Red Dead Redemption 2 – PS4
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Description
America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed.
After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him.
From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age.
Also featuring Red Dead Online
With the gameplay of Red Dead Redemption 2 as its foundation, Red Dead Online transforms the vast and deeply detailed landscapes, cities, towns and habitats of Red Dead Redemption 2 into a new, living online world ready to be shared by multiple players. Create and customize your character, tailor your abilities to suit your play style and head out into a new frontier full of things to experience.
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Redemption is a theme so central to the Red Dead Redemption franchise that it was included in the titles of both ‘Red Dead Redemption’ and 2018’s ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ which acts as a direct prequel to the events of the first game. Aside from an enrapturing story and gorgeous graphics it may be the self-contained nature of Red Dead Redemption 2 that is its crowning achievement.
Having only cursory information with the first game myself, the prequel does not require the player to have any previous knowledge going in and, in fact, may inspire such players to go back and play through the first game as I have now done. There is therefore no better time for anyone to jump into this cowboy-toting franchise and fall in love with the crooked misfits of the game’s ‘Van der Linde Gang’, taking the protagonist, Arthur Morgan, on an awe-inspiring journey of family, the American identity and, of course, redemption.
The Times They are a-Changin’
The game begins in the year 1899, the era of a declining prevalence of ‘traditional’ cowboys, outlaws and American frontiersmen. We are introduced to one of these gangs of outlaws, holding out against the oncoming tide of civilization; residing not in the typical deserts of the wild west, but amongst snow-adorned mountain peaks. From the start the story of Red Dead Redemption 2 does not pull any punches, and wears its atmosphere of desperation on its sleeve. The ‘Van der Linde’ gang is the group our character, Arthur, is associated with and times are bleak for the group, surviving on dwindling supplies slowly freezing to death they are hiding from the growing presence of law enforcement after a botched robbery. We get our first taste of action when, upon arriving in the mountains, Arthur and the leader of the Van der Linde gang, Dutch, go out in search of refuge.
They happen across a rickety farmhouse that is occupied and appears luxurious compared to the harsh alpine climate. This is where the game first lets the player make a decision, albeit a small one. Dutch attempts to cajole the occupants of the house but the atmosphere soon turns antagonistic and the game prompts you to ‘protect Dutch’. However you react to this situation, either immediately shooting at the occupants or waiting to see how the situation develops, sets a precedent for the moral dilemmas you will find yourself in throughout the story.
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No matter how you react to this initial situation, things turn ugly and after looting the house and its occupants the gang return to where they first found a shack with now more enemies after them. The tone of Red Dead Redemption 2 is therefore set, as the Van der Linde gang move from place to place, getting increasingly desperate as more enemies end up on their doorstep. Although the game has a rather simplistic binary morality system, with some actions giving positive or negative ‘honour’, it belies the complex morality presented in the story.
Whilst many games put the player in the shoes of a ‘chosen hero’, ‘Red Dead’ shows us the moral underpinnings of a traditional outlaw. Through this dynamic one of the key themes of the games is expertly told. The diminishing ‘traditional’ ways of the Old West are put right up against encroaching civilization, a dynamic perhaps most obviously demonstrated by the Van der Linde gang’s troubles with the Pinkertons, a private security agency hired by an oil magnate. As the gang flees from these security forces we are taken on a tour of various fictional states in late 1890s America, coming into conflict with rival gangs, the military and conniving, extremely wealthy families.
The story is split across six chapters and this dynamic pervades the whole story, with a brief interlude halfway through that I do not want to spoil here and must be experienced for the first time. This interlude represents a turning-point in the game’s story, and from there although the broad idea of relocating the Van der Linde gang remains constant, the mood of their camp, and of the characters, changes as a general sense of decline pervades the story. This all hurtles towards a conclusion that you absolutely will not want to miss; the fate of the Van der Linde gang proves to be some of the most compelling and emotional storytelling you can find anywhere in gaming.
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Camping and Community
The main way players will bond with the Van der Linde gang occurs through gameplay, centring around the camp that the gang set up wherever they flee to.
Moseying around this camp serves as the game’s hub, complete with the ability to make wardrobe changes, buy/store supplies, start various story missions and even shave your ever growing facial hair. A constant through-line in the story is Dutch’s desire for more money to completely escape encroaching federal influence in the Wild West. This plays into the camp gameplay as at any point you can voluntarily donate your own money to the settlement, making it possible to upgrade the type of supplies and ammunition available.
