A reflection on one of the best games of the last generation in preparation for its sequel.

Spoilers will follow for the story of Red Dead Redemption in this article, we advise beating the game before reading if you haven’t already.

There are a ton of video games with single player stories. Some are fantastic, some are forgettable, some are truly dreadful… but every now and then, we get a nugget. A nugget that shines through everything else, a wonderful narrative journey that makes waves in the industry.

We’ve had this with The Witcher 3, God of War (2018), The Last of Us, and in 2010, Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption. Red Dead Redemption is the follow-up to Rockstar’s PS2/Xbox western, Red Dead Revolver. Revolver was a linear western shooter that Rockstar took over from Capcom in the early 2000s, a game that was seemingly never going to see the light of day but saved by Rockstar after they saw potential.

Revolver and Redemption are vastly different games from story to gameplay to art style but without Revolver, Rockstar likely would’ve never thought to make Redemption. Originally teased at E3 2005 in a PS3 trailer, Red Dead Redemption was made over the course of roughly 4 – 5 years and went through incredible development turmoil which reportedly made it borderline unplayable.

It was a technical nightmare before launch but was allegedly saved by producer Leslie Benzies just weeks before the game hit shelves. The fact that the game came so close to being a total mess but ended up being one of the most beloved games of all-time is truly remarkable.

A story about a man trying to redeem himself for his sinful past in a rapidly changing world:

There’s so much to love about Red Dead Redemption but what people really remember about it is the story that excels beyond a traditional video game narrative. As the Wild West is holding on to its dying breath, civilization is steadily heading towards a new era of power lines, motorized vehicles, automatic weapons, and much more. The world is changing rapidly and the days of outlaws running rampant are numbered.

A former outlaw turned government chess piece, John Marston, is given a mission by the law to track down the members of his old gang and put an end to him in exchange for his freedom and family. With no other choice, Marston seeks out the scruffy Bill Williamson who’s held up in a massive fort to begin his quest.

Of course, he tries to reason with Williamson and ends up taking a bullet. Marston is rescued by a young woman named Bonnie McFarlane who also helps run a ranch. She nurses John back to health and forms a close bond with the stoic cowboy who keeps on with his mission.

The story of Red Dead Redemption if done by any other developer could be more traditional or by the numbers. It’s not an incredibly complex premise and takes heavy inspiration from a number of films but it’s one that is expertly written to become something beautiful and refreshing. The complexity comes from its execution rather than the idea on paper.

The core of this narrative is basically this man going through a mid-life crisis. His family has been stripped away from him by the government, he must hunt down and kill his old non-blood related family who left him for dead, and even adapt as much as possible to the new world. The weight of the world is on his shoulders but in order to move on from his past, he must literally kill it and start anew.

Red Dead Redemption is an incredibly layered story with themes of political corruption and manipulation, sacrifice, family, and much more, there’s a ton of depth to this game and frankly, the likes of it haven’t been seen since 2010 outside of maybe The Witcher 3. It’s a game that takes its time, not forcing setpieces and action on you repeatedly.

It’s a game about characters and immersing yourself in their world, not one about constant chaos. The first few hours of the game are spent tending to this farm to pay off your debts to the McFarlanes, you wrangle horses, herd cattle, kill coyote hunting chickens, and more. It’s not the most thrilling gameplay but the character and story of John Marston keep you engaged.

You learn more about him and his checkered past, you hear tales of a tightly knit gang that came undone, and most importantly, you discover why John Marston is a protagonist you should care about. Marston is a unique Rockstar protagonist, many of them are pretty despicable and have nothing good in them.

The GTA characters are inherently evil, no matter how hard they try to stray away from their lives of crime, Max Payne and Cole Phelps aren’t Rockstar’s own original characters, and Jimmy Hopkins in Bully is kind of an asshole. Sure, he fights for the little guy but it always struck me as if he was doing it just because he didn’t like the jocks/preps, not really because he believed in being a noble hero.

There’s nothing wrong with any of those things, they work well for those stories and GTA features some of the most iconic characters in gaming but John Marston has a sense of humanity to him not found in others. He’s a man who has already lived out those days as a scoundrel, those days of him being very evil are going to be found in a completely other game, this is a study of what happens to those men when they grow older and wiser.

Red Dead Redemption is that story, the story of a man coming to terms with what he has done and realizing the weight of his deeds. He seeks that redemption and to help bring a sense of order to the West.

A world layered with vast, open space to create a feeling of isolation and create unique moments:

Something else I really latched on to with Redemption was the way the world is set up. You have towns like McFarlane’s Ranch and even Armadillo which feel like they’re modern for the time period, Blackwater is a bit more advanced and luxurious, and Mexico feels like its way behind on the times. It’s this world that doesn’t completely feel like its developing in unison due to the uncivilized nature of the West, the government is still attempting to establish itself into what we know it as today.

It’s a world that feels both vast and… empty but not to a fault. There’s a feeling of isolation as you roam the open prairies, desolate deserts, and explore various nooks and crannies. You almost take on this role as a drifter, going from town to town as the game progresses, spending evenings in bars drinking, playing in backroom poker games, sleeping at makeshift campsites, etc. There’s this looming feeling of independence and loneliness despite there being booming towns with business, movie theaters, and more.

The world is made in a way that gives a unique vibe but also makes it still feel alive via robust wildlife, random events like stagecoach robberies, a working train moving around the map, and more. One of my favorite memories I have is walking up to someone’s campfire, being offered a seat and a meal, and then promptly being attacked by the same man who welcomed me. I shot him down like it was nothing but when I inspected his camp, I found human remains. Not just corpses from a gunfight or something but something far more sinister, the man was killing people and eating them.

Perhaps the moment that everyone remembers is when John finally rides into Mexico and a non-instrumental only song plays. It offers a moment to breathe after a set-piece but also plays beautifully against the atmosphere of Mexico, setting a tone for what’s to come and simultaneously allowing you to reflect on your journey so far.

Moments of life, unique stories to tell to your friends, and intimate, emotionally charged moments like the aforementioned ride into Mexico are what make Red Dead Redemption so memorable. It’s moments like these that many of us have been yearning for all generation and hopefully, we’ll get plenty more in the upcoming sequel.

Rockstar is setting up a promising follow-up by not being yet another game just about crime:

What makes Red Dead Redemption 2 so exciting is that it’s not just another Rockstar game about crime, it’s about the collapse of a bygone era of crime. Unlike GTA which is all about climbing the ladder of crime, RDR 2 is a game about trying to hang on to that ladder at all. It’s about survival, the downfall of a large family and how long they’re willing to stay together before things get too tough and they have to split apart.

It looks to continue to have the much-needed depth to separate from just another crime story. Rockstar tends to take heavy inspiration from films with GTA V pulling from heist films like Heat, the original RDR pulling from westerns like Unforgiven, but Red Dead Redemption 2 feels like something we haven’t totally seen before.

Sure, we’ve noted some potential inspirations in another article but the idea of a brotherhood totally falling apart at the dawn of a new century filled with innovations and advancements feels totally original.

Regardless of if the sequel manages to be worthwhile or not (though it looks like it definitely will), the original Red Dead Redemption is one of gaming’s finest hours thanks to its beautiful storytelling and rich world. Truthfully, there’s plenty more to say about the game but at the risk of writing a novel if I continue writing, I have condensed it into these two particular points as they stand out the most. I have little doubt that I’ll be forced to do something similar when Red Dead Redemption 2 hits in just under a month.