Gamers love a good story. That's the reason Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won the 2025 game and why something like that Sendwith its simple gameplay can achieve such viral success. But while these games and others have compelling stories, their writing pales in comparison Red Dead Redemption 2which remains one of the medium's best stories ever. That alone is a reason to play the game again, but if that's not enough, here's all the convincing you need.
I know that's a bold statement, but now that I've rebooted Red Dead Redemption 2 This year, for the umpteenth time, I feel pretty confident about my rating. Even some of the best written games start to show their cracks with repeated play, but RDR2 there is an exception: it only gets better with time. Not only is the story and dialogue better than the vast majority of games, but also most movies, TV shows, and novels. The game's popularity is sometimes held against it because it has been argued that it is somehow overrated or pedestrian, but that is an odd conclusion. Lots of people join in, from novice gamers to grizzled PC veterans Red Dead Redemption 2 because its story transcends any gameplay or structural issues the rest of the game may have, not because its story appeals to the lowest common denominator—something that can't be said for many other AAA, story-driven games.
Spoilers ahead Red Dead Redemption 2.
Each playthrough reveals something new in Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is famous for being an ensemble story with different characters having different connections and having different relationships with Dutch and Arthur. It's hard to overstate how impressive it is that Rockstar was able to make all of these characters, even the unlikeable ones, interesting and believable. Even more significant, however, is the intricate web of relationships between the characters, which becomes easier to read after repeated playthroughs.
For example, I've been paying a lot more attention to how Dutch interacts with each member of the gang in my current playthrough. Simply put, Dutch's manipulations are much more obvious and are present in almost every interaction he has. For example, she scolds John in front of Abigail when she is angry with him. It takes in the downtrodden, the abandoned, the rejected, and the despised, giving them a place to call home, but making such a relationship entirely transactional.
Lots of people join in, from novice gamers to grizzled PC veterans Red Dead Redemption 2 because its story transcends any gameplay or structural issues the rest of the game may have, not because its story appeals to the lowest common denominator—something that can't be said for many other AAA, story-driven games.
In several places in Red Dead Redemption 2 Dutch chastises or verbally abuses his found family for their perceived transgressions, for doubting him and his authority, for undermining said transaction. Is this the behavior of a malignant narcissist who attracts the vulnerable with his warmth but withholds that warmth when they do something he doesn't like? Or is it the behavior of a paranoid and traumatized criminal who fears losing his friends to the encroaching pull of civilization? You can arrive at one answer after your first Red Dead 2 playthrough, but completely different after the second run.
Although Dutch has good intentions, his dishonesty is undeniable. His lies can be seen in specific moments, such as when he gasses Arthur to death in a Cornish kerosene and tar factory, but also more broadly when he repeatedly says he has a plan when he is clearly improvising.
Red Dead Redemption 2 can be blinding at first
I'm sure there are many who would scoff at my above statements, perhaps claiming to have caught the nuances Red Dead Redemption 2character relationships and psychological narrative immediately. I am happy for these people; they have excellent analytical skills. But the only thing I feel guilty about is being charmed Red Dead Redemption 2Engaging story, atmosphere, dialogues and acting when I first played it. I think I'm not alone in this either.
Red Dead 2The ability to capture the imagination is one of its main strengths, and this sense of being swept away by the flow of its narrative is one of the best parts of the introductory game. But much like the characters Red Dead Redemption they are charmed and beguiled by Dutche's affable and clever persona, so even novice players can be fooled into thinking the play is a standard, albeit well-executed, Western tragedy. It is, but it's also a multi-layered psychodrama with epic family drama. You can pick up on all of these themes on your first playthrough, but all of this can be re-contextualized and re-examined upon subsequent playthroughs. So seriously, consider playing it again this year.
- Released
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October 26, 2018
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and gore, intense violence, nudity, sexual content, strong language, drug and alcohol use