These camp mechanics work and are engaging on several levels. For instance, donating to the camp and taking time to talk with its members gives the impression of improving morale and dialogue dynamically changes as people speak more positively of Arthur and his contributions. Conversely, taking money from the camp and ignoring its occupants results in people more likely to be upset with Arthur, resulting in minor changes to dialogue in the game’s story. One potential downside to this morality system, it could be argued, is that it initially seems simplistic.
Engaging in positive or negative acts has little bearing on the story and at any point it is quite easy to switch to from a ‘good’ play through to a ‘bad’ one and vice versa. I instead see it as a fairly positive feature, tying into the theme that Arthur is a character looking for redemption, that can be helped or hindered by his actions at any time.
The gang, camp and how these communities interact with Arthur is one of the reasons the story and characters of Red Dead Redemption 2 will stick with any invested player long after completing the six chapters of the game’s story
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Taming a Wild Stallion
If there was ever going to be a criticism levelled against Red Dead Redemption 2 it would have to be in its controls and the general pace of gameplay. Playing whilst surviving the harsh conditions of the Wild West results in gameplay that is extremely intricate, almost to a fault. The game does have satisfying shooting and cover mechanics, a notable one being the return of ‘dead eye’ from the first game, where time slows down and allows Arthur to make Swiss cheese out of unsuspecting pioneers. However, often to get to these amazing set-pieces you need to trudge through the quagmire of the game’s controls that end up being fiddlier than an era-appropriate fiddle-player.
Take, for instance, the relatively simple act of riding a horse. There have been numerous occasions, particularly whilst still learning the controls, where dialogue heavy moments of riding with your fellow gang members has been ruined by trying to keep the horse in line with everyone else and not swerve directly into someone else’s path. Although this may not happen with everyone, and is certainly mostly the fault of the player, otherwise engaging sequences may be detracted from by Arthur drunkenly crashing into the path of his fellow outlaws.
An additional constant gripe with the controls is that upon approaching any mission you must be certain of what loadout you have equipped, otherwise the game will default to a specific set of often sub-par weaponry. These controls, however, are not necessarily problems as I found they were quickly internalised during gameplay with only slight mistakes whilst surviving the rest of the game.
Survivor Man
There are many ways to categorise Red Dead Redemption 2 as a game and it is often dependent on the player. For instance you could play Red Dead as a survival game, picking wild herbs to craft medicines and having to choose your outfit to combat the heat and snow alike. You can also spend a considerable amount of time filling out the ‘compendium’ by hunting, fishing and foraging for rare plants. There are also rewards for doing this, side missions will task you with hunting specific animals, and legendary beasts litter the map that provide great rewards for taking down. The survival mechanics are so engaging and rewarding it is possible to get lost in the wilderness for hours at a time, tracking down rare boars to sell their pelts for a tidy profit.
However, all this exploration and rolling around in nature will have a cost. Unless you often bring back food for the camp, some of its members may accuse you of being neglectful of those who you are tasked with protecting. Moreover, the realism in the game extends to the maintenance of your weapons. Wading through water with your guns equipped will ruin their ‘condition’ status, resulting in jams and doing less damage than a perfectly pristine rifle. The same effect will happen by using the same gun a lot, and since ‘gun oil’ is found quite rarely, and costs a fair sum to buy, the game forces a bit of variety in what weapons you choose to fight with.
Despite almost being inconsequential to the story, the survival mechanics of Red Dead are engaging and will be necessary should you choose to follow the game’s interesting side quests and shoot for the lofty goal of 100 percent completion.
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The Good, The Bad and the Drop Dead Gorgeous
Red Dead Redemption 2 is by far one of the most graphically impressive games available on the market today. Overlooking picturesque landscapes may in and of itself be a key selling point, there is simply no better fully realised world to explore than the one available here. Whilst in specific areas you can feel the hustle and bustle of a realistic industrial city, there are also some truly solitary experiences to be had. Even in these moments, the world seems alive as random events help immerse you in this imagined great American expanse. The gameplay too, aside from some teething problems, seeks to facilitate the player’s interactions with the world, and, by proxy, the characters and story.
The negatives of a game such as Red Dead Redemption 2 will be very personal and will not necessarily apply to everyone all the time. As I have previously stated I had some initial trouble adapting to the control scheme, which led me to the idea that those who are new to gaming may not want to pick this up first. However, anecdotally, I know those who have limited experiences with these types of action games and yet have had little to no trouble at all with the controls. In a sense, it feels as though critiquing Red Dead is akin to critiquing a great work of art, you may not necessarily ‘like’ Renaissance paintings, but it would be impossible to deny its genius and brilliance as a shining example of the medium.
