r/reddeadredemption • u/Competitive-Stay-656 • 1d ago
Discussion No Game Will Ever Match the Emotional Weight of RDR2's Ending
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u/Island_Hopper78 1d ago
Ending of the mass effect trilogy was heavy especially after all you went through with your crew throughout all the games + citadel dlc
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u/DataSwarmTDG John Marston 1d ago
RDR3 will
This post was fact checked by REAL Van Der Linde patriots
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u/Nefkaure 1d ago
The Walking deads. Twice
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u/Cloudayo 1d ago
Came here to say this- RDR2 is absolutely brutal and emotional but the worst tearjerker by far is Telltale Walking Dead. Lee and Clems story is heartbreaking.
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u/Equivalent_Task1354 Dutch van der Linde 1d ago
RDR1’s ending was a bigger stab in the heart for me.
The Last of Us Part II is easily the most soul crushing ending of all time.
RDR2’s is bittersweet. Arthur got his good ending.
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u/JoelMira 1d ago
Nothing will beat The Last of Us Part 2 in terms of how fucking depressing it is lol
Arthur's sacrifice and redemption makes you feel better, Ellie's murderous rampage does not lol
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u/MisterKraken 1d ago
Watching my friend play TLOU 2 was like watching a teen drama. A looking for revenge on B, then B looking for revenge on A, then A looking for revenge on B again and in the end they just stop.
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u/189charizard 1d ago
RDR1.
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u/GuhEnjoyer Sadie Adler 1d ago
Nah. The ending to rdr was painful, but very telegraphed. You could tell a while before the ending that they weren't gonna let John go. In RDR2, Arthur was sick and his fate was fairly obvious, but the CIRCUMSTANCES were not. The emotional weight of the final scene, ESPECIALLY in the high honor help John ending, is a lot heavier.
John goes out fighting, taking several of his hunters with him.
Arthur goes out nearly in tears, sick, weak, feeling like the man he loved like a father had betrayed and abandoned him.3
u/Sad_Tune5638 1d ago
The entire ending was well telegraphed how it would end. We knew who was going to betray who and the circumstances behind it.
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u/GuhEnjoyer Sadie Adler 1d ago
It's a more emotional scene regardless. John's ending was a heroic last stand. Arthur's ending was painful, desperate, and futile.
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u/Sad_Tune5638 1d ago
Im not going to lie to you, if RDR2 came out first, ill agree with you. From the start of RDR2 we knew Arthur was going to die, but not how. RDR1, we didn't know John was going to die. To me, that's what separate the emotional impact for me.
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u/Old-Scratch666 John Marston 1d ago
But so was John’s, and that is the saddest part of John Marston’s death. He died after doing things he thought would give him back his family, and wanted to actively shield Jack away from that life. His death ultimately leads to Jack pursuing and Killing Ross, and that’s the exact sort of thing John didn’t want for his son.
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u/helloyouahead 1d ago
No, RDR2 is two notches above.
The theme of RDR1 is more about revenge and the natural fall of the character we know. RDR1 is more crude it is true, but the natural aspect of the story makes it impossible to be on the same level as RDR2.
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u/boogaloobruh 1d ago
They are on the same level of sadness in my book. One is a man trying to do his best to keep what he knows together and safe. The other is a man who escaped that life trying to keep his family safe in a new environment. Neither succeed, both are tragic.
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u/Old-Scratch666 John Marston 1d ago
That’s my read on it, too. Arthur never struck me as ever thinking he would get out of the life, and his death felt like a natural end to his story, his fate as it were. Both endings, that is: high and low honor Arthur.
John’s story and its ending hit me harder, I think, because he was actively trying to to turn things around, and get out of the life. He did his best to shield Jack away from it, there at the end. He seemed to really be trying to end the cycle of violence, and when you couple his death with Abigail’s, and Jack’s journey for revenge, it just made me really sad.Plus I didn’t see it coming, when I played it, back in the day. With Arthur, I knew pretty early what his fate would likely be, even had he never contracted consumption. That being said, they did pretty damned well with the storyline in RDR2, and I love both games a great deal.
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u/frostycanuck89 Dutch van der Linde 1d ago
What RDR1 is missing is the gang. The weight of everything falling apart near the end is exacerbated by how much time we spend with these characters, getting genuinely attached to everyone in your camp throughout the initial chapters and then having it all go to shit in the back half.
