Games That Left a Lasting Impression on Me.

Honestly, I'm not very good at this (I don't know how a blog works). But I'll put this in the “games” category to talk about the audiovisual content that has made me reflect the most so far; maybe I'll update it over time or replay some of these gems.

Red Dead Redemption 2. (High Honor)

I have so much to say, but I don’t know how to organize my thoughts.

And man, what a great game. It’s an experience in a class of its own, and I think I’d even like to see it as a movie (aside from well-established franchises, like Capcom’s, some Sega IPs, and others).

On a more superficial note, I hate horseback riding—I find it a boring mode of transportation (though it’s somewhat made up for by the events you can stumble upon while exploring). I feel like the camp funding mechanic is the most useless thing ever— I unlocked all the upgrades but never used them—there was always a store closer by where I could buy ammo (and I wasn’t even that picky about my gear; just standard ammo—I haven’t tried the other types yet). Mauser pistols, the Lancaster repeating rifle, and the repeating shotgun—that’s all I used. I didn’t like the rate of fire on the rifles, and they also suffer a lot with Dead Eye, since you can only target 1 to 5 targets per weapon. They deal a lot of damage, sure, but aiming for the head serves the same purpose, so I don’t see it as that important.)

I played with high honor from the start (or at least, I’m not one to use more than the required or necessary amount of violence—it’s just not really my style. I also didn’t see the need to loot because I already had everything in the game, at least in this playthrough. I’ll probably replay it with low honor, though I don’t think it’ll be as great as the high-honor run.)

The soundtrack is exquisite; “May I Stand Unshaken” really hits hard when you return from those Cuban islands, and after everything that happened—Hosea’s death, Lenny’s death, John’s arrest—it was a tough chapter. Even more so with the consequences of the gang and the Pinkertons hot on their heels; just reflecting on whether one can remain unshaken even as their world crumbles, is a tough thing (I mean, little by little the gang is becoming more reckless, more impulsive, ignoring the values or principles they started with—the very things that set them apart from the others—it’s tough; I mean, it’s all Arthur Morgan has known since he was a teenager; he had principles, even if he set them aside at Dutch’s request or out of loyalty to the gang, or for other reasons).

Is it rare to see an outlaw with principles? I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen a Western movie, but the figure of a (morally) bad character with principles always leaves a certain impression.

And at the very least, I see great loyalty in Arthur—right to the end, even when it wasn’t in his best interest (I mean, even after everything that happened, he still chose to tell Dutch the truth), and he doesn’t seem like a vengeful person (I mean, he believed in the principle that revenge is a luxury they can’t afford; Arthur hurts people as a side effect of his actions, not as an end in itself, which is why he rejects it when they talk about it), but then his sense of honor grows when he helps Addler against the O’Driscoils (who knows why), but he was against or hesitant to kill innocent characters (or other important characters who had the gang as their enemy). 

But beyond empathizing with the protagonist, I don’t think anyone would argue with me when I say that Arthur Morgan is clearly not a good person (or at least on the “scales,” I don’t think he balances things out—he lived a life of evil, he admits it, acknowledges it, and doesn’t even think he deserves anything else; many people suffered because of him; he did evil so that his people could be okay.) If we stretch the concept really far, at best, maybe he’s a good man who did bad things.

“That’s the Way It Is” is another gem that hits really hard—how everything you’ve built can vanish in a second, like the gang, which was active for years, disbanded in a single day (and after a lot of chaos).

I think the line “In their final moments, people show who they really are” comes from a Batman movie. Even though I’m quoting it right now, I don’t think it applies here—I mean, I think that sooner or later, we’d have ended up with a similar outcome (I don’t know if it would have involved Arthur dying), but it was already clear that Arthur had doubts about Dutch’s decisions (and his actions as well). But their days were indeed numbered—civilization was already catching up with them. Even so, Arthur chose to help those he could before leaving—John, Jack, even Dutch. I simply don’t have the words to express my appreciation for this story. Maybe later I’ll read this and edit it so it makes more sense and doesn’t just come across as a ramble about all the things I liked with no apparent order.

But seeing how Arthur goes from someone who “just follows orders” to going against what he loved (the gang) because he finally realized the direction they’d lost—it’s simply a slow and majestic process. I just appreciate the character development and the time taken to build everything up, because the ending is a gem—he didn’t seek forgiveness; he sought to do good with the little time he had left (even though he knew he wouldn’t earn any forgiveness or make up for all the harm he’d done; he knows he lived a bad life, but he comes to terms with his fate).