top of page

It's a long, hard road to seeing those blessed credits roll in Red Dead 2. Just when you think the narrative is coming to a close, the game laughs in your face and spins back up again to terminal velocity. I want to enjoy my new PC, but I can't, because of this voice in my head screaming "you still haven't finished Red Dead 2, what is your b***h ass doing playing Destiny." Days pass. A week. Still, the last chapter taunts me from the depths of my PS4. Here's what I've done instead of doing my "GAWD DAMN JOB." Haha, Dutch jokes. *** 1. Buy Spyro, then not play Spyro because the game icon sits too close to Red Dead 2 on the PlayStation dashboard.

2. Put up a Christmas tree, which reminded me that Arthur won't get to experience another Christmas season, which reminded me I still don't know for sure whether or not Arthur even dies, because I still haven't finished Red Dead 2. 3. Took down Christmas tree. 4. Wrote a 12,000 word fan-fic about the disappearance of Gavin.


5. Seriously, where the f**k is Gavin. 6. Watch all my casual, normie friends finish Red Dead 2, one by one. Each completion a reminder that I am, indeed, a failure. 7. Consider watching a Twitch playthrough of the ending, just so I can convincingly tell people I've finished it 8. Get ending ruined by aforementioned normie friend who'd wrongly assumed I'd done my diligence as a PROFESSIONAL VIDEO GAME BLOGGER to finish the biggest game of the year. 9. Hahahahahahahaha 10. Stare at my monitor, watching the particle effects on the dashboard circle around and around and around the Red Dead 2 icon.

11. Go for a walk, stumble over a log. Reminisce about that time my horse tripped over a log in Red Dead 2 and I was absolutely sure I'd killed it. Haha, I wish I were dead.

12. Write this dumb f***ing blog post no one is going to read.

13. Start Red Dead Redemption 1. Thanks for reading, Jake




Hey guys! Before we get to my thoughts on Red Dead 2, I have a friendly service announcement: Reading isn't everyone's thing. I get it. If you'd rather listen to a short "Audible" version of some of my more lengthy blog posts, I'm going to start including these. I'm toying around with the idea of doing videos as well, but that's a lot more work than I'm currently ready for. If you enjoy these or prefer this to the lengthy blog posts, let me know! Thanks, now onto the good stuff . . .


* * *


Well, unless you live in North Korea you probably know that a little western shoot-em-up called Red Dead Redemption 2, developed by tiny independent developer Rockstar Games (that was a joke), came out last Friday. It's of surprise to no one that this game is getting perfect review scores and smashing records left and right, so let's just get this out of the way: Red Dead 2 is amazing. It is visually, sonically, and stylistically jaw-dropping and it has awed me every minute that I've played so far. I sincerely doubted that any game would be able to topple God of War from it's perch on top of Game of the Year mountain, but I'm starting to worry it's been given a run for its money.


I'm about twenty hours and two chapters into the campaign, and I can say Rockstar has truly built one of the most immersive video game worlds... maybe, ever. It doesn't diverge much from the formula that made the first Red Dead Redemption such a great success, but I mean, don't fix what isn't broken, right? You'll find that the mission structure is largely the same, there are still games of blackjack to play in the town saloon, and you'll still take part in the occasional bank robbery. All of these core experiences that you've come to enjoy from the first game have been left in tact, albeit perhaps now with a bit more cinematic flair. I have so many thoughts about this game, but for the sake of everyone's time and patience I want to hone in on one thought I've had while playing so far, and that thought is this.


Red Dead 2 isn't afraid to take its sweet time.


Rockstar has gone through amazing lengths to provide us one of the most immersive, realistic video game experiences of all time, but I'll admit-- before RD2's release, that had me worried. When I heard that you would need to regularly maintain your weapons in order to keep them from degrading, and that your character, Arthur Morgan, had hunger/stamina stats that had to be maintained in order to keep him functioning at peak performance, I was worried that the realism would border on meticulousness. Now that the game is out, I can confirm that there is an astonishing level of downtime in this game, and I have to say, in an age of loot boxes and instant gratification, it's a bold move. Unless you've played it yourself, you maybe aren't fully aware of what I mean when I say "there's a lot of downtime," so I'll give you some examples. Arthur Morgan gets himself into his fair share of muddy bar fights, and that mud sticks around for awhile on Arthur's face and clothes. His hair will grow continuously as well, so if you don't want Arthur to look and smell like a homeless person (NPC's will take notice of this as you pass by), you'll need to make regular trips to the nearest body of water, as well as your shaving kit back at camp. In that same way, your horse needs regular grooming as well in order to maintain its health. This includes brushing it when it gets dirty, and feeding it some carrots from time to time. None of this is exactly required, but the game does a great job of making you feel insecure about the way Arthur looks if you don't keep up with his appearance, and your horse will collapse from exhaustion if you don't take care of it.



