This review contains spoilers

There's a lot that I could talk about when it comes to my experience with Red Dead Redemption 2. But every time I try to write this review, I just want to talk about the character that has impacted me the most, Arthur Morgan.

From the start, Arthur is a man who denies himself good, acutely aware of the crimes he has committed in the past. We never see what goes on before the start, but we don't need to. The guilt and burden Arthur carries with him is felt in the voice performance, the group dynamic and surrounding dialogue. Through tragedy, be it through the gang's own doing or not, brings the Van der Linde gang closer together and they start to feel like a family.

This family is bound together by a single man's ideology. An ideology to seek something greater, a life of freedom. Dutch raised Arthur and those around him to believe in that, but as the story progresses, as the family loses its members, that dream starts falling apart. Seen through Arthur's eyes, Dutch is spiraling down a deep and dark road, while he tries to do better by the people that have done him good. Between Arthur and Dutch, a rift slowly opens itself. Every clash between the men develops a deeper resentment for one another.

Towards the end, Arthur and some of those he holds dear, stand up against Dutch. They had lost too much, Dutch had changed too much and they had caused too much. The Van der Linde gang is broken up and so are its people. Arthur's story ends where Red Dead Redemption 2's story doesn't. In the end, he found peace and love in his heart where someone like Micah or Dutch couldn't. He gave it his all.

Through Arthur's kindness, John is saved. John is left to pick up the pieces, to live a life Arthur was destined to only dream of. He is Arthur's legacy. As he deeply affected the lives of those he touched, he is now deeply affecting mine and I'm grateful to have seen his story. You're a good man, Arthur Morgan.

"Take a gamble that love exists, and do a loving act."

Reviewed on Mar 09, 2024


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