8 Red Dead Redemption 2 Scenes Players Didn’t Fully Understand Until a Second Playthrough

Few games, if any, have the detail and depth of Red Redemption 2, and that becomes even more noticeable on subsequent playthroughs. As with any great story-driven game, replayability is very important, and while the game may not be especially 'choice-heavy', it's the multi-layered depth of its characters and game world which really make it worth a second and third playthrough.

While some players criticized the game's slow pace, others found this to be one of the game's most appealing aspects. After all, life was a little slower in the 1800s, and the sweeping Western epic which is told in the game certainly makes every hour worth it. Many details and scenes become even more obvious on a second playthrough, with these in particular standing out as the most noteworthy.

8 Leaving The Snow

A Foreboding Episode

The opening chapter of Red Dead Redemption 2 gets some criticism for its slower pace, but on a second playthrough you realize that it's actually not bad at all. When the gang finally depart from the brutal blizzard and heavy snow, it's much easier to appreciate a second time just how much the game is opening up before you.

One moment that stands out in particular is when Arthur and Hosea notice the Indians watching from the mountaintop — only in retrospect do we recognize them as the Wapiti tribe we will later encounter as part of the game's main story. Not only is the scene in itself more impactful a second time around, but you then get to set up camp at Horseshoe Overlook, which is arguably the best camp location in the game, along with Clemens Point.

7 Sean's Death

Less Shocking But More Sad

Sean might not be the most likable character in the gang, but he's definitely not the worst either. The first time around his death comes as quite an unexpected shock, but the second time around you become filled with a sense of impending doom when the gang decides to head into Rhodes to confront the Grays.

Knowing what is about to take place, you can't help but feel sympathy for the naive young Irishman as he waltzes through the town with his back towards the danger. In fact, knowing that this scene comes relatively early in the game's story can lead you to appreciate Sean and like him more as a character overall. It makes saving him and the ensuing party at Horseshoe Overlook all the more enjoyable too as you know that this is pretty much as good as it gets for poor Sean.

6 Saving Sadie

If Only They Knew What They Were In For...

Sadie Adler is undoubtedly one of the coolest female characters in recent gaming history — to the point that many fans even requested DLC or spin-off games centered around her. While she initially comes across as the terror-stricken victim of an O'Driscol raid, it soon transpires that she is one of the most ruthless and combative members of the entire Van Der Linde gang.

On a second playthrough, the scene has greater significance, as do all interactions with her. It's easier to see how she progresses into the gunslinging outlaw of the later chapters when you know how she will eventually end up. The scene also perfectly encapsulates the way Rockstar is able to make a seemingly routine mission take on much greater significance at a later point — as by the end of the game, Sadie is undeniably one of the most loyal characters.

5 Helping Mary

It's Your Choice

Mary is a difficult character to read on a first playthrough, but the second time round, you can actually save Arthur a lot of trouble and heartache by skipping her altogether. While Arthur and Mary clearly have a deep romantic past behind them, ultimately there is nothing to be gained whatsoever from helping her. Instead, Arthur is met with manipulation and a lack of appreciation considering how readily he is willing to risk his life for her.

On a second playthrough, you are much better informed when it comes to responding to her letters, and considering they are entirely optional, you can just ignore Mary entirely. However, I'd say if you want to experience the story to its maximum, this tragic element certainly increases the drama of Arthur's decline.

4 Kieran's Apology

A Moment of Peace in a Savage World

Much like Sean, Kieran isn't exactly anyone's favorite member of the gang. With that said, he is a pretty harmless and well-meaning fellow who certainly doesn't deserve the barbaric and grisly fate he ultimately ends up receiving. Knowing that he is eventually going to be beheaded and sent back into camp as a warning message, it gives his entire character an even more tragic tint than he would have on the first playthrough.

The fact that Kieran gets treated so poorly by just about everyone in the gang certainly doesn't help. Kieran is desperate to win the approval of everyone in the gang, and this is perhaps best encapsulated in the mission where he teaches Arthur how to fish. Once again, this scene stands out as a highlight for this particular character, even more so when you have the knowledge of the brutal ending they will face.

3 Micah's Disappearance

Seems Totally Coincidental

Following the brutal massacre of the townsfolk in Strawberry, Micah decides to stay away from Dutch and the rest of the camp with the excuse of needing a 'peace offering' to give to the gang leader. However, since it turns out that Micah was in fact working as an informant for the Pinkertons, this section of the story takes on new significance on a second playthrough.

Unfortunately, you can't simply leave Micah to rot in his cell. It seems that his time in Strawberry prison is most likely when he was approached and coerced by the Pinkertons. It's not until the very end of Arthur's story that we finally learn, through his own admission, that Micah was indeed "the rat".

2 The Tram Accident

You Okay There, Dutch?

The tram accident in Saint Denis is an event that can actually go wholly unnoticed on a first playthrough, but it becomes more and more evident every time you see it that Dutch sustains some kind of head trauma during the mission "Urban Pleasures" in Chapter 4. This marks a turning point where Dutch becomes increasingly more violent, erratic and unpredictable, eventually leading the gang into deeper and deeper trouble.

Though Dutch certainly isn't a grounded sort of fellow, he is a lot more reasonable in the first half of the game — and many players suspect that the tram crash has a lot to do with it. After the incident, Dutch mentions repeatedly how his head is hurting, but doesn't take a backseat from leading the gang. Shortly after, he decides to take his revenge in the most chaotic and unplanned ways against the likes of Colm O'Driscol, Levitticus Cornwall and Angelo Bronte.

1 The Cough

A High Price To Pay

The scene that perhaps carries more significance than any other on a second playthrough is the scene in the mission "A Fork in the Road". It is at this point in the story that Arthur is sent out by Levi Strauss on a seemingly routine debt collection mission, only to find his victim suffering from a bad case of tuberculosis.

During a brief scrap between the pair, the man coughs directly into Arthur's face. While it seems a little gross at first, it also seems very inconsequential. However, for players who have completed the game or at least progressed a great deal further into the story, it soon becomes apparent that this mundane task has some of the most severe consequences in the entire game.