Kay Simpson
Gaming has always been my passion. In my family home I always had a console and I remember being so drawn by the bright colours, fascinating gameplay and characters. It wasn’t until my adult years when I properly got into gaming; my anxiety was the worst it has ever been and I needed an escape and boy did I get one…
On October 26th 2018, I was delighted to receive my copy of Red Dead Redemption 2. I didn’t know what to expect, I had only played a little bit of the first game but as I was so young I couldn’t get drawn into it, but here I was: 20-year-old, completely sucked into this incredible world. I knew from the first moment, seeing the snowy mountains of Colter, that this game would change my life.
The story was absolutely beautiful. To follow a gang of outlaws and fall in love with every character was not what expected had expected to happen upon my first playthrough. Going by the title, the story is one of Redemption, but it is also about self-discovery as the protagonist Arthur Morgan starts the game as an unapologetic outlaw, continuing to commit crimes with the gang of Dutch van Der Linde. Depending on how the player wants to play the game, they can put Arthur down a dark path of destruction or to a more honourable path where he wants to make amends to some of the choices he made through the earlier chapters.
The story is just so fresh and interesting, and even after playing it more than seven times full-way through, I have never been tired of it. There is no denying that Arthur is my favourite character, he is quick witted, charismatic and strong willed. I was absolutely taken by Roger Clark’s performance.
He brings a sense of humanity to Arthur. Watching him suffer throughout his battle with tuberculosis in the final chapters was so painful for me, mainly because I was so in awe of the character; every time I play the game, I want Arthur to have the best ending because he deserves it as a character and Roger has worked so hard to make this character what he is.
I also found Dutch Van Der Linde to be a very interesting character. Played by the incredible Benjamin Byron Davis, I found Dutch charismatic and charming man, watching him start as a strong and inspiring leader to the gang to his slow descent into madness as his want for power and greed grows, it was just such a powerful performance by Davis.
it’s not just the main characters that I was drawn to: each character offered a strong role within the story, every gang member had an intriguing personality that the gang of outlaws humane.
I cannot put into words just how much this game has helped me in terms of my mental health. I suffer from pretty severe anxiety and depression for many years now and there are days when I can’t even get out of bed because my mind goes so dark. Whenever I felt low in mood or high in my anxiety, the game would take me away from reality, allowing me to escape into this world and truly immerse myself for hours. I want to spend all my lowest moments with Arthur and the gang. Although they are not real, I have grown so much of an attachment for every character, to the point where they feel like a second family.
I want to take this moment to thank the cast for bringing these wonderful characters to life and being so lovely during interactions on social media and at conventions. I would also like to thank the creators and writers at Rockstar for making what I call my favourite game.
Do you have a game that might have helped or inspired you? Share your thoughts via tweet @Fuzzable.
