So, I loved Red Dead Redemption 2 and thought Arthur was one of the best protagonists in a game I'd ever seen. Going in, I knew nothing about the series. The only thing I knew was the major twist at the end of RDR1, and that was from cultural osmosis (around the time RDR came out is was hard to avoid discourse about the game). I didn't know anything about the Van Der Linde gang, John Marston, Arthur Morgan, or the fate of any of the characters. I also didn't know RDR2 was a prequel.
When I learned RDR took place after RDR2, I was psyched. I basically had a sequel to play!!
Until now, though, I couldn't. All I had was a PS4 and a Switch, and once I finally got my hands on a Series S, it was still super expensive on the store. So I held off.
Now, 3 years later (almost the exact amount of time that passes between RDR2's epilogue and RDR) I am finally playing the game. I am not that far yet. I am still hunting down Bill and doing random shit around Armadillo.
Some notes:
-John is a very different protagonist from Arthur. I of course knew this from RDR2's epilogue, but there is so much more to it here. RDR2's epilogue was basically John finishing off Arthur's story, fulfilling what Arthur wanted him to do and start his own life. RDR is its own thing entirely. This is John's story. John being forcibly tied to the government completely changes the dynamic he has with the characters in the game. There is no gang or campfire. He feels like a lone wolf. Not to mention his completely different personality - he seems more "heroic" than Arthur, with much less moral ambiguity besides his darker past.
-The mood is more melancholic than RDR2. RDR2 has you performing heists and running with a gang from the get go. RDR1 has you alone and on the government's leash. The surrounding area is desolate and dreary. Even the music is lonelier. The whole "death of the old west" feeling that was creeping underneath RDR2 is on full display here. The people, including John, are having trouble adjusting to the turn of the century, and nobody is really comfortable with it.
-The side characters, aside from major ones like the marshall and Bonnie, are much cartoonier than RDR2. They feel like they were ripped straight out of a GTA game and given an old west skin. Seth, West Dickens, and Irish - the three I've encountered so far - all fit this bill. And John helps them simply because he has to for the sake of the story, even the creepy grave robbing psycho. This feels like a relic of a bygone era of gaming, when games felt much more... "game-y."
-Outfits have to be unlocked. Not sure how I feel about this as one of the things I loved about RDR2 was the customization. It is fun trying to search for all the scraps, but I suppose I will have to settle for a much less fashion-conscious main character this time around. Rocking the Duster outfit right now and loving it, though.
Since I am so early in, I am excited to see more of the game. What happened to Dutch? Javier? Bill seems like he lost weight and is doing much better for himself, aside from turning much more evil, that is. I can't wait to conclude this story that Arthur Morgan started.
When I learned RDR took place after RDR2, I was psyched. I basically had a sequel to play!!
Until now, though, I couldn't. All I had was a PS4 and a Switch, and once I finally got my hands on a Series S, it was still super expensive on the store. So I held off.
Now, 3 years later (almost the exact amount of time that passes between RDR2's epilogue and RDR) I am finally playing the game. I am not that far yet. I am still hunting down Bill and doing random shit around Armadillo.
Some notes:
-John is a very different protagonist from Arthur. I of course knew this from RDR2's epilogue, but there is so much more to it here. RDR2's epilogue was basically John finishing off Arthur's story, fulfilling what Arthur wanted him to do and start his own life. RDR is its own thing entirely. This is John's story. John being forcibly tied to the government completely changes the dynamic he has with the characters in the game. There is no gang or campfire. He feels like a lone wolf. Not to mention his completely different personality - he seems more "heroic" than Arthur, with much less moral ambiguity besides his darker past.
-The mood is more melancholic than RDR2. RDR2 has you performing heists and running with a gang from the get go. RDR1 has you alone and on the government's leash. The surrounding area is desolate and dreary. Even the music is lonelier. The whole "death of the old west" feeling that was creeping underneath RDR2 is on full display here. The people, including John, are having trouble adjusting to the turn of the century, and nobody is really comfortable with it.
-The side characters, aside from major ones like the marshall and Bonnie, are much cartoonier than RDR2. They feel like they were ripped straight out of a GTA game and given an old west skin. Seth, West Dickens, and Irish - the three I've encountered so far - all fit this bill. And John helps them simply because he has to for the sake of the story, even the creepy grave robbing psycho. This feels like a relic of a bygone era of gaming, when games felt much more... "game-y."
-Outfits have to be unlocked. Not sure how I feel about this as one of the things I loved about RDR2 was the customization. It is fun trying to search for all the scraps, but I suppose I will have to settle for a much less fashion-conscious main character this time around. Rocking the Duster outfit right now and loving it, though.
Since I am so early in, I am excited to see more of the game. What happened to Dutch? Javier? Bill seems like he lost weight and is doing much better for himself, aside from turning much more evil, that is. I can't wait to conclude this story that Arthur Morgan started.
