What makes the journal even more beautiful is the fact that it records your moments in-game and weaves them into the life of Arthur. I may not be able to make Arthur loyal to Dutch in the end or have him be pals with Micah, but I can decide what side activities he partakes in or the animals he hunts. It gives what I do in-game life. The journal becomes my version of Arthur’s final days, giving my playtime a personal, lively touch that I’ve never experienced in a game before: Arthur’s story and mine intertwine.
In-game journals or logs in other games often have the appearance of life, thanks to talented teams, but none feel like living, breathing books like Arthur’s does. Drake’s notes in the Uncharted series are filled with doodles and charm that is signature to Drake’s personality, but its in-game purpose is usually to solve simple puzzles more than to flesh out the characters. During my brief time with Mass Effect , the Codex was easily my favorite bit since it filled out the history of the galaxy, but it lacked a personal anchor point.
Red Dead Redemption 2 brings something new to the table; not in the sense of just being a fresh take on visit the next document open-world genre, but being a revolutionary landmark in the history of video games. Ever since the release of the original Red Dead Redemption , Rockstar Games has worked tirelessly on this project – controversially so, after the senior writers stated that they worked 100-hour weeks .
Throughout Red Dead Redemption 2 , protagonist Arthur Morgan will occasionally voice his displeasure at all the death and destruction that surrounds him and the gang he runs with. As with all good video game protagonists though, missions continue to have you murder hundreds of others and the optional ability to engage in therapy sessions with other women at the gang’s camp. In these conversations Arthur can admit that he feels bad for all the killing he is doing and doesn’t know why he is doing it; that he sometimes feels as if he is not in control of his actions.
How often do you see cowboys on rooftops? Not often, which means that other players won’t be expecting a hail of bullets (or arrows) from up above. While many players will opt to use bushes or other cover zones on the ground, getting a good vantage point from the top of a building could be very beneficial. As mentioned, many players will not think to look up, but more importantly, it also gives you a cleaner line-of-sight for headsh
It’s also extremely difficult. As someone who had never played video games would say, it’s the Dark Souls of puzzle games. I should probably change the difficulty, to be honest. Either way, I’m having a blast with this game; I wouldn’t even call it a game – but an auditory and visual experience. Go play it.
Normally, humungous AAA open-world games have aspects and mechanics fighting for my attention. Some may be quest-lines about how to hunt the rarest animals or time trials for rare loot or getting 100% map completion for a super secret message at the end: it’s only by the end that I truly know my favorite element of the entire experience. For Red Dead Redemption 2 , I knew almost immediately. That journal is special, and I hope you remember to open it up once in a while.
This seemingly small element in the world is a perfect window into the character that Rockstar has made Arthur, and to experience the life of a younger John. For most of the core narrative, Arthur goes along with plans that scream “failure” from the get-go: he protests but usually ends up going with the flow anyway. On the surface, Arthur appears to have no real backbone or worldview to stick by, as Arthur can appear as a blindly loyal dog fetching whatever his masters toss. As you spend time as Arthur and, more importantly, read his journal, Arthur’s struggles become clear, real, and tangible. His once firm foundation of loyalty built upon rock ends up revealing itself to be built upon sand over the course of the story.
“Oh no,” you say: we’re entering Sony territory – and with a bang, as one of the most gorgeous games of this year is Detroit: Become Human . Detroit was a huge step forward from the previous titles from Quantic Dream and David Cage, and a game where choices actually changed the story. From the days of Telltale Games and Life is Strange emerges a game where the choices you make surprisingly matter, and the game lets you view what could’ve happened instead. I loved when I checked the choice map at the end of a scene and realized everything that mattered. Except for saving that goldfish at the start – that made no difference whatsoever.
A Way Out was such a good game, and a refreshing take on the co-op genre. I absolutely adore co-operative games, especially those in which me and a single friend can complete a campaign. This game from Hazelight Studios was an absolute blast of a time, with minigames in-between story elements such as Connect Four or Baseball being such a nice way to take a break from the story and just have fun. Me and my co-operative partner beat the game in a single sitting with how much we adored it.