I don't spend eight-five plus hours with many single player games. Red Dead 2 is still occupying my time, and as I make my way through its epilogue, I thought I'd share a few observations and opinions on this amazing Western.
--I absolutely love Arthur Morgan, the character. I keep comparing this game to the Witcher 3, because they are both massive open world experiences, and while Geralt's curmudgeony gruffness is endearing, he is not a particularly interesting character, seeing how he doesn't diverge much from the typical dark fantasy archetype. Arthur isn't original--he's a more relatable Clint Eastwood--but he's fascinating as a man fighting against his lawless upbringing. As a nun tells him in the final chapter, he's always helping people in spite of himself, and although Arthur's help usually takes the form of violence, he isn't essentially a bad man. In many ways the game is a commentary on the aimlessness of life and how we blindly follow a pathway until we discover that it is not the only trail in the woods. Arthur doesn't discover this until he's sick and dying; however, as Rain Falls tells him, it is a gift to know one is dying, because one has the opportunity to find peace. Arthur doesn't find peace, but he musters enough resolve to finally abandon the monster Dutch has become.
--There's never been a world as fully realized as this in gaming. Its depiction of flora and fauna is stunning, and during my time playing it, I've taken one-hundred and fifty-two screenshots. Red Dead 2 is the first game to really make me want to go to a real world place. It's a hell of a technical achievement, and even years after its release, I don't think there's another title out there that rivals it in verisimilitude. This is a game that wants you to take your time, and while I was initially frustrated with Arthur's ambling gait and the long horse rides from town to town, I came to appreciate the opportunity they afford the player to take in the beautiful artistry on display.
--The epilogue with Marston is brilliant. You get to experience what Arthur sacrificed himself for, and you see it through the nascent eyes of John. I didn't mind shoveling horse shit or teaching Jack to ride, and it's hard for me to imagine anyone playing through eighty hours of gameplay only to complain about the end, although I'm sure some dense bastards did.
--Did this game have to be so long? You know, I certainly didn't mind it taking its time. I did wish that Arthur would've confronted Dutch sooner storywise. Hell, every damn time he said he had a plan I knew it was going to fail spectacularly, and so did Arthur. However, Arthur really doesn't abandon Dutch until Dutch abandons him, so strong is his loyalty, and he even states to Marston that loyalty was the only thing he valued, before urging John to be loyal to his family over Dutch. Anyways, I think the length works as an indulgence that is tolerated because of the quality of the material.
--One complaint I do have regarding Red Dead 2 is that the PC controls kind of suck. Fishing is pretty much impossible with a mouse and keyboard, and there are so many context-dependent actions that I sometimes felt like I was playing a flight sim rather than a third person action game. A gamepad played smoother, but I just can't use a gamepad with any game that features shooting.
I'm going to post a bunch of screenshots, just because I can.
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