Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4)

⭐ 10.0/10

(Originally written by Joseph)

I feel like I can't properly express my affection for this game in a way that doesn't understate it, so I'll just say that this might be the most impactful piece of media I've consumed since playing LOTRO or discovering the Lumineers some 5+ years back.

It is a masterpiece among video games. The attention to detail is unlike anything I've experienced before, and I just can't imagine the work that went into it. The music is phenomenal, and landscapes are breathtaking and the historical backdrop is entirely immersive. But more than anything, the story and the characters within the story are the heart of it all. I admit that I shed many, many tears by the time the credits rolled, and have shed many since while revisiting scenes on YouTube. I can't emphasize enough that video games have the unique ability to help you identify with a character as you wear their skin, and in this case you wear the skin of Arthur Morgan for some 80 hours as he grapples with morality, death and if people can change. Arthur is not the only great character though, as this game has a very full cast of unique, splendidly voiced and motion captured characters - specifically Dutch who is possibly the most dynamic character in video games.

Similar to the van der Linde gang living in a dying age of outlaws, I fear this game won't age well as a new age in gaming is being ushered in this fall. I feel it's my duty in the future to properly appreciate how this game made me feel while I binge played for hours straight during the pandemic of 2020.