exactly what kind of story it aims to tell and as it plays out you see exactly what it’s talking about. Red Dead 2 is the story of the Van der Linde gang and it’s downfall, more specifically it’s about the people that make up this gang and how they interact, change, and cope with the events that transpire, but perhaps most importantly of all, it’s the story of Arthur Morgan and the of his unyielding loyalty. At the beginning of the game we see the gang on the run and in the worst shape they’ve ever been, having lost several members to a job gone wrong and desperate to get away to the point of fleeing into the mountains in the middle of a violent snowstorm. Though eventually they’re able to leave the mountains and set up camp somewhere else, this image of a desperate gang never really fades, as the gang try to succeed in making one big score so they can move back west and try to escape their oncoming downfall they only fall further, as a series of bad jobs pushes them further east away from the wild west and further into civilization that doesn’t tolerate them anymore. And yet despite these circumstances, RDR2 is not just a pure tragedy story, the sheer range of scenes and feelings is one of the best parts about the game. The sad moments are depressing, but there’s also happy moments of pure wholesomeness and joy, and insanely badass moments of pure triumph and action that makes my mouth water, and it’s this range that gives RDR2 some of the most satisfying storytelling in a video game. Even despite their circumstances though the Van der Linde gang is like a family to one another, comprised of all sorts of people of different backgrounds. The game does a really good job of fleshing all of these characters out and making you care for them; everyone has a role to play in the gang and the story and through interacting with them at camp and during missions just adds layers onto the complexity of their characters. One of the most important characters in this story is Dutch Van der Linde, the silver-tongued leader of the gang who has the responsibility of getting them out of the mess, but as every plan he makes fails them and only brings pushes them further east he starts changing for the worse, becoming more desperate, reckless, and deceptive towards those who stand in his way and inciting dissension within the gang. The most important character though is none other than Arthur Morgan, the protagonist of the game and the one who undergoes the most change by the end of it. Arthur has been in the gang since he was a boy and is loyal to a fault, he’s sort of the breadwinner of the gang and is the man to call to get the job done, but most importantly he’s honorable, loyal to a fault, and good at heart and helps those who can’t help themselves, he’s truly the example of a good man in a bad life and does everything he can to support the gang who he sees as family. As the story goes on he’s the one who the audience views the changing of the world and gang’s dynamic through, and as these things change so does Arthur turning from a loyal man who admires Dutch and does anything that needs to be done, to one unsure of the way things are going and receptive to the change the world is going through, aware that he’ll probably die in this life and wanting to see things set right before he does. I’ve avoided spoilers here for as long as I can but there are some aspects of this game that cannot be talked about without spoiling things, so if you want to read the rest of this section click this link (https://pastebin.com/86sUXJSA). All of these things add up to make one of, if not the best story I’ve ever played through in a video game and one that needs to be experienced to be believed.
The experience I have had with this game over the last week has been a fantastic one and I’m sad to see it end, but I’m happy that I finally had it. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a triumph in every aspect, from it’s fantastic setting, satisfying and hooking gameplay, and its truly unforgettable story, I have truly never played a game quite this perfect and I’m proud to call it not just one of my favorite games ever made, but also one of if not the best I’ve ever played.