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I was recently talking to my brother-in-law about Red Dead Redemption 2, and how I believe it is truly the best story-driven RPG ever made. He admitted that (on my recommendation months prior) he'd given it a shot, but after just two hours gave up because it was too "slow". Admittedly I was a little shocked: how could you give up on a game with some of the best characters in gaming history?
Now, if you've played Rockstar's magnum opus, you'd realise that he only just got past the prologue, tutorial, and into Valentine at this point. His feet were barely out of the snowy mountains of the West Grizzlies before he hung up his Stetson, kicked off his stirrups, and said "You know what? I'm done here, partner."
When you look up 'Red Dead Redemption 2 Prologue' on the Steam forums and Reddit, it's flooded with other people asking just how long this intro actually is and struggling to get past it. "Seriously the first chapter is way too long", reads one post on Reddit. "There is a difference between a slow game and just dragging content too fucking long. I don't have a problem with slow games." says another while asking just how long the intro actually is.
It's a shame so many people, my brother in law included, struggled to get past this (in my opinion) masterfully made tutorial, because when you get into the nitty gritty of Arthur Morgan's story, you'll become so attached to the characters Rockstar created that you'll physically ache. In fact, I'd go as far to say this isn't just Arthur's story, it goes as deep as the other characters you share a camp with. It's Sadie's story, Tilly's story. Kieran's, Trelawney's, Molly's, Charles', the list goes on. All of them have beautifully told stories that, even seven years later, I'm emotionally attached to.
If you can't get past calling out for John on a snowy mountain, then hear me out: the West Grizzlies are worth persevering through, and I promise it won't take two hours to get my point across.
Gather 'round
Red Dead Redemption 2 is one game I will happily play time and time again, but not because of the mechanics, setting or endless side quests. I always return because of the characters. From the best boy himself, Arthur, all the way to Sister Calderón and even the freaky little Saint Denis Vampire, Red Dead Redemption 2 has some of the best characters ever written in video game history.
Every single character was crafted with such love and care, and it really shines through in the way you see them interact with one another. From walking around Strawberry and hearing the Reverend preaching, to sitting at your camp listening to Uncle singing songs and telling tales, it's all so immersive that you often don't feel like you're playing a game.
I remember on my first playthrough I'd sit at the camp, put down my controller and just take it all in. I can't remember any other game that allowed me to experience something so immersive. With other games I wanted to keep moving, driven to move from point to point and experience more. But Red Dead Redemption 2 made me want to stop, slow down, and bond with the other members of the Van der Linde gang.
I even found myself becoming more and more invested in the internal camp politics as the game went on. I found it incredible to see how these NPCs who I'd grown to love and care for were developing because of my actions, my choices, and the way Arthur and Dutch's story was being told. One key NPC for me, who every time I play I make sure to give that bit extra of attention to, is Molly. Her own personality and story always make me feel so bad, and she is one of the members of the Van der Linde gang you can clearly see impacted by the politics of your family of outlaws.
I know Molly is divisive in the fandom. I know a lot of people dislike her; even calling her clingy or annoying in regards to Dutch. And (warning for spoilers ahead) when she was killed, I genuinely felt an ache in my chest.
At the start of the game you see Molly as a confident young woman, madly in love with Dutch and able to ignore his flaws. She even says "Dutch is all the company I need.” at the start of the game. As the game progresses she ends up as a shell of a woman, paranoid, feeling neglected and unloved by the man she has committed her entire life to. You can even find a poem that Molly wrote which has the line "I've nothing left. I gave you all."
Molly breaks my heart every single time, because she's not just a thrown away side character, she is a clear example of in-game actions affecting NPCs. She is written so well that it is believable.
Molly's story isn't the only one that affects me. So does the blossoming romance between Mary-Beth and Kieran being cut short. The way Hosea desperately tries to keep the family together. And last but not least, Arthur's.
When I think of perfectly written characters, I think of Arthur. My mind constantly goes back to sitting at the train station, with Sister Calderón by his side. The words "I guess…I'm afraid" are forever ingrained into my brain.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is, in my opinion, one of the most detailed stories ever told in gaming. If only people could sit and wait for the blizzard to melt, then they'd see how beautiful Rockstar's open world is.
We've picked out more games like Red Dead Redemption 2 to sate your cravings for the West
