This article contains spoilers for the first chapter of the video game Red Dead Redemption 2.
The video game Red Dead Redemption 2, developed and published by Rockstar Games, has made nearly $1 billion in gross revenue, according to the Steam Revenue Calculator. This success is well-deserved. Red Dead Redemption 2 is widely regarded as one of, if not the best video games ever made. It features a spectacular story that tackles heavy subjects such as manipulation, loyalty, guilt, death, and corruption, among others. In this article, we will explore the story of Red Dead Redemption 2‘s first chapter, “Colter.”
The game takes place in 1899, starting with a cutscene in the midst of a heavy, windy snowstorm. A group of people are gathered around a dead body, with four buttons placed over the man’s eyes. These people are desperate for food. Therefore, Dutch—the group’s leader—calls out to Arthur, instructing him to come with him. Arthur and Dutch mount their horses and venture into the storm to find Micah, who had been sent to look for any potential help, such as food or people. As they ride, Arthur and Dutch see lights approaching them. Despite the lights being just a few feet away, the heavy snowstorm obscures their vision. Their luck has taken a turn for the worse recently, so when they see the lights, worry immediately strikes them. Dutch calls out with his deep voice, asking who it is. There is no response. Then, Micah appears.
Micah mentions that he has seen a house that looks like it’s hosting a party inside. This is strange, given that they are on a mountain during a snowstorm, where resources are scarce. Nevertheless, they follow Micah. He leads Dutch and Arthur through the storm until they arrive at the house.
The house is illuminated with lights, and the sounds of men shouting and having fun can be heard. Dutch tells Micah and Arthur to hide while he speaks to them, reasoning that a single man would seem less intimidating than a group of men. Dutch knocks on the door, and the house falls silent. A man opens the door to Dutch, who gives an altered version of his story, still hiding the fact that he is not alone. Meanwhile, Micah, distracted by something much more concerning, notices a dead body under a rag on a nearby wheelbarrow. The body is that of a man, probably the one in the house. This sight of a potential threat causes both Micah and Arthur to draw their revolvers, ready for a fight. Dutch, still unaware of the situation, remains calm, but Arthur, worried for Dutch’s safety, fires a shot. At that moment, about 20 armed men rush out of the house, opening fire. Arthur, Micah, and Dutch fight back and manage to kill all the attackers.
They enter the house to search for food and supplies, only to discover that the men they fought were O’Driscolls. The O’Driscolls are a notoriously ruthless gang that does terrible things without reason. They are also rivals of the Van der Linde gang, Dutch’s group. While Dutch’s gang is more like a large family where everyone cares for each other, the O’Driscolls recruit anyone they can and have a larger, more violent following. The leader of the O’Driscolls, Colm O’Driscoll, is a man Dutch despises, partly because Colm killed a woman Dutch loved.
While searching the house, Micah finds a woman hidden in the attic, armed with a knife and running around. In the chaos, she knocks over a lantern, which breaks and sets the house on fire. Dutch calms her down, assuring her that they are there to help. The woman introduces herself as Sadie Adler, explaining that the O’Driscolls killed her husband, most likely the man in the wheelbarrow, and locked her in the attic. This house belonged to Sadie.
Arthur investigates a nearby barn, where he is attacked by an O’Driscoll. After defeating the man, Arthur learns some information about Colm O’Driscoll. Depending on the player’s choice, Arthur can either choke the man to death, knock him out, or let him go, knowing that he will likely perish in the storm. Arthur also acquires a new horse during this encounter. When Arthur returns to Micah and Dutch, he finds Sadie sitting on Dutch’s horse. They all ride back to the Van der Linde camp, where food is scarce, but the group is large.
The next day, Arthur is sent to find John Marston, another member of the gang. Arthur dislikes John because John had left the gang for a while, abandoning his wife and son before suddenly returning. Arthur views John as a poor father and husband, assuming he’s left again. All they know is that John went out and has since gone missing. Abigail Marston, John’s wife, pleads with Arthur and Javier to find him. Despite Arthur’s reluctance, Abigail convinces him. Javier, who likes John, accompanies Arthur on the search.
They ride through the snowy mountains, and eventually, Javier spots a camp. They arrive, but no one is there. After some time, they discover a dead horse, mauled by wolves. Javier recognizes the horse as John’s. The fact that the horse is still fresh indicates that John, whether dead or alive, is nearby. Javier fires his revolver into the sky to signal John. Soon after, they hear John’s cries for help and follow the sound. They navigate the mountains on foot, enduring freezing temperatures until they finally reach John, who is severely injured, his face covered in cuts from wolves. Arthur picks John up and carries him back to the horses, setting him on Javier’s horse. They return to camp, where John is put to bed to recover.
The following day, Arthur speaks to Pearson, the camp cook, who mentions that the gang is low on food. Charles, another member of the gang, overhears and offers to help Arthur go hunting. Despite Pearson’s skepticism, Charles insists that they will succeed where others have failed. Arthur, unsure of his hunting skills, follows Charles into the wilderness. Charles hands Arthur a bow, explaining that a gunshot’s loud noise would scare away animals. They successfully hunt two deer and return to camp with the meat, enough to sustain the gang for the time being.
Meanwhile, Dutch is planning an attack on an O’Driscoll camp. The information Arthur gathered from the O’Driscoll he fought in the barn provides a lead on Colm O’Driscoll’s whereabouts. Colm had wronged Dutch in the past, which fueled Dutch’s desire for revenge. Arthur, Dutch, Micah, and several others ride out to the O’Driscoll camp and launch an attack. After a fierce battle, they kill all the O’Driscolls at the camp without losing anyone from their own gang. While looting the camp, Micah discovers a set of papers detailing plans for an O’Driscoll train robbery. This was the reason they came. They head to the shack where Colm was supposed to be, but find it empty. Just as they prepare to leave, a small group of O’Driscolls arrives. Arthur kills most of them, but one manages to escape. Dutch orders Arthur to bring the escapee back alive, and Arthur gives chase. After capturing the O’Driscoll and tying him up, Arthur returns to camp with the man in tow. The gang learns that Dutch plans to use the information from the papers to rob the train the O’Driscolls had been planning to target.
Arthur, Dutch, and the gang head to the train tracks, where Bill is preparing dynamite. Arthur helps him wire the detonator. However, the explosion fails to happen as planned. With the train continuing on its course, Arthur and Lenny, another gang member, chase the train, jump aboard, and fight their way through the guards until they reach the controls and stop the train. The rest of the gang catches up, and more guards arrive, but the gang successfully defeats them. After looting the train, they return to camp. The gang packs up their things, loads up a few stagecoaches, and leaves the mountains to continue their journey into new territory.
In the end, throughout each chapter within the story, Red Dead Redemption 2 gets better and better. This is accomplished through dynamic visuals, compelling characters, and a very strong narrative. These elements have attracted the attention of millions of players from around the world, proving that a good story is more important than a gimmick.