This article contains spoilers forRed Dead Redemption 2.
There are always some unwritten rules in any video game. These rules aren’t necessary for the completion of any game, but they’re more so little rituals everyone goes to lengths to complete to enhance, optimize, or otherwise improve their experience with whatever game they’re working through. Of course, they’re going to vary from title to title: always save dogs inMinecraft, always drop a 500kg bomb right before extraction inHelldivers 2,Boop the snoot when facing the PiginDead by Daylight.Red Dead Redemption 2is no different.
Whenever Arthur Morgan is roaming the expanses amidst the dying gasps of the Old West, most players would agree that there are some things that should just not be done. Things that, again, aren’t necessarily against the actual rules of the game, but are just so outrageous, such a disservice to the experience/story as a whole, that it’s better to stick to the unwritten rules ofRed Dead Redemption 2, lest a player commit one of the game’s cardinal sins.
Saving Micah Early in Chapter 2
Chapter 2 is widely considered the highlight of the game as far as the health of the Van Der Linde Gang is concerned. The Callanders and Jenny may be dead and Sean may be captured, but the camp is lively,Horseshoe Overlookis scenic and beautiful, the hopes for the future are still high, and most importantly, Micah is in jail waiting to be hanged.
Micah is one of the most hated video game charactersin recent memory, and with good reason. There were a lot of factors that contributed to the gang’s implosion, but it’s hard to deny that Micah’s serpentine maneuvering into Dutch’s ear wasn’t one of the primary reasons. His presence around camp in later chapters is a blight on the familial atmosphere. He antagonizes everyone he speaks to; he is an absolute menace to defenseless camp members like Jack and his dog Cain, and nobody but Dutch really likes having him around. It’s easy to see why the majority of players leave the gang’s resident rat to rot in Strawberry’s jail and make the most of the only time in the game Micah won’t be haunting the camp, ruining everyone’s good mood.
Making a Deposit at the Aberdeen Piggy Bank on a First Playthrough
There’s a well-known tactic known to fans as the “Aberdeen Piggy Bank.” It involves using the encounter withTammy and Bray at Aberdeen Pig Farmto preserve and cache all of Arthur’s money before embarking on his final mission. By letting Arthur get drugged and robbed before setting out on the mission “Red Dead Redemption,” the game allows players to return later as John and reclaim all the money they had as Arthur before he died.
Using this method in subsequent playthroughs is a fine way to keep the game as fun and nonrestrictive as possible, but leaning on it as a first-time player definitely does some damage to the intended experience. Being forced to start back over from nothing puts the player in the same position as John. TheEpilogue sees John Marstonbuilding his life back up from zero, just as the player tries to build their funds back up to what they were before Arthur died. While the money exploit is absolutely possible on a first run, players are missing out by not letting the money go the first time.
Not Helping Mary
Arthur Morgan: outlaw, gunslinger, brother, and lover. For all of his tough and gruff exterior, the story still makes it very clear that Arthur still holds a candle for Mary Linton. Even though he knows deep down it’s all in vain, he still cares for her deeply.Arthur’s journal entriesleave no questions about the matter: Arthur still very much loved Mary, even at the end of his life.
And that’s just one of the reasons why refusing tohelp Mary is one ofRDR2’s chief sins. As a widow, Mary genuinely needs Arthur’s help with her brother and father. Arthur absolutely wants to help Mary deep down in his heart; the short date the two go on in Saint-Denis after dealing with the brooch is probably the happiest he gets to be over the course of the entire game. And if not hurting Arthur’s feelings isn’t a good enough reason to always help Mary (it should be), practically-minded players will be forewarned that there are no alternative missions for those who choose to refuse to spend time with her. Not helping Mary with her brother and father is quite literally just locking out content from that playthrough.
Not Taking Care Of Horses
When playing throughRed Dead Redemption 2, the horse is the player’s best friend. More so than any NPC, gang member, or otherwise. Nobody has Arthur/John’s back like their trusty steed, or steeds if the player is trying to max out the stables post-game. Despite being digital creatures, it’s incredibly easy to get attached to thehorses inRed Dead Redemption 2. It’s one of the reasons Arthur’s horse dying is cited as one of the saddest moments of an already incredibly sad story. That animal had been with Arthur (and the player) through thick and thin; a constant and loyal companion.
Which is exactly why mistreating and poorly caring for horses is one of the biggest no-nos in theRed Deadcommunity. Not properly feeding the horse, neglecting its grooming and cleaning, and not making sure to heal/revive it if it gets hurt in either a fight or in an unfortunate collision with a tree. To say nothing of thebonding effects negligentRDR2horse ownersare missing out on by not treating their animal properly. A true cowboy always takes pride in their horse, and any self-respectingRDR2player will feel the same.
Antagonizing Jack
Rockstar left no stone unturned when developingRed Dead Redemption 2. The developers wanted to give players the absolute freedom to do anything they wanted. From hunting, to fishing, to petty crime, to, yes, even picking verbal fights with everyone and anyone Arthur or John come across. Including the four (later twelve) year-old Jack. Of course, every member of the gang can be antagonized; fromcharacters like Dutch, Strauss, and Micahwho deserve their share of grief, to the likes of Charles and Mary-Beth, who are some of the purest-hearted characters in the game.
But all the adults in the game are capable of firing back insults and jabs. Picking on Jack just feels wrong. Depending on where the game is in the story, it’s either the four-year-old’s close uncle or the twelve-year-old’s emotionally distant father taking verbal potshots at him for no reason.
Jack is the only true victim inRed Dead Redemption’s story. Born into a life of crime with no say in the matter, everyone he loves eventually dies trying desperately to save him from that world. And then he sinks into it anyway by the end of the first game. He’s had a tough life, and it only gets worse for him going forward.
