When I first loaded up Red Dead Redemption 2 and played through the prologue, I immediately noticed how slow the game moved. Trekking your way through the snow, you see the layers of the story begin to peel back as we try to figure out just what is going on with the Van Der Linde gang. For someone like me, a die-hard Red Dead fan, I stuck around and kept on Trekking. For those who were being introduced to the series for the first time, what motivated you to keep playing? Even more, what inspired you to complete the entire story?
Red Dead Redemption 2 is meant to be played slowly. The many complaints from gamers who fail to appreciate the methodical gameplay Rockstar intentionally developed blows my mind. Then it hit me. A game that is as slow and methodical as Red Dead 2 has to have so much more to offer than the methodical realism it provides. So why do we continue to play through this fantastic but drawn-out game?
So, What Is It?
Yeah, there’s plenty to do in the Red Dead World. There are animals to kill, treasures to find, and people to shoot. But that’s not what makes Red Dead work. Peppered throughout the game, you meet people. Throughout your missions and free exploration, you find out new things about the characters that inhabit the vast world that is Red Dead.
This is the reason that many story-based games similar to Red Dead Redemption 2 work in the first place. Think back to your favorite video game characters from the games you’ve played. What makes them your favorite? Was it because you found out they loved a certain band through an interaction they had with a record seemingly misplaced in a pile of rubble? Or was it because of some kind of hardship they faced in their past that resonates with an experience you’ve had in your own lifetime? These interactions are what keep us gamers engrossed in a dynamic story and Red Dead Redemption 2 is the king of these types of interactions.
Hardcore fans don’t get tattoos of their favorite character for no reason. The characters speak to them in some way as we build a connection with them throughout their journey. For me, Arthur Morgan resonated with me because he is just like most of us. He’s a good guy who attempts to make up for the demons of his past. We all make mistakes and most of us try to learn from them. If anything Arthur is the most relatable character I’ve played in a while, minus the horseback riding, cowboy outfits, and pistols. He’s a pretty average guy.
Now I’m not saying that these types of interactions are the only reason people love certain video game characters. There are many reasons to why some characters make it onto your list of best characters. These are just the type of things I think about when I classify my favorite protagonists in video games.
For more featured articles on Red Dead Redemption 2 and many more games, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter here.