Hunting animals is also handled a little differently in Red Dead 2. First off, you'll need to pay close attention to the wind and which direction its blowing, or it'll blow your B.O. directly at your prey and they'll run off into the ether. When you do finally find and kill your prey, you'll immediately notice there is an actual skinning animation for every single animal in the game. The first time I killed a deer, I was horrified as Arthur sunk his knife deep into the deer's belly, yanked it with a sickening crunch down to it's scrotum, and peeled the skin back to reveal bloody muscle tissue. Further, if you're a bad shot like me and don't manage to hit the animal's neck or lungs on the first shot, the animal will drop writhing and crying out in pain (wow--just like real life!). If you have a weak stomach or a soft spot for animals in general, you've been warned. Aside from all that, there is a lot of laborious horseback riding between destinations in Red Dead 2, same as the first game. Almost every mission will have a 3-5 minute ride to and from the mission area, alone or with a companion. These rides serve as important opportunities to get to know your companions better, but I'll be honest, I frequently find my mind drifting off during these rides. I'll keep my thumb mashed on the 'X' button so my horse stays on autopilot, and with my other hand I'll use the time to do a quick perusing of Facebook. This is less the game's fault and more the result of a decade of smartphone usage and fast paced FPS's, but here's the thing, isn't that the case for most of us by now? I would even consider myself a pretty patient individual, so if I'm having trouble with these interactive cut-scenes, I know others are too.


The fact is, life in the old west wasn't as fast paced as it is today, and Rockstar Games pulled no punches in reflecting this in their game. It's a risky design choice, but here's why it pays off.

While Red Dead 2 might take its time, it never feels like it wastes it.

This isn't a game you're going to breeze through over a weekend, and that's by-design. You're intentionally being throttled so that you don't miss the game's painstaking detail, and I'm not just talking about the visuals. I'm talking about moment-to-moment experiences that are constantly occurring in the world around you. For instance, I was riding back to camp the other day when I heard an NPC talking to his horse on the side of the road. I pulled up behind him to observe, but in doing so I guess I accidentally startled the man, who shouted out "Lord have mercy!". This caused his horse to panic, and in a split second it had reared back and donkey-kicked the NPC in the head, absolutely crushing the poor man's skull. The horse then sprinted off into the woods, and that was that. I was shocked, and I couldn't help but laugh at what had just happened. This is one of many spontaneous moments constantly occurring on your travels, and they happen regardless of whether you choose to slow down for them or not. Here's maybe a better example. Last night I decided to make a trip to one of the local gunsmiths in town to pick up a new revolver. I walked into his shop, and the smith directed me to the catalog on the counter. The transaction went about as normal as it could have gone. I handed him my money, he handed me my new weapon-- but before I left the area I heard someone calling out from just outside of the shop. I walked around the side of the building and noticed a pair of hands groping out in desperation from the gunsmith's basement window. As I got closer, I realized with growing disgust that the man was wearing a little boy's sailor outfit. He cried out "Help! He's holding me here against my will. I'm chained to the bed!"


Appalled, I headed back inside the shop and aimed my gun (the one he'd literally just sold me) directly at his head, demanding he let me into his basement. "W-w-well," he stammered, unlocking the cellar door. "Ain't nothin' to see down here, just my son, takin' a nap is all." (Yeah buddy, suuuure). He led me down, I shot the hostage's shackles, and he ran off. To my surprise, the gunsmith then fell to his knees and broke down in tears. He then proceeded to explain the series of tragic events that had led the loss of his real son's life, and I realized that I'd misread the context clues. The gunsmith was undoubtedly mentally unstable, and while kidnapping strangers and dressing them up in cute sailor outfits is admittedly wrong...at least he wasn't some kind of sexual pervert? I almost felt sorry for him, but that didn't stop me from robbing the f**k out of his basement.



My point is, that whole experience could have been easily missed if I'd been dead-set on buying a gun and moving on to the next mission. Red Dead Redemption 2 rewards you for paying attention to your surroundings and not being afraid of the downtime. The campaign is fine so far and I'm enjoying it, but what I'm really falling in love with are all of the miss-able moments in-between the action. If you're finding yourself easily distracted, I'd urge you to set your phone aside (or maybe throw it to the opposite end of the room) and let yourself get lost in the wild west. Thanks for reading (or listening)! Jake

  • Writer: Jake Moix
    Jake Moix
  • Oct 22, 2018
  • 5 min read


One of the first games I picked up when I purchased my Nintendo Switch was a cute little Metroidvania called Hollow Knight. Going in, I was expecting a challenging 2D platformer that gradually opens up in a "Metroid-like" fashion the more I explored, but aside from that I didn't know much about the game. I was a little worried about the difficulty level (I still am, truth be told), but I love the art style, and the high praise Hollow Knight received at launch was enough to warrant a purchase from me. I'm only about 15 hours in, but I am in love with this game.


