A Red Dead Redemption 2 fan has created an alternate ending that will leave gamers who have played the title gobsmacked. The Story Mode of Red Dead Redemption 2 is the game's crowning achievement, and players continue to enjoy it to this day.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is widely thought of as one of the greatest stories in all of gaming, with a gut-wrenching ending that surprised gamers when it was first released in 2018. The game served as a prequel to 2010's Red Dead Redemption, which only amplified the bittersweet nature of the story. The dramatic irony of knowing that some characters' fates are already sealed before a bullet is fired brings a melancholy undertone to Red Dead Redemption 2's enormous campaign. Very few characters in Red Dead Redemption 2 get a happy ending, and it was a brave choice by Rockstar, which over many years has earned the right to attempt such a gutsy move in a AAA game. There's no doubt it pays off massively.
The shocking alternate ending was posted by Redditor Georgian_Shark, and it shows the previous protagonist Arthur Morgan emerging from the hut at the end of Red Dead Redemption 2's epilogue instead of Dutch Van Der Linde. Arthur of course dies at the end of Chapter 6 while Dutch escapes with his life, so it'd certainly be quite a twist if he were to return here. The clip uses voice lines from the game to make it seem completely natural, and it fits far too well. While it clearly uses a mod to create the effect, unfortunately the exact mod hasn't been posted in the thread yet.
Players in the thread were quick to make jokes about the mod. One user claimed that the video was "directed by M. Night Shyamalan," referring to the film director's affinity for twist endings. Others had genuine suggestions for how it could work in the game, with one Redditor stating that it would have been a cool concept for an ending where Arthur Morgan was played with low honor, where he lives and turns on John Marston in the epilogue. Red Dead Redemption 2's bleak ending is slightly affected by whether players have low or high honor, but it only affects the method by which Arthur dies, and this could have been an interesting alternative if done correctly.
When Rockstar finally decides to release Red Dead Redemption 3, the developer has huge boots to fill in the form of protagonists John Marston and Arthur Morgan. The pair are two of the most beloved protagonists in gaming history, and the developer will have to try something radically different in order to surpass player expectations. Some players want a female protagonist in Red Dead Redemption 3, and it could be a good route to go down with the sequel, especially with the popularity of gunslinger Sadie Adler in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