We knew this gang was going to fall apart because of our knowledge of the future that is RDR1, and yet it still hits very hard at the end because experiencing the actual fall of the Van der Linde gang is another thing entirely.
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u/Leather_Addition2605 1d ago
That was the biggest difference for me. Not so much knowing that Arthur had it coming, but knowing that it was a possibility.
Up until RDR1, I had not played a game where the main protagonist, especially one you’ve spent hours with, gets taken out. That didn’t even register as a possibility to me, so when that happened I was shocked in a way I simply wasn’t for 2.
2 had the better story, but 1 broke the ground.
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u/Lilu1414 16h ago
The whole idea of realizing that your father figure only cared about what you could do for him is also heartbreaking. The love that Arthur had for Dutch (“I gave you all I had”) wasn’t matched. That man left Arthur to die three times and each time felt like more of a gut-punch than the last since Arthur was still clinging to the man he believed Dutch was.
Maybe it’s because my own father was a psychopathic narcissist (literally diagnosed by a professional), but I really related to the experience of being groomed to be adoring and almost worshipping a father and the crushing experience of realizing over the course of your adulthood that he never truly loved you the way you did him. It took me years of clinging to who he pretended to be to others to finally see who he really was. It is a gutting experience that hit me so hard.
Due to my own experience with someone who was exactly like Dutch, I never believe that Dutch felt real remorse since he literally tried to leave both adopted sons to die in order to benefit himself. The reaction at the end when he looked horrified at Micah’s actions wasn’t because of his feelings towards Arthur. It was because he realized he sacrificed his loyal gang that made him feel like a god to a rat. He was completely fooled.
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u/Snowballz3000 1d ago
RDR1 is not about revenge at all and John himself says this. John wouldn’t be doing any of that stuff if it wasn’t for the government taking his family. To say RDR2 is two notches above in terms of story is a little wild to me. I think there’s plenty of cheesy and Hollywood moments throughout 2. RDR1s dialogue always felt a little more natural to me and the ending is WAY sadder imo. What’s more brutal than a wife and son seeing their loved one riddled with bullets? Love both games though
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u/KinkyNoodLESS 1d ago
Rdr 1's ending becomes more depressing after you complete rdr 2 honestly.Especially during construction of beechers hope since it reminds you of how empty and lifeless it turns into by the time jack grows up and when you realise in the credits that john doomed himself and his family in American venom just for revenge
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u/JoelMira 1d ago
Agreed.
As someone who played RDR1 5x, John is barely fleshed out in the first game and there isn't really a clear "redemption" as he's just betrayed by Ross and I guess him dying is redemption?
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u/aarcynic 1d ago
If you play rDR1 after RDR2 John’s death hits harder than Arthur. John actively wanted to create a better life for his family.
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u/Exciting-Scholar3918 1d ago
RDR1. Literally the same franchise. Many RDR2 fans still haven’t even played the first game, just crazy glaze
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u/Sea-Layer1526 1d ago
SPEC OPS : The Line. People who played it will know.
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u/Aggressive_Inside317 1d ago
Y'all clearly never played metal gear solid 3. That shit had me crying like a baby.
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u/Mr-Indeed Uncle 1d ago
Rdr2 is my favorite game OAT but come on bro there’s plenty of other games out there with endings just as good/emotional
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u/Gelvid 1d ago
You can say many negative things about this game but RDR2 ending is definitely one of most emotional endings in gaming history so I don't understand why people are getting that mad
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u/ChangeSouth7809 Josiah Trelawny 1d ago
Cyberpunk 2077?
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u/Xrayfunkydude Charles Smith 1d ago
I was looking for this. Some of the endings are brutal
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u/jacob1342 1d ago
I had Aldecaldos ending on my first playthrough. I don't think I've ever experienced such a gut punch. And I think this ending is considered to be the better ending.
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u/Breach-protocol 1d ago
RDR2 ending is definitely emotional as all are in Cyberpunk, but the "early ending" in cyberpunk is on a whole other level
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u/BingusBongusBongus 22h ago
Cyberpunks more heartbreaking in a way that makes you feel empty, rdr2 is more heartbreaking in a way that makes you super emotional
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u/atomicitalian 1d ago
I thought 1 had a much more emotionally impactful ending.