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Multiplayer
Something we have not yet touched upon is Red Dead Redemption 2’s multiplayer component. Unfortunately, this aspect of the game is not as intricate as the single-player story so it has not been focused on. Despite being perfectly serviceable as a multiplayer cowboy experience it did not leave any real lasting impression, and I did not feel the need to rise up the ranks to experience it all. Moreover, there is a narrative component to the experience but it feels far emptier compared to the single-player, mostly due to your character being completely silent.
Some will definitely get more out of this game mode than others but the multiplayer is similar to the multiplayer presented in ‘GTA V’, another Rockstar title. The whole game map is accessible in multiplayer and there are numerous events, races and general tasks to occupy your time with. Yet, levelling is a slog as the game pushes its premium currency to help those wanting to purchase cosmetics without sinking hours into repeating similar tasks multiple times. Conversely, it is certainly fun to roam around the expanse with a group of friends, acting as true cowboy outlaws, but I would still recommend buying Red Dead for the single-player narrative over the relatively bare-bones multiplayer.
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Red Dead Redeemed
The misadventures of Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang is a story that must be experienced by anyone with the means to get their hands on it. Available on most platforms, it remains one of Rockstar’s finest titles. Never before has a story stuck with me so consistently and for so long. Weeks after playing the game it is easy to recall the names and personalities of the entirety of the Van der Linde gang as well as their ultimate fates in a story that will certainly stand the test of time.
Those who are repulsed by the idea of roaming gorgeous American landscapes as a tough cowboy will certainly not find much to enjoy here. I only hope that they are few and far between and have already realised the experience would not be for them. For everyone else, there is so much here to sit down and appreciate, few games resonate as widely and impressively as Red Dead Redemption 2. Through an engaging interplay of mechanics and story, Red Dead Redemption 2 stands apart as a true example of video games as art.
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If you haven’t’ played Red Dead Redemption 2 yet, I don’t think I need to impose it on you anymore than I’m sure the entire gaming world already has. I won’t delve into what makes it a masterpiece or rehash the same platitudes that have circulated every gaming sphere for the past seven years. What I will tell you is my latest experience with the game, having played through it twice already, I yearned to return to the company of Arthur, and spend another playthrough with the gaming worlds most beloved cowboy.
Like a wistful god gazing upon mortals, I found myself going back to the beginning of time to weep at my anointed Arthur, I know of his tragic fate, and his destiny, while he is blissfully unaware, tracking snow into the ramshackle cabin that the gang find themselves in. I know Dutch’s true nature, and of Hosea’s death, and of all the pain yet to come, like Thanos, I feel as if I am cursed with knowledge. I make it through the bitter cold and oppressive snow of chapter one, and the gang make it into the east. The wagon wheel breaks, Arthur begins to fix it, and the splinters of his destiny once again begin to embed themselves in his weary hands. I begin to steel myself for the coming pain. The misery of Read Dead 2’s captivating story doesn’t begin to set in for a few chapters yet, but I can see the tide of melancholy starting to swell in the distance, in the words of fellow tragic Rockstar protagonist CJ, “oh ****, here we go again”.
It’s my third playthrough now, the first one is my sacred timeline, It was, at first, a low honour playthrough, which pivoted into high honour as the game progressed, this is my own personal canon as it allowed me to fully experience Arthurs redemption from highwaymen to hero (it also gave me the opportunity to play with the games low honour systems), my second playthrough was a pure high honour, as although Arthur didn’t know it, I knew that he was indeed a good man, and I strived to uphold the heroic virtues that I knew lay within his soul.
This time, once I get to Horseshoe Overlook, I look across the valley, my eyes and Arthurs scanning the Dakota river, he has a cigarette on my behalf, and I begin to wonder, what will I do this playthrough? A dark thought crosses my mind once I realise there is one thing I haven’t done, a low honour playthrough. I wince at the thought, and the terrifying idea scares me out of the camp and onto the road. I’m going hunting.
Whilst many of Red Dead 2 systems are locked behind story missions the trapper is available from the get-go, and the ability to hunt, skin and sell pelts is an immediate hook for those who already have experienced with the hunting element of the game. My playthrough begins with a lot of hunting, at first, it’s self-serving hunting, hats and boots and coats for Arthur. Then it’s to sell for money which goes straight into the strongbox at camp. I give some meat and pelts to Pearson for camp upgrades and for food for the gang, eventually I notice the satchel menu, the ‘Legend Of The East’ satchel draws my eye. No matter what kind of playthrough I end up doing, I need have this, that satchel is a mighty boon for Arthur, his looting and herb collecting tendencies requiring an impossibly large inventory space. The next ten or twenty hours of this playthrough consist mainly of more hunting, outfitting Arthur, and working towards the legendary satchel, any profits go towards the gang.
