There's a lot that I could talk about when it comes to my experience with Red Dead Redemption 2. But every time I try to write this review, I just want to talk about the character that has impacted me the most, Arthur Morgan.

From the start, Arthur is a man who denies himself good, acutely aware of the crimes he has committed in the past. We never see what goes on before the start, but we don't need to. The guilt and burden Arthur carries with him is felt in the voice performance, the group dynamic and surrounding dialogue. Through tragedy, be it through the gang's own doing or not, brings the Van der Linde gang closer together and they start to feel like a family.

This family is bound together by a single man's ideology. An ideology to seek something greater, a life of freedom. Dutch raised Arthur and those around him to believe in that, but as the story progresses, as the family loses its members, that dream starts falling apart. Seen through Arthur's eyes, Dutch is spiraling down a deep and dark road, while he tries to do better by the people that have done him good. Between Arthur and Dutch, a rift slowly opens itself. Every clash between the men develops a deeper resentment for one another.

Towards the end, Arthur and some of those he holds dear, stand up against Dutch. They had lost too much, Dutch had changed too much and they had caused too much. The Van der Linde gang is broken up and so are its people. Arthur's story ends where Red Dead Redemption 2's story doesn't. In the end, he found peace and love in his heart where someone like Micah or Dutch couldn't. He gave it his all.

Through Arthur's kindness, John is saved. John is left to pick up the pieces, to live a life Arthur was destined to only dream of. He is Arthur's legacy. As he deeply affected the lives of those he touched, he is now deeply affecting mine and I'm grateful to have seen his story. You're a good man, Arthur Morgan.

"Take a gamble that love exists, and do a loving act."

I first experienced Metal Gear Solid 2 when I was an early teenager. It's always sat in a rather positive place in my mind and in a lot of ways was probably an early shaper for my tastes as I grew into an adult. Over time my memories of this game would fade with only the big plot points and thoughts of “wow that game was so cool” remaining. And this game is very cool but a lot of what makes this truly special to me now gone completely over my head or just not important to the teenage version of me, before I had truly found myself. This replay came at the absolute perfect time in my life. At no other point could I have appreciated this game for what it is and what it has to say more than right now. This game's mere existence blows my mind. The concepts and ideas especially considering when it was released are completely mind-boggling. It not only stands on its own as something masterful but also serves as a picture-perfect sequel to the first game in the series, further substantiating existing themes and characters. It’s a once in a lifetime work of art. It’s timeless, breathtaking, endlessly creative and imaginative, has an atmosphere that will be burned into my brain until the end of time, interlaced with consistent sensational direction and a thematic masterclass baked into genuinely one of the most uplifting stories I'll ever experience. It shines a light on the darkness of the modern world, the horrors of the political landscape, and screams that we can do better, that we can overcome the despair of the world and believes with all its heart that we will. That you can find yourself, believe in yourself, and live your life as you are and pass everything precious on. It wants you to create art, to love, cry, laugh, hurt and everything in between because those feelings and everything you experience are yours and that is meaningful beyond measure. These ideas and the way it connects to our world will ensure this game is forever relevant. I can't ever do this game and its intricacies, its incredible plot and beauties complete justice, but I just really wanted to say what this game made me feel and the way in which it reinforced a lot of my optimistic thinking about the world, despite how cruel it can be. I’m grateful this game exists, and I will keep living in the only ways I know how to make sure I can see tomorrow's beautiful sunset yet again.

This game is in so many ways a messy, contrived experience with more than a few bad jokes, moments of awkward dialogue, weak side antagonists, and just generally some content I can't say I was a fan of like my absolute low points of the entire series. But no matter how many perhaps valid criticisms I or anyone else could throw towards this game I just don't know how much I actually care or how much they actually matter. This game to me is beautiful even within its faults. It simultaneously is killing the past with both Snake having a time limit on his life, fated to die. And also, through the Metal Gear series as a whole by destroying all the complicated history of the long, long war that made up the entire series. At the same time, it celebrates life and the beauty of the Metal Gear series by telling Snake that he should "Put aside the gun and live" and spend his time finally free after his long, hard life to the fullest, to live as a man. And by leaning into everything that makes Metal Gear amazing with the fun absurdity, social/political commentary, themes about making progress, and everything in between that makes me love this series. It is at it's core very much an ending (despite there being two more entries in the series) and in that finality there is beauty. This game is a fucking mess that has the lowest of the lows combined with the highest of highs. It's not perfect and it doesn't try to be (A lot like everything I've just written at 3 AM). I love it.

"This is good... isn't it?"