Rockstar's 2010 hit Red Dead Redemption, and its subsequent follow-up Red Dead Redemption 2, are among the most well-respected western stories ever brought to a gaming screen. The action-adventure titles took players all across a fictionalized Wild West, surviving scrapes with government forces, handling rival gangs, and trying to thrive in the cutthroat world of cowboys and gunfights. The 2010 game may have been a runaway hit, but it was really Red Dead Redemption 2 that elevated the franchise into something truly special, with its breathtaking vistas, interactive open world, and its balance of exciting heists with more somber moments of storytelling.
Red Dead Redemption 2 was highly anticipated before its launch, but even diehard fans of the franchise were blown away by the game. One of its most memorable aspects among the engaging action and impressive visuals was its narrative. It set the bar for expansive storytelling, giving players an affecting and often unbearably sad tale in a world that was itself going through tumultuous changes. Along with arguably one of the best epilogue sequences in a video game ever, Red Dead Redemption 2's story stands out, even if the game's ending doesn't really turn out too well for more than a few characters.
An Elegy For The West
As a prequel to the previous game, Red Dead Redemption 2 already contains a sense of prescient sadness if players have played the 2010 title. Some characters have their fate sealed before the game even begins, and gamers will be well aware of the focus of the setting — the dying days of the Wild West. The members of the Van der Linde gang, as well as some of the game's other characters, are desperately clinging to their old way of life as the world moves on around them. In a sense, Red Dead Redemption 2 acts as an elegy for this way of life, and as such it's imbued with a sense of heartbreak and loss at its very core.
Rockstar's representation of this world doesn't shy away from its harsher and darker sides, and Arthur Morgan — the man at the heart of the narrative — is a conflicted and troubled figure. The story is littered with betrayals and double-crosses, as well as wanton violence and needlessly cruel revenge. This isn't a world for the fainthearted, but among all the hardship and horror, there are true friendships and a celebration of found family that helps to give the game its emotional center.
There's humor and a smattering of silliness too, but those moments can be few and far between. Red Dead Redemption 2 is more concerned with the moral gray areas of existing as an outlaw, as well as the dangers this life entails. So naturally, not many of the characters get out alive.
Character Arcs and Heartbreaks
While the title for the most heartbreaking game ever may be hotly contested, with entries like The Last of Us,Shadow of the Colossus, and This War of Mine giving some stiff competition, Red Dead Redemption 2 is surely in the mix. If players commit to the hefty main campaign, then Red Dead Redemption 2 delivers one of the most beautifully-told and emotional tales in recent times. The writing is impeccable, and this really helps to convey the sadness at the story's heart, especially when it gives characters for players to really care about. Characters who, inevitably, either face a sticky or a harrowing end, instead of riding off cheerfully into the sunset.
From Mary and Arthur's ill-fated relationship, to Molly's deteriorating mental health, not a lot of the characters come out of the story with a happy ending. The outlaw lifestyle has many casualties, and not just the ones killed outright in gunfights or on a heist; characters on the peripheries are affected too. Even Arthur's horse doesn't escape a tragic end, further demonstrating the brutality and harshness of this kind of lifestyle. So often it's the innocents who suffer, and this adds a layer to the game's heartbreaking storytelling.
Some grisly ends are undoubtedly deserved, and sometimes the so-called bad guys get a form of comeuppance, but the game neatly balances the fates of all involved, showing that death doesn't play favorites and heartache isn't picky with whom it afflicts. Arthur is the center of the story, and his surprise tuberculosis diagnosis and subsequent health decline are the final straw for a lot of players who tried to rein in their emotions throughout Red Dead Redemption 2. While Arthur is hardly the most straightforward or immediately likable character, gamers will undoubtedly develop a strong bond with him by the end of the game, making his death even harder to take.
A Handful Of Happy Endings
In some ways, Arthur's story is still redemptive, and could be seen as happy in a certain sense. If players choose to lead a good life, Arthur succumbs to his wounds and his illness after watching one final sunrise — a touching final moment after a life of hardship. Arthur's sacrifice and decision to delay the Pinkertons to allow John to escape gives him the chance to start a normal life, away from the world of gangs and outlaws. Players are given a glimpse of this in Red Dead Redemption 2's epilogue, and while John successfully starts afresh with Uncle, Abigail, and Jack, players who know how Red Dead Redemption pans out know John's end wasn't so happy after all.
Barely any of Dutch's gang make it to the end of the narrative, with a handful of exceptions. Players have been witness to the trials and tribulations of all the characters throughout the game, and very few of them get a happy ending. Sadie helps the Marston family start their new life and attends John and Abigail's wedding, but her fate is left uncertain.
It is assumed she too was able to start again, perhaps making her way to South America as she planned. Charles also survives the narrative and leaves the Marstons for greener pastures. He might have gone to Canada to find a home for himself and perhaps start his own family, and maybe Charles and Sadie's unknown fates are the perfect ending for the game; the final possibility of happiness, and the start of the next chapter.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is out now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
