10 Red Dead Redemption 2 Moments That Prove Slower Games Are More Impactful

Red Dead Redemption 2 is undoubtedly one of the best open world games of all time, and is widely regarded as Rockstar's best game to date. However, some players were critical of the game's slow pace and long, drawn-out narrative, which can typically take players over 90 hours to complete from start to finish.

Here we will take a look at how many scenes in the game are actually enhanced by its slower pace, which acts to gradually build tension as well as connection to the many characters within it.

10 The Fishing Trip

A Sign of Things To Come

Although the infamous "fishing trip" with Jack takes place relatively early in Red Dead Redemption 2's story, it is the perfect subtle introduction to the dangers that will threaten the gang for the remainder of its story. Fishing is in itself one of the game's most relaxing activities, and this slow scene followed by the quick and tense encounter with the Pinkertons serves to raise the stakes considerably compared with the opening prologue.

Rather than immediately resolving the issue with a gunfight, the brief conversation then leaves players with a constant sense of unease at being watched and monitored by the law — an unease which will eventually drive Dutch and several other members of the gang insane. What gives the scene even more payoff for players who have completed the original Red Dead Redemption game is the way it mirrors the final scene in which a grown-up Jack Marston gets revenge against Edgar Ross.

9 The Hanging of Colm O'Driscoll

Better Late Than Never

Colm O'Drisoll serves as the primary antagonist during the opening chapters of Red Dead Redemption 2, at least in the mind of Dutch, who declares him as the gang's sworn enemy. While he certainly isn't a pleasant character, he actually does very little towards Arthur to cause any kind of direct personal hatred.

By the time it comes around to Colm's hanging in Saint Denis in Chapter 6, he is almost an afterthought. You almost feel sorry for him as he is sentenced to his doom, and a last-minute plan to save him is scuppered by the Van Der Linde gang. Nonetheless, it is still satisfying to see him on the receiving end of some traditional Old West justice, and the spectacle that the mission provides is every bit worth the wait.

8 The Burning of Braithwaite Manor

Revenge Is Sweet

The Braithwaite family don't exactly have many redeeming qualities, a fact which becomes more and more clear as we have to interact with them — and that makes it all the more satisfying when the whole gang proceeds to attack and burn their plantation to the ground. Although it is actually the Van Der Linde gang who double-cross the Braithwaites, the kidnapping of Jack is the final straw after long and drawn-out tension which finally erupts in the mission "Blood Feuds, Anicent and Modern."

The scene is made more effective by the fact that, as Arthur, you have spent several hours getting to know the family and their lavish property. What is ordinarily a restricted and heavily guarded area soon becomes a chaotic battleground and results in one of the most significant changes on the map when the manor is burned down.

7 The Killing of Leviticus Cornwall

Leviticus Cornwall is not a character we get to see much of in the game, but he still has a domineering presence due to his various enterprises, including the primary oil and railway infrastructure in the area. He funds the Pinkertons in their efforts to track down and get rid of the Van Der Linde gang, putting him, quite literally, in the sights of Dutch himself.

What makes this scene stand out is the shockingly abrupt nature of the murder. During what appears to be a relatively routine conversation in Annesburg, Dutch decides it is the optimal time to take out his target. What ensues is a chaotic gunfight which practically wipes out the entirety of the town. After building up Cornwall for so long throughout the game as this seemingly untouchable figure, the fact that Dutch takes the very first opportunity to kill him only serves to heighten the unpredictability of the game's story from thereon after.

6 Return from Guarma

A Memorable Reunion

The Guarma section of Red Dead Redemption 2's main story got a mixed reception from fans, but I personally loved it. By departing from the main map and storyline for a few hours, it only enhances the appreciation all the more when you return. As Arthur makes it back to America and saddles up, with the tune of "Stand Unshaken" playing in the background, you get hit with an overwhelming sense of freedom and longing for the gang to whom you will return.

This section works perfectly to break up the main narrative of the game and marks the transition into a much darker and more revenge-driven plot. Along with the pacing, it also strengthens the bonds between certain characters in the group, and the change of scenery also shows a tropical side of the world which we otherwise wouldn't get access to.

5 Hosea's Execution

A Needless Tragedy

Hosea is one of the few mentor figures Arthur has in the game, and acts in a fatherly way towards him as the elder of the gang. In the early chapters, the idea of losing Hosea is almost unthinkable, but by the midpoint, as pressure mounts on the gang and escape seems impossible, his death becomes more of an inevitability than a shock.

His demise marks a major turning point in the story, from optimism to desperate escape. What makes the death particularly poignant is just how avoidable it seems to be. If Dutch had organized the bank robbery slightly better, this likely never would have happened. The scene also serves to amplify the Pinkertons as the main enemy in the game from here on out.

4 Dutch's Betrayal

A Progressive Fall Into Insanity

Dutch van der Linde's descent into madness can't be distilled to one singular event, but is rather a gradual process which starts off as a cautionary seed and soon devolves into full-blown betrayal. In addition to withholding key information and placing more faith in Micah than his long-time partners, Dutch also snaps at several points when he kills Angelo Bronte and the old Spanish lady on Guarma.

He also suffers a head injury during the Saint Denis tram heist, which only acts to accelerate his descent into madness. Dutch's paranoia finally reveals its full face in the mission "My Last Boy" when he abandons Arthur in the oil foundry and essentially leaves him for dead. He later betrays John in a similar way, refusing to go back and save him when John falls from a moving trolley while being chased by law enforcement.

3 Return to Beecher's Hope

An Emotional Homecoming

Beecher's Hope is one of the most significant locations in the Red Dead series, and this is certainly true in the latter half of Red Dead Redemption 2. The homestead bought and built by John Marston himself, which eventually serves as his and Abigail's final resting place, is seen coming to life from its very inception following the events of Arthur's story.

Even simply exploring the ranch in the knowledge of what takes place in the first game can be an emotional experience, one which is generally enhanced by an eerie rather than homely ambiance. It is the perfect place to finish the game as John is finally freed from his burdens and can finally start the life he wants with his family... or so he thinks.

2 Arthur's Demise

A Prolonged Tragedy

The gradual and painful deterioration of Arthur Morgan is certainly one of gaming's most memorable tragedies — and it is precisely the slowness of his decline that makes it so effective. In a world filled with brash outlaws and gung-ho cavaliers, this grizzled bandit faces the far less glorious fate of a slow-acting case of tuberculosis.

Not only does the inevitability of death completely reshape the mood in the latter half of Arthur's story, turning him towards a path of redemption, it also makes each one of his actions feel all the more meaningful as a result. Every moment spent with Arthur after his diagnosis feels more special and worth cherishing, which is a supremely effective way of getting the message of mortality and impermanence across.

1 Marston's Redemption

The Icing On The Mountain

By the time you get around to completing the mission "American Venom", the chances are you will be close to 100 hours of game time in total, if not more. This mission feels more necessary than satisfying. It is a duty to avenge Arthur and free John from his association with the Van Der Linde gang, at least until the events of the first game begin.

What gives this mission an extra edge is the fact that it is truly a 'full circle' moment. Having started out in the snowy mountains, struggling to survive, the remnants of the gang meet once again for a final stand-off, and one which ultimately brings the grand narrative of Red Dead Redemption 2 a close.