My Favorite Video Games:
Red Dead Redemption 2 logo

Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of my favorite games ever made. I have spent over 200+ hours in this game, its what got me through the covid years. Here is every reason why I think its one of the best games ever made, and why everyone should experience this game.

Setting

The story of Red Dead Redemption 2 is incredible. I think it is the sole reason that everyone should play this game. The game is set in the year 1899, when cowboys were on the decline because of the start of the modern age. You play as Arthur Morgan, a cowboy who is apart of a gang called the Van Der Linde gang. The gang has 26 members, with a cowboy named Dutch as thier leader. They are usually on the run because the gang pulls of robberies and gets into trouble with the police and other gangs. The whole reason for their robberies is to make enough money to escape and get away from the law and live in peace somewhere else.

Story and Theme

Without getting into spoilers, heres my quick summary of the Red Dead Redemption 2 story. The story begins after a failed heist leading the Van Der Linde gang to hide out into the mountains in the north. When the air finally clears, they are able to move back down south near a small town called Valentine. After some run in's with the law, they are forced to relocate camp. because of more conflict with other gangs and the law, the gang is forced to move around the state to avoid getting caught and leading the gang into trouble. Arthur Morgan's (the main protagonist) loyalty to the gang and the gang leader Dutch is questioned throughout the game because of many poor decisions that are made. Arthurs own morality is also questioned because of all the men he has killed and will kill for the his gang for answers that are not even gauranteed. Arthur throughout the story, forms better relationships with others in the gang, while some of his good relationships start to fall apart.

In the end Red Dead Redemption 2 is a devastating story about the fall of a gang because of changes of a new era. The story explores themes of loyalty and betrayal, and of course redemption.

The Gameplay

Heres a good description of the game from Red Dead Redemption's Wikipedia page Red Dead Redemption 2 is a Western-themed action-adventure game. Played from a first- or third-person perspective, the game is set in an open-world environment featuring a fictionalized version of the United States in 1899. Outside of missions, you can freely roam the interactive world. you may engage in combat with enemies using melee attacks, firearms, bow and arrow, throwables, or dynamite, and can dual wield weapons. Red Dead Redemption 2's world features different landscapes with occasional travelers, bandits, and wildlife, and urban settlements ranging from farmhouses to towns and cities. Horses are the main forms of transportation, of which there are various breeds with different attributes. The player can steal horses and must train or tame wild horses to use them; to own a horse, they must saddle or stable it. Repeated use of a horse begins a bonding process, increased by leading, petting, cleaning, and feeding it, and the player will acquire advantages as they ride their horse. Stagecoaches and trains can be used to travel; the player can hijack a train or stagecoach by threatening the driver and rob its contents or passengers.

The player may witness or partake in random events in the world, including ambushes, crimes, pleas for assistance, ride-by shootings, public executions, and animal attacks. They may be rewarded when helping others. They may partake in side activities, including tasks with companions and strangers, dueling, bounty hunting, searching for collectibles such as rock carvings, and playing poker, blackjack, dominoes, and five finger filet. Hunting animals provides food, income, and materials for crafting items. The choice of weapon and shot placement affect the quality and value of meat and pelt, and the player can skin the animal or carry the carcass, which will rot over time, decrease its value, and attract predators.

The Honor system measures how the player's actions are perceived: morally-positive choices and deeds like helping strangers, following the law, and sparing opponents in a duel will increase Honor, while negative deeds such as theft and harming innocents will decrease it. When the player commits a crime, witnesses alert the law; the player can stop them to avoid repercussions. Law enforcers investigate once alerted. When the player is caught, a bounty is set on their head; as they commit more crimes, their bounty grows higher and more lawmen will be sent to hunt them. If the player escapes the law, bounty hunters track them down. After committing enough crime, the U.S. Marshals will be sent to the player's location. To escape law enforcement, they can evade the wanted vicinity, hide from pursuers, or kill them. The bounty will remain on their head, lawmen and civilians will be more vigilant, and regions where crimes have been committed will be on lockdown. When caught by lawmen, the player can surrender if they are unarmed and on foot. They can remove their bounty by paying it off or spending time in jail.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Honor Icons

In addition to health and stamina bars, the player has cores, which affect the rate at which their health and stamina regenerate. Freezing or overheating rapidly drains cores, preventable by wearing weather-appropriate clothing. The player can gain or lose weight depending on how much they eat; an underweight character will have less health but more stamina, while an overweight character can better absorb damage but with less stamina. Eating and sleeping replenishes cores. The player can bathe to remain clean and visit a barber to change hairstyles; hair grows realistically over time.

Weapons require cleaning to maintain their performance. Using a certain type of gun extensively improves weapon handling, reduces recoil, and increases the rate of reloading. The player can take cover, free aim, and target a person or animal. Individual body parts can be targeted to take down targets without killing them. Weapons consist of pistols, revolvers, repeaters, rifles, shotguns, bows, explosives, lassos, mounted Gatling guns, and melee weapons such as knives and tomahawks.

Red Dead Redemption 2's Dead Eye targeting system allows the player to slow down time and mark targets. Once the targeting sequence ends, the player fires to every marked location in a very short span of time.

The Graphics

The graphic's in Red Dead Redemption 2 are some of the best in any game ever. The game looks very realistic, as the world is alive with countless amounts of all kinds of animals and people. There is different weather that happen in different parts of the map. For example theres snowy mountains where it can snow, or theres dry deserts where it never rains and you can see dust flying in the wind. There are different towns with different styles because of the environment they're in. Overall the graphics in this game are in my opinion the best than any game ever. Theres a look into Red Dead Redemption 2's graphics that goes pretty in depth and I think its pretty interesting.