Red Dead Redemption 2 Isn't Afraid to Take Its Time

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 . . .

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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