I sense that my time in Read Dead Redemption 2 is coming to a close. I’ll be talking about story-heavy moments, so I’d bookmark this page and come back to it if you don’t want any Red Dead Redemption 2 plot twists revealed.
I was riding Hades through the woods. I had the grip of a double-barrel shotgun clutched in my right hand with the barrels pointed toward the starry sky. My left hand grasped the reins that gently guided Hades through the mountain trail. She didn’t need much guidance though. Hades was a great horse, a carrot-loving good girl. She once kicked the face of a Lemoyne raider who tried to pull me off of her saddle. She got two carrots that night.
Around me, little animals chattered and skittered as Hades’ slow trot gave away our intrusion into their night life. A ways out, unseen in the night, a bear bellowed a roar that reverberated through the mountains like a dragon’s call. After spending a few days running errands between the bustling Saint Denis and the small towns that dotted the coast, it was nice to be back out in the wilderness. It wasn’t quiet, but it was peaceful. I solemnly wondered if this was going to be the last time I’d take in this particular view on this particular trail. My days are numbered, after all.
After events unfolded earlier in the game, Arthur Morgan finds himself facing his own mortality a lot sooner than he anticipated. The sudden revelation changed the way I play Red Dead Redemption 2. I went from racing from town to town as an eager, gun-slingin’ errand boy, hardly taking a breath between missions unless it’s to swear at someone to move out of the way, to a gentler, contemplative man who knows his days are numbered. I never played Arthur as a character of recklessness. Arthur was a proud man, in my eyes. One bloodthirsty Micah and a dumb Bill was enough aggressive stupidity for the gang to deal with. I don’t think Arthur would add to that boiling temperament.
With the grim reaper on my trail, I started really paying attention to my surroundings. Arthur’s imminent demise reminded me of my own imminent demise with the game. I had been looking forward to Red Dead Redemption 2 for years. However, I know full well that I rarely deep-dive back into long, single-player games for a second playthough. There are always new games for me to play, so I feel obligated to experience as many different games as I can, rather than dedicate months of ever-limited free time to a single game. This might not only be Arthur’s last ride through these woods, it might be mine as well.
So I slowed Hades down, and enjoyed the ride. Dutch can wait.
A retail copy of this game was purchased by Epic Brew.
