Smile and Nod: I, John Marston

[dls182]

Brilliant article Russ.

Red Dead Redemption wrapped me up in it's story and world more than any game I have played. The way the characters were created, the way the world slowly unfolded before your eyes... It was incredible.
And the ending.... I've never had such strong feelings for a character in a game. It was a very emotional moment.

If story telling in games continues to build on this new benchmark, I have high, high hopes for the future of video games

 

[TPiddy]

I think the ending of Red Dead Redemption is very interesting when you consider the three main characters: Marston, Ross, and Dutch.

Marston believes (perhaps naively) that he can redeem himself for his past sins. He works for the government to try and get his family back. If you play the game honorably, he really is turning his life around. If you play it dishonorably, you see he can't really change. But either way, he is trying, and after killing Dutch, who was your friend, you feel he really has redeemed himself in some way.

Ross does not believe that anybody should be forgiven. In Ross's mind, Marston gave up his life long ago, and so it is Ross's duty to finish him off. Ross has no problem manipulating Marston because he sees him as less of a person. And then he betrays him to fulfill his vision of what is right, and then he gets medals. In this way you see that Ross is the true villain--traitorous, cruel, and destructive--but his actions are based in his belief in the law, a law that isn't ready to apply out west.

Dutch understands the situation best of all. He sees that Ross is evil, that Marston is being used, and that they will never be forgiven. Although he is violent and insane, his words ring true. In the end, everything that he predicted comes to pass. The law wins and the west comes to an end. In the meantime, all that Marston succeeded in doing as killing an old friend.

Absolutely this. Part way through I was hoping there would be a quest where John smartens up and tortures Ross for the location of his family members. You just HAD to know that they would come for John too.

I also loved that Jack basically became his father, in spite of John's efforts to prevent that. My favourite part was the banter between Bonnie and Abigail though. That whole mission was awkward to say the least .

I liked the medicine dealer, Irish and even the side characters you meet like the guy who asks you to get flowers for his dead wife, California, and the guy who wanted to fly. If it weren't for Mass Effect 2 coming out this year RDR would be my game of the year.