To me, Read Dead Redemption 2 is a game that is both remarkable in its artistic achievements but also painstaking to play at times.
Everything about this game is methodical and requires patience on the part of the player. Actions like skinning an animal, dismounting your horse and crafting ammunition at your campsite feels deliberate and oftentimes cumbersome. I can't help but feel like this was intentional on the part of Rockstar - to make the player slow down and immerse themselves in this ludicrously accurate world they've built.
When I think of the story, I think mainly of Arthur Morgan - the complex, richly layered and conflicted main character. Arthur stands among gaming's greatest protagonists with characters like Joel + Ellie, Kratos and Atreus and even John Marston himself. Arthur might be my favorite written character in video games, and in most fiction in general; his arc throughout the game is profoundly impactful, and the ending of his story, without any spoilers, leaves me feeling empty in a sad but almost beautiful way.
I remember playing this for the first time when it came out in 2018, 8 years after the original. I saw advertisements for the game in subway stations and on posters, and couldn't remember the last time a video game had generated this much hype around its release. Up until that point, video games for me had been a vehicle for entertainment, a way to pass the time. RDR2 was the first time that I allowed myself to get truly swept up in the narrative of a video game, to allow myself to identify with the characters, their struggles and achievements, their friendships and betrayals. I remember finishing this game for the first time and being shocked at just how incredible I thought this game was, at how Rockstar had managed to create a game that I considered to be a work of art. I thought about this game for weeks afterward.
Fast forward 4 years, and I decided to take another dive into the world of Arthur and the gang. This time, I decided to take my time with the game as much as possible. I deliberately sat down at my camp and chatted with members of the gang; I skipped the fast travel so I could take in this expansive, gorgeous world; I cooked meals for myself under the starlit night sky while I was out on the road. I engaged with this game in a way I hadn't before, and I'm so happy I did.
Having played other story-rich games like The Last of Us and God of War since my first play-through in 2018, I was able to appreciate this game in an entirely new way this time around. Despite certain aspects of the game seeming purposefully frustrating, and some jankiness around movement/gun mechanics, this game is very special to me and an objective masterpiece in my eyes. RDR2's scope, writing, world design, voice/motion capture performances and music are all near flawless, and when you bring them together you get a product of such remarkable quality that doesn't seem like it should even exist - but I'm so glad it does.
Everything about this game is methodical and requires patience on the part of the player. Actions like skinning an animal, dismounting your horse and crafting ammunition at your campsite feels deliberate and oftentimes cumbersome. I can't help but feel like this was intentional on the part of Rockstar - to make the player slow down and immerse themselves in this ludicrously accurate world they've built.
When I think of the story, I think mainly of Arthur Morgan - the complex, richly layered and conflicted main character. Arthur stands among gaming's greatest protagonists with characters like Joel + Ellie, Kratos and Atreus and even John Marston himself. Arthur might be my favorite written character in video games, and in most fiction in general; his arc throughout the game is profoundly impactful, and the ending of his story, without any spoilers, leaves me feeling empty in a sad but almost beautiful way.
I remember playing this for the first time when it came out in 2018, 8 years after the original. I saw advertisements for the game in subway stations and on posters, and couldn't remember the last time a video game had generated this much hype around its release. Up until that point, video games for me had been a vehicle for entertainment, a way to pass the time. RDR2 was the first time that I allowed myself to get truly swept up in the narrative of a video game, to allow myself to identify with the characters, their struggles and achievements, their friendships and betrayals. I remember finishing this game for the first time and being shocked at just how incredible I thought this game was, at how Rockstar had managed to create a game that I considered to be a work of art. I thought about this game for weeks afterward.
Fast forward 4 years, and I decided to take another dive into the world of Arthur and the gang. This time, I decided to take my time with the game as much as possible. I deliberately sat down at my camp and chatted with members of the gang; I skipped the fast travel so I could take in this expansive, gorgeous world; I cooked meals for myself under the starlit night sky while I was out on the road. I engaged with this game in a way I hadn't before, and I'm so happy I did.
Having played other story-rich games like The Last of Us and God of War since my first play-through in 2018, I was able to appreciate this game in an entirely new way this time around. Despite certain aspects of the game seeming purposefully frustrating, and some jankiness around movement/gun mechanics, this game is very special to me and an objective masterpiece in my eyes. RDR2's scope, writing, world design, voice/motion capture performances and music are all near flawless, and when you bring them together you get a product of such remarkable quality that doesn't seem like it should even exist - but I'm so glad it does.