Spoiler
What a game. What a brilliant, emotional, moving piece of writing and story telling. Superb characters, superb pacing, superb arcs and development. It's been a long, long time since I've been moved like that by a video game.
Arthur Morgan was a good guy in my world. Hunter, gatherer, crafter and killer, but rarely as a result of murderous intent. The letter Mary sent describing a good guy wrestling with a giant was a perfect metaphor for him in my view.
The dynamic story telling (if that's the right phrase) is immense, this is rockstar after all, but they continue to set the bar. An example, I was travelling through St Denis heading to a mission marker when it disappeared. My first thought was that it was day/night based and as result had disappeard, then I thought the game had crashed has I initially lost control of Arthur, then he collapsed. I knew something was bad, and had seen it coming from the foreshadowing coughs that had developed and his general state of appearnace, but when the TB diagnosis was given, and you realise it's a death sentence, I mean, wow. That hazy, dream like walk from the doctors office and the first stag citing.. Just gorgeous.
The extra missions you pick up along the way as a result of high honour carry a load of weight as a result of the actions and earlier side quests. The chat with the nun at the train station was brilliantly done and set him up for the conclusion to the main storyline.
The final mission. Just brilliant. I'd been holding out hope for a Native American TB cure, or one of the characters from earlier side/main missions coming through for him, but when those Pinkerton motherfuckers killed my horse I knew. I think Arthur does too. I love how the game recognises the bond between Arthur and his horse at that point. After I'd elected to help John escape and then forced him to go alone there was a moment of hope as Micah jumped on me and took us away from the police. That fight was brutal as well. Haven't tapped a pad's button so hard since the days of olympics games on the Megadrive. So close to getting him over the edge, so close multiple times. The ending sunset and the final stag vision just a brilliantly cinematic end to one of the best story driven games I've played.
Obviously being a red-dead veteran I'd considered the possibility of the Epilogue. I'd reluctantly accepted that saving Arthur may be out of my control. I'd noticed the growing bond and trust between him and Marston. I thought they might do it. They didn't disappoint. What a superbly brilliant obvious way to tie these two games together. After Arthur's closing scene fades to black and the cutscene of John, Abigail and Jack riding along in the wagon switches back to player control there's this immediate "Stamina at 60%" message once you get control of Jack. So simple. So perfect.
Time to play through the Epilogue now. I've heard via a friend that survivors from the gang still live in the world, but that's the limit I want spoiled for me. My first mission will be to track down Arthurs final resting place in the desperate hope I engage John's "Eagle eye/hunting vision" and find a clue as to what happened next. I can't lie, a small piece of me wants to find a note saying something like "But it just wasn't my time. AM"
After that, close out the side quests, I hear they account for Arthur's death/John being the protagonist, and then will start this again.
I fear the re-incarnation of Arthur Morgan may turn out to be a lot darker, a lot more evil.
Critically speaking, the game has flaws - random switching of square/triangle buttons to interact with things, occasional issues with steering of horses, the slightest collision with someone leading to a full out shootout. But in the wider scheme of things, they fade into inconsequential, minor complaints. With a world that alive, that gorgeous, wildlife that realistic and terrifying, characters and story so well developed, written and acted, who cares.
Immense. An utter pleasure to play through.
