Exactly eight years ago, Rockstar Games released a game for eternity with RDR 2. In the role of the former outlaw John Marston, we roam a wild west, which was already in its last breaths in 1911. RDR 2 is a prequel to the classic. Arthur Morgan’s adventure tells of loyalty, distrust and betrayal. Coupled with great gameplay, this late successor, for me, is no less than a masterpiece, not least because of its tremendous attention to detail.
What is Red Dead Redemption 2
RDR 2 is an open world action game and takes place before the events of RDR 2. The game from the developer Rockstar puts you in the role of the outlaw Arthur Morgan. Together with the notorious Van der Linde gang, he is fleeing the judiciary and bounty hunters, and the group keeps afloat with raids and other scams. In terms of gameplay, RDR2 relies on a huge open world that is supposed to put everything that rock star has ever seen in the shade – after all, the title was developed from the ground up for the PS4 and Xbox One. Elements of the predecessor are returning, including the Dead Eye slow motion function.
You also have your own horse again, which this time – like the character itself – has more and upgradeable status effects such as familiarity. In addition to a livelier animal world, Rockstar at RDR2 also relies on significantly more interaction options with the environment, for example, each NPC can be threatened or simply greeted, if desired.
The developers also take a different approach to the story and tell a lot of the story through gameplay. In addition to the extensive solo campaign, Red Dead Online is also a multiplayer mode that works similarly to GTA Online.
Plot
The gang around Dutch Van der Linde is forced to flee abruptly to the snowy mountains near Blackwater after a disastrously failed attack. Drawn by numerous casualties, they had to leave most of their prey behind and face a struggle for survival.
RDR 2 already demonstrated its narrative skills in its opening. We are thrown into the middle of an escape situation without knowing the exact background. It is indicated that a plan regarding a ferry went extremely wrong, but the circumstances that led to this disaster remain unclear. Rumors circulate that the gang leader, Dutch van der Linde, is said to have killed an innocent girl, but his followers do not want to believe this.
Above all, Arthur Morgan – the main character of RDR 2 and a founding member of the Van der Linde Gang. Arthur has been with Dutch since he was a boy, so he sees the charismatic leader, who is actually known for his circumspection and avoiding civilian casualties, as a father figure and his family in the gang. But Arthur, too, will no longer be able to ignore that something is wrong with Dutch and that they are all doomed to their ideal, the freedom to watch them die.
First Impressions
Initially, the pacing of the story is very slow. Since RDR 2 takes place around twelve years before the events of its predecessor, some aspects of the fate of the Dutch van der Linde gang are already known. Rockstar Games still manages to shed new light on familiar characters. There is also no simple black and white representation of the character drawing.
This is particularly evident in our main protagonist Arthur Morgan. Arthur would sacrifice himself for the benefit of the gang without hesitation, has no understanding of racism and finds no joy in killing. On the other hand, the outlaw has no problem collecting the debts of the recently deceased man from a widow. He kills witnesses, sometimes beats women, and he sees laws as an annoying obstacle between himself and his goals.
Gameplay
RDR 2 takes time for its characters. Especially in the first few hours we are busy with orders for the gang or individual members. We get to know our companions better through dialogues or the context of the assignments. This trick is also very important in narrative terms, because it only makes the later events even more difficult for the player.
Star of RDR 2 is, like pretty much every game from Rockstar Games, the gameplay and the open world. The tasks of the framework story, which will keep you busy for at least 50 hours alone, are well written and very varied. In it, of course, there are strong moments as expected from a Western epic.
Trains are raided, banks robbed, skirmishes committed to the law, or jailed gang members taken out of jail. With all the bombast, RDR 2 also takes time for the little interpersonal moments. So there is an assignment where we are supposed to get drunk with a mate to distract him from his guilt feelings.
The whole thing ends in such a wonderfully escalating binge that you inevitably feel reminded of one of the funniest scenes from The Witcher 3. Or you can teach little Jack, the son of John Marston, how to fish. It is this rhythm of loud and calm moments that the director set well that kept me on the ball.
But as well as the story is written and staged, RDR 2 does its best to lure the player away from its story. The whole game world is riddled with fun side activities. Be it treasure hunts, which we can only find based on drawn clues, or duels against legends in their field. There is so much to do that you don’t know what to do first. Poker, blackjack and domino are just a few of the mini-games found in RDR 2.
We can also collect posters in larger settlements, hunt for the fiends and collect the bounty if the delivery is correct. Speaking of bounty: Any outlaw who believes in their reputation will get a bounty sooner or later. Depending on the height, it will then be all the more difficult to move freely and undetected in settlements. If this is the case, you can pay the premium that is written on your head yourself at a post office and will then no longer be under observation.
If you need a breather from the hard life of an outlaw, you can relax while fishing. Depending on the place and type of bait, you can catch fish in various sizes. Of course there are legendary specimens here too, but they need a suitable special bait.
How realistic the game looks?
This turns out to be a lot more realistic than in its predecessor and I had to find that out painfully. When I shot a deer for the first time, I found that I had hit it, but it didn’t seem to be fatal. So I followed the animal and I did not expect what I saw there. The animal was lying on the ground, writhing in pain and screaming loudly, it had tried to escape from me, but was unable to do so because of its wounding. I stood there and had to swallow. You could feel the animal’s fear and despair until the moment I released it with a knife.
There is currently a discussion on the Internet as to whether such a realistic representation of hunting and the associated brutality is necessary. I clearly tend to say yes. Because of what I saw there I got respect for the thing. For me, it was no longer animated bots that I shot from the horse, but living things. By wanting to save them the suffering and the sight, I have dealt with the matter more. I went out of my way to hunt more and that made me sink even more into the world of Red Dead Redemption 2.
Bottomline
We had to wait eight years for a new Red Dead Redemption. Did the wait pay off? Yes it did! Red Dead Redemption 2 has become a true Western epic. In the first few minutes, I was reminded of The Revenant or the beginning of The Hateful Eight thanks to the great production. By skillfully juggling loud and quiet moments, Rockstar Games knits an exciting story about friendship, betrayal and the fear of change. A certain melancholy can often be felt, as the glorious times of the wild west are coming to an end with the advent of industrial cities.
Although we are dealing with a gang of criminals, they rarely seem unappealing – especially in comparison to GTA 5. Among other things, the gang support contributes to this. There we learn a lot about the backgrounds of our colleagues and there is a great feeling of togetherness. One can perhaps criticize the high level of realism in the representation of violence. However, I think it’s so good and right, since you may never be a little more serious about your actions. At least for me it was. The sheer number of side tasks also impressed.
Red Dead Redemption 2 has become a true Western epic. By skillfully juggling loud and quiet moments, Rockstar Games knits an exciting story about friendship, betrayal and the fear of change. Without question one of the best games of this generation
As in the previous one, I spent countless hours playing poker or hunting in Red Dead Redemption 2. If you don’t feel like it, you can also do the sometimes very bizarre (keyword: zebra – tasks) of so-called strangers. And if you don’t feel like it, you can simply enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the landscape. Red Dead Redemption 2 is without a doubt one of the best games of this generation and it will be remembered for many years to come.
