So I'm a few months late on this one, but I just finished Red Dead Redemption yesterday, and for the most part, I was actually pretty underwhelmed. From the disconnect between the player character's motivations and actions, to the litany of worthless tasks put forth to him in the primary story, I was about ready to write the game off as good, not great.
But then I got to the ending.
The game concerns a former outlaw, the grizzled, semi-literate John Marston, who has been forced into the business of bounty hunting by some rather despicable members of what will become the F.B.I. You see, they've kidnapped his wife and son, and are holding them as collateral until Marston hunts down and kills all the members of his old gang.
This storyline does well to bring about a Heart of Darkness inspired storyline, as Marston is forced deeper and deeper into the world he tried to leave behind. Unfortunately, this storyline, which would have served a two hour film brilliantly, is very forcibly stretched to accommodate a 15 hour game.
Developers Rockstar have christened this with the magic touch they bestowed upon 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV, meaning some great dialogue, memorable characters, and absolutely meaningless story missions designed to flex the writing staff's muscles, more so than provide enjoyment for the player.
This approach does its best to ruin any sense of pacing, and the mechanics of the GTA system can mean finishing one mission, immediately starting the next, and having characters speak to Marston as if they haven't seen him in days.
Overall, though, I was never too concerned with the story (until it hits its climax and then it's oddly long yet compelling coda, that is). The real draw here is a chance to live life in the dying days of the wild west; roaming the plains, hunting both animals and treasure, helping strangers you meet along your way, gambling, horse-breaking, bank-robbing; it's all there, and it's all wonderful.
I found myself going for days at a time without touching the story missions, simply wandering about the vast wasteland, reliving moments from all my favorite westerns. All along, though, the theme of modernity's encroachment on Marston's way of life, and the way of life in the old west in general, permeates every layer of the game.
Marston is a relic of a dying world, and the way the game communicates this is utterly fascinating. When you finally do catch up to Dutch, the ruthless leader of Marston's old gang, and the Kurtz figure of the story, he delivers some truly powerful parting words that so wonderfully echo the game's themes that it is positively haunting.
Not so coincidentally, about the time you run into Dutch, the game's story gets good. Really, really good. Great, even. But just when you think the game is over, the extended, and intriguing epilogue begins, throughout the duration of which there is an unwavering sense of dread. Despite the fact that everything seems to be at peace, you know it most certainly is not. The whole time, you know some crazy shit is about to happen, yet you never know quite when, and when it finally does happen, you still aren't ready for it.
To discuss it further would be even more spoileriffic than the preceding paragraphs, so I will just say that the ending is one of the best in video games. It's shocking, heartfelt and profound. It's not to be missed.
But if you'll excuse me, I'm off to roam the plains.
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