I do a few quests along the way, enough to unlock some critical gameplay elements, namely ‘Exit Pursued by a Bruised Ego’ which unlocks legendary animal hunts, which provides me with yet more hunting opportunities and access to the legendary pelts for the trapper. Life is good for Arthur and the gang, Blackwater begins to feel like a distant nightmare and life in Horseshoe Overlook begins to feel comfortable. Alongside hunting, I begin to collect dinosaur bones and complete challenges; there’s also the matter of the gunslingers.
Red Dead 2 is a thrilling narrative masterpiece, and the missions always leave you wanting more: more dialogue, more action, more money. On my first playthrough especially I could not stop doing missions, not only was the story gripping, but I was taking anti-spoiler measures. The internet means that spoilers lie around every corner, especially if the online zeitgeist is fixed on the game that you’re playing, I was determined to finish before I was caught out by a stray Reddit thread, Tweet or YouTube thumbnail.
Subsequent playthroughs of Red Dead are free from this burden, and on this third playthrough especially I felt completely liberated of the looming pressure to progress the story. Countless hours passed and eventually I got the satchel, most of Pearsons upgrades and a majority of the Trappers clothing. The constant flow of money and goods means the camp is happy and Arthur is free to hunt and roam the beautiful valleys and forests of the lush green county, this is the life that Dutch envisioned for the gang, and for now it was a reality. Time wasn’t standing completely still however, some missions are needed to unlock certain things; a couple of examples are ‘Money Lending and Other Sins’ is needed for the ledger and camp upgrades and ‘The Spines of America’ are needed for the fence.
Aside from these missions however I took great joy in slowly and methodically completing the games many side objectives and returning home to a happy camp, everyone was still friends, and more importantly Micah was nowhere to be found, still behind bars in the Strawberry jail, where I was content to let him rot for his future sins.
In between hunting I enjoyed the act of traversing Red Dead’s vast and beautiful world, taking Arthur up to the grizzlies to hunt bears, down to dusty ol’ Rhodes to play Blackjack or creeping around the Bayou for alligator skins. The random events add a nice bit of spontaneity to the journey, but even without, getting lost in the inspiring beauty of the east country is a serene experience, and without any narrative pressure, it makes sense for Arthur and the gang to take their time and build a life for themselves near Valentine.
It has now been countless hours since I arrived at Horseshoe Overlook and looked over the Dakota River, so long since I began to wonder if I am going to embrace evil and commit to a low honour playthrough. I rejected the idea at first and I reject it now. I have come to the realisation that I don’t need to progress the story at all, why force myself to push forward and try and satisfy ambition, when instead I can be perfectly content and happy where I am. I find myself in the cowboy version of the Garden of Eden, free from the greed of Dutch, the evil of Micah and the scourge of tuberculosis. If this really is the primordial garden, then I don’t want to let the snake in. It’s a paradise, before the events of the game start to ignite conflict and the dominoes start to fall as the gang is slowly torn apart from the inside. The more I relax into chapter two, the more I don’t want to leave. For Arthur, he’s living his life: hunting, making money for the gang and enjoying the peaceful countryside, but for me I am stuck here because I am paralysed by a longing for a simpler time, a time in Read Dead’s story before ambition, false promises and loss.
Deep down though I know that this cannot last, time marches on, and one day I will need to go and collect money from Thomas Downes and once again witness the death of lovable Sean. Chapter two isn’t without its drawbacks; Deadeye isn’t fully levelled up and Clemens point is arguably a better camp. If I want to experience the story, I will need to look beyond the safety, tranquillity and beauty of chapter two.
It’s important to enjoy the present, and it’s important to be comfortable, but the future cannot be denied. Hanging out doing collectables, side content and enjoying the world has been my serene little safe space away from the stresses of life. It is a simpler time for Arthur and the gang, it feels like the paradise of Haiti that Dutch so fervently describes for the entirety of the second half of the game. However, one day, if I want to experience Red Dead 2 again, I will have to head to Strawberry to save Micah and say goodbye to Mary Linton one more time. But I don’t need to think about that now, life can sometimes throw a Micah at me, or take away a Mary, but trying to anticipate the future can be paralysing, I just need to enjoy the present moment.
Zatu Score
You might like
- Boasts gorgeous graphics and scenic views of the American frontier
- The best storytelling available in video gaming
- Fun and varied survival mechanics
- Satisfying cowboy-themed action
- Multiplayer that provides hundreds of additional hours of gameplay
Might not like
- Slow paced gameplay may not suit everyone
- At times awkward controls