Red Dead Redemption 2 is often considered one of the most profound narratives ever told in a video game. It tells the tragic story of Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang in 1899, when the Wild West is finally being tamed. The gang struggles to adapt in the face of adversity, and after being blinded by loyalty for far too long, ultimately dissolves as each member goes their separate way.
There are dozens of themes presented in Red Dead Redemption 2. The story is incredibly layered, allowing players to encounter themes of sacrifice, perseverance, revenge, and the sometimes very fine line between right and wrong. It's important to note that every player's experience and main takeaways from the story are different, and may vary greatly depending on the choices made, but that's only a testament to the game's depth. These are just a few of the most prevalent themes in Red Dead Redemption 2.
You Can't Run From Change
Change is at the heart of Red Dead Redemption 2, and the series as a whole. When the game begins, the Wild West is becoming decidedly less wild and is filled with law-abiding citizens and burgeoning industry. The members of the Van der Linde gang, Dutch in particular, have a very different idea of what freedom in America should be.
To the gang, freedom means being able to live free from laws and regulations, uninhibited by civilized society. Unfortunately for them, the time of gunslingers is over, and being an outlaw or gang member is grounds for execution. The gang might have made out okay if they recognized that change and decided to adapt accordingly. They could have worked towards developing marketable skills and integrated into society rather than choosing to live on the run, but they didn't, and it cost many of them dearly.
Whether the gang was ready or not, change came and had an enormous effect on them. They tried to outrun it by picking up and moving to a new place every time things got tough, but it wasn't possible. Red Dead Redemption 2 tells the tragic story of a group of people who are stuck in their ways, too stubborn, proud, or naive to adapt.
Change will come in forms that are unpredictable, and oftentimes, resisting it only makes things more difficult and prolongs the inevitable. Arthur eventually learns to accept the inevitable, but Dutch can't. The contrast between them is part of what makes the theme so powerful. Arthur knows that the gang is trapped in a never-ending cycle, but Dutch has deluded himself so well that he is unable to see past his own ambitions and ideals.
Family Isn't Always Flesh and Blood
Even though very few of them are biologically related, no one would argue that the members of the Van der Linde gang aren't a family. Many of them grew up together and would die to protect one another. When one member of the gang is hurt or in trouble, everyone else hurts too.
Most members of the gang are misfits of some sort, and that's how they were drawn together. Arthur was an orphan until Dutch and Hosea took him in, and 12-year-old John Marston joined the crew when they rescued him from being hanged. Even minor characters like Mary Beth, a young woman with no other family or prospects, have a story that ties them to the gang. Alone they stood no chance, but with the gang, they could survive and make a home where everyone belongs.
Like a family, they share the load and work together to make ends meet. Not everyone is close because members do frequently come and go, but for many of the veteran members, the gang is everything. Leaving and starting a new life in the changing world isn't an option. The gang is eternally bound together by shared memories and experiences, and no amount of time or distance can break those bonds.
The family theme is present in personal relationships as well as on the general scale. Dutch is a father to Arthur, and Dutch refers to him as his son several times. Although that relationship becomes incredibly strained towards the end of the story, the connection is still there. To Arthur, Dutch is a huge step up from his abusive father, and that close bond is part of what makes their falling out so heartbreaking. Arthur also refers to Sean as an "annoying little brother," and their relationship truly resembles that.
In Red Dead 2's epilogue, John, Abigail, and Jack represent a more traditional family. However, they don't cut the others off, even when they sometimes feel like it. Uncle, Charles, and Sadie are all welcome at Beecher's Hope, and are repeatedly invited to stay as long as they would like. Even if their goals take them in different directions, they are still connected.
The word "family" has many meanings, and Red Dead Redemption 2 is the perfect example of this. Family isn't necessarily who someone is related to, it's who someone chooses to spend life with, who they love, and who they are loyal to. Sometimes families fall out, as they do at the end of the game and in Red Dead Redemption, but that doesn't erase that connection.
People Just Become More of Who They Are
This line is repeated a couple of times in Red Dead Redemption 2, usually in reference to Dutch Van der Linde as he slowly descends into madness. At the start of the game, Dutch is a great leader who is completely dedicated to keeping the gang safe. No man is ever left behind, no matter the circumstances, and even though he's a bit dramatic at times, the gang trusts him to do what's best for them.
Through Arthur's eyes, the player slowly realizes that Dutch isn't the incredible leader he paints himself as. He's charismatic and has convinced a lot of people to follow and be loyal to him, but he's manipulative and greedy. Dutch is so good at his act that he's convinced himself that his plans and goals are realistic. There is always one more job, one more heist, one more massacre. The gang always needs just a little bit more money. One thing leads to another, and Dutch ultimately shows himself for who he really is when he leaves both Arthur and John to die on separate occasions.
Micah is the devil on Dutch's shoulder, but he was deluded even before that. Towards the end of the game, gang members debate whether or not Dutch has changed. Sadie makes a comment that the Dutch at the end of the story isn't the same Dutch that helped her when her husband was killed by the O'Driscolls. But really, Dutch was just showing his true colors under pressure. He was becoming more of who he truly was.
The same is true of Arthur. Players determine whether they want Arthur to be honorable or dishonorable, and for the most part will stay on that track. As Arthur's honor gets higher or lower, he is becoming more of who he really is in the player's eyes. Apart from the player's choices, Arthur ultimately isn't a bad person. He realizes what's truly important when he's diagnosed with Tuberculosis and, in contrast to Dutch, becomes a better person under pressure.
Whether or not people can really change is an age-old question, and different people will have different opinions on it. However, Red Dead Redemption 2 makes its opinion clear. Even when people appear to change, they always had that other side to them. All it takes to draw out someone's dark (or light) side is the right set of people, circumstances, and life experiences.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.