Snow is falling all around me, outlaws are shooting, my lifestyle is coming to an end and also acts as a metaphor for how the American dream can never come true for those born on the wrong side because power begets much more power than Violence begets violence. Those are the lyrics, right? Something like that. When I think of Christmas, I think of snow. And when I think of snow, I think of Red Dead Redemption 2.
You're probably thinking, “Oh yeah, the worst thing about the game.” You know what, buddy? You are the worst part of the game! The snow in Red Dead Redemption 2 reigns supreme, both on a thematic level and on a “actually play the game and just enjoy it without trying to seem clever” level. Highly underrated and admittedly a difficult opening to the game, it's time for the snow to have its place.
Red Dead’s “Snow” has a central thematic purpose
First, the topics, if you indulge me. We know that Red Dead Redemption 2 is a cowboy game. We know it's a bang-bang shoot-em-up that robs trains and rides horses through sun-drenched fields. And yet the game begins in the snow. It's all very much “What the hell is a polar bear doing in Arlington, Texas?” We feel like we're in the wrong place. The characters feel like they are in the wrong place. These are people who lack the place to run, the time and the options.
Although they soon appear again in more typical environments, Red Dead Redemption 2 is about being, if not the right man, then at least one Good Man in the wrong place at the wrong time. They are thieves in a world that no longer wants them, they are more ghosts than people. This is all laid out in the conversations in the game itself. The writing in Red Dead is excellent, but not entirely subtle. In Red Dead Redemption, it was a train that ran through the map, symbolizing the way in which the Old West was separated by progress. In the prequel it is the gentle white snowdrift.
But it's not just the opening. It's the end. We see all of America in Red Dead Redemption 2, with the map acting as a microcosm of the various states at the end of the 19th century. Our journey takes us everywhere and we end up back where we started. Men and women are running out of places to run, running out of time, running out of options. It is not possible to live a bad life and experience good things.
The snow is better when you hug it
Of course, for many people there is a simple answer: they don't care. While RDR2 isn't always subtle, it is often rich and there are many examples of thematic storytelling. I understand what Guarma is trying to do (incorporate island territories into the view of America and show early examples of Pax Americana), but can never quite as passionately defend it as I do the snow. The cleverness of the storytelling never quite holds up when playing the game feels like too much of an ordeal.
I have more sympathy for the lack of enthusiasm here. Rockstar is confident enough to give Red Dead Redemption 2 a slow start, keeping the botched heist a secret throughout the game and starting Arthur (along with the rest of the gang) at his lowest point, making us feel like we're lifting him up not being able to just follow him. It's deliberately slow, but slow nonetheless.
I don't think it matters as much until the second time. The first time around you might want to go out and rob banks or whatever, but you understand that it's important to get to know each character and see where the story goes. Only after one repetition do you really want to throw off the training wheels. Likewise, the slow climb and the steep difficulty of the ending have different effects, depending on whether you're looking forward to the end or just want to finally finish the game after a long break as John the Farmer.
While these two snowy bookends are the main times you can trudge around in your snow boots, they aren't the only time. We can visit icy regions over the course of the game, occasionally forced there out of necessity, but mostly only visited via optional detours. Even if you don't like the narrative value of the snow, these moments show that if you ignore the snow entirely, you're missing out on too much of RDR2.
Hunting is easier and more rewarding in the snow with less foliage for cover, fishing offers some unique catches, and there are dozens of ice caves or abandoned mines unlike anywhere else in the game. You'll need to dress warmly, but you're largely left to fend for yourself in Red Dead Redemption 2's winter wonderland. Every time I look out the window and see snow on the ground, part of me wishes it were me right at the start of my journey with the Van der Linde gang. Merry Christmas indeed.
-
OpenCritic
-
Top Critic Rating:
96/100
- Released
-
October 26, 2018