Before I get into what I love about Hollow Knight so much, let me set the stage. You play as a tiny insect-knight with no known name, history, or pursuits. Your only weapon is your trusty nail, a cone-shaped sword that you'll upgrade throughout your journey. Your adventure begins with your arrival in Dirtmouth, a mostly abandoned village save for a wise, old bug that greets you upon arrival. You're told that Dirtmouth lies on the surface of a massive web of tunnels and caves known as Hollow Nest: an ancient kingdom of disrepair that attracts those seeking wealth, glory, and enlightenment. Like many brave knights before you, you drop down a well, into the unknown, and your journey begins. *Spoilers ahead*

What you'll discover is that the world of Hollow Knight is dark, breathtakingly beautiful, and occasionally even melancholic. There is no better example of this than the City of Tears, a region with towering, rain swept skyscrapers made of glass and stone. As you hack your way through dejected streets of enemies, a gentle, almost haunting melody of stringed instruments plays over you. The city and music evoked a certain pensive sadness that I couldn't quite explain, but it soon became clear that I was exploring the remnants of what Hollow Nest was in its golden age. It was my first realization that the world of Hollow Knight is more than just tunnels and more tunnels of things that want me dead. Each of the dozen or so regions has a story to tell, and it was to my benefit to explore as much as possible before moving on.


Like any other metroidvania, you'll immediately encounter areas of the map that you're not meant to access until you've unlocked different abilities-- a ledge that's just a bit too high, an enemy that's just a bit too tough, etc., etc. Don't get discouraged if you encounter one of these enemies and it hands your ass to you on a silver platter. Chances are, you're not meant to fight it at that point in the game. So much of Hollow Knight's enjoyment comes from gathering new abilities and retreading your steps to take revenge on the boss that you couldn't beat before, or access a new area of the map that previously had been inaccessible.



Upon discovering a new section of Hollow Nest, you'll find that you have to locate the map maker before you can chart areas that you've explored. That means that until you find the maker, you're as blind as your great aunt Deborah (apologies if anyone reading this actually has a blind aunt Deborah, I'm sure she's a very sweet lady). If you pull up your map, all you'll see is a little white icon (you) in a sea of black. It's definitely as foreboding as it sounds. This fear is only made worse by the fact that a strange, hulking figure standing across the room might be a new enemy type that smears your brains across the floor (9 times out of 10, it is a new enemy type that smears your brains across the floor). Or, it could be a new merchant peddling much needed upgrades to your abilities, there's literally no in-between. That possibility is almost always enough to sucker me into a fight I'm not ready for, and at that point, you're as good as dead. When you do inevitably die, your soul, along with all the Geo (money) you've earned leaves your body and you're sent back to the last bench you rested at. During the time your knight is separated from its soul, you're missing a much needed fraction of your spirit gauge, which you use to heal yourself and perform certain attacks. You keep your abilities, but this means that if you want to reclaim your lost Geo and refill your spirit gauge, you'll have to retread your steps and locate your soul. This mechanic is most similar to something like Dark Souls, but that said, I don't find it to be quite as punishing. 15 hours in and I've yet to lose all of my money, which happens if you die before you can reach your soul. If you die in a spot that's particularly hard to reach, you also have the option of returning to a vendor in Dirtmouth that, for a price, can safely summon your soul for you to reclaim. You'll want to take advantage of this if your knight died with its pockets loaded. Speaking of which, along your journey you'll meet all kinds of different characters and vendors, and almost all of them have a story that gets drip-fed to you throughout the game. You'll want to speak to everybody you meet as often as you can, because that's how each of the game's excellent (at least so far), branching narratives unfold. Hollow Nest always has me on the edge of my seat, so stumbling across a reoccurring friendly face, like the map maker, brings such a profound feeling of relief-- a bit like running into a familiar face in unfamiliar surroundings. That said, not everyone you speak to will turn out to be your friend.

Early in the game, I found a vendor claiming to be a banker that I could deposit my Geo with. "This would be a wise investment," she told me. My money would be safe should I ever die before reaching my soul. In retrospect, I should have been more skeptical. I deposited about 3000 Geo (certainly nothing to bat an eye at), and continued my journey. When I needed it again, I returned to the location only to find *gasp* her stand was empty. Burning with righteous fury, I struck her "bank" with my nail. I noticed that as I did so, the entire structure shook slightly. I hit it two more times, and to my amazement, the entire thing just falls over. As the realization dawned that I'd just been swindled out of my hard earned Geo, I couldn't help but laugh. I'd been played. I hear that later down the road this story arc pays off in a rather satisfying way-- but I won't give that away for anyone. These are just a few small examples of what makes this game so special to me, and I doubt I've even made a dent yet in everything Hollow Knight has to offer. This game is perfect for something like the Switch, but if you don't have Nintendo's handheld it also just recently released for the Xbox One and PS4 for ~15$. If you're a fan of metroidvanias, or gorgeous game worlds, or breathtaking soundtracks, or supporting amazing game developers that don't take advantage of your hard earned money, I urge you to give Hollow Knight a spin.

 
 
 

© 2023 by Salt & Pepper. Proudly created with Wix.com

Get notified when I post!

(I know, I dont know why you'd want to do this either).

SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL

bottom of page