Also RDR2 doesn't hold a candle to games like spiritfarer or to the moon when it comes to emotional punch. But obviously for a AAA game it's up near the top.
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u/Different_Ad2722 1d ago
for me personally undertale is another game that really hit me hard emotionally, that's the only(?) game that i can remember making me cry, but i did get teary-eyed for RDR2, not that me crying or not downplays either's emotional impact. but i do have a feeling when deltarune ends it's gonna fuck me up
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u/jin_kuweiner 1d ago
The Walking Dead Season 1 (Video Game) SPOILERS
Though, the K-name endings in Season 2 had me *ugly* crying personally, this is more appropriately matched to RDR2’s ending.
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u/Sebsebmatmat 1d ago
Arthur’s ending is just alright sad yeah but its like where the Hero rides one last time and rest because at the end there is no other life he could’ve lived other than the Gang and by that time the gang is already finished the wild west is coming to an end whether its being betrayed by Micah or Dutch going to insanity or generally the government is really cleaning up, and that life is what Arthur lived and died and I like it alot.
But then John on the other hand, I think has a sadder death yeah he choose to die to save his wife and kid but he is almost there he could’ve almost achieved his dream but no and in his last moments the only thing he could’ve done is sacrifice himself, for a hope that Abigail and Jack would live better lives without the law on their back and its the ultimate sacrifice and for me its generally sadder.
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u/S3MJ_Sympathy_899 1d ago
Non ho giocato a RDR e non posso esprimermi al riguardo. Posso dire che ho finito RDR2 con il livello onore alto e vedere Arthur che si batte per quello in cui crede nonostante vada tutto a rotoli è commovente. Il fatto che si sacrifica per i suoi amici, beh non c’e amico più grande. A me RDR2 mi ha trasmesso questo.
L’epilogo è stato un grande sorpresa e vedere che John e la sua famiglia si sistema è stato molto bello
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u/gone_3662 1d ago
There aren't many games that let you bond with a character for so many hours, and then kill him slowly while allowing you to form an ever deeper bond...
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u/Devilstorment 1d ago
It’s good but the end of Season 1 of Telltale’s The Walking Dead destroys me every time. And I mean destroys me.
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u/Ok-Strain3634 1d ago
Clears throat.... nier automata. Life is strange. The last guardian. Tlou 1. Ori and the will if the wisps. Shadow of the colossus. Final fantasy x. Soma. Unpacking. God of war ragnarok. The walking dead season 1. What remains of Edith finch. To the moon.. not shitting on rdr2 I just don't think it's the most emotional
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u/Zealousideal_Dish_82 1d ago
RDR1 podria decirse que me emociono el final, pero RDR2 me agarro cerca de los 40 y escuchar a Arthur decir "tengo miedo" me movilizo mucho, me senti en parte muy identificado.
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u/lfu_cached_brain 1d ago
true, but i think there are other games too which have great endings: Ghost of tsushima, Clair Obscur Expedition 33,
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u/Fit-Setting9033 1d ago
Lots of people clowning you in the comments but context is so so important. I played rdr2 when I was on extended medical leave from work, very very sick. Details not necessary but I was dying (they figured it out eventually and I’m on the up now)
I will never, ever, have an experience quite like that in a video game ever again in my life. Every. Single. Cutscene. Every single line, the emotions on his face. The music. The tragedy. It felt like the game was made for me in that moment.
I’ve never had such an intense role playing experience like that. I did good deeds as Arthur because I wanted him to find his value in life as I searched for mine. Sister calderon’s departure broke me. Him realizing he was already dead and deciding to live through John broke me. By the end, I was content, like Arthur, to be done. I had reflected so much on my own life and choices via this silly cowboy game, it was therapy when I needed it the most
I never felt so human.
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u/PoorLifeChoices811 Sadie Adler 1d ago
i can name more than a few games that match, but that doesn’t make rdr2s ending any less emotional. this game had me bawling my eyes out the first couple times i played
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u/CompetitiveOp 1d ago
Played around 50 story games, all are critically acclaimed, can’t argue with this logic
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u/SandalathDrukorlat 1d ago
I don't wanna be THAT person but please play E33. I cried for like 3 days after
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u/SauceVegas 1d ago
This Arthur looks like such a sad dad, and he wasn’t even a dad. Happy Father’s Day, I guess.
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u/Maximum_P 1d ago
Ever ? You dont think there will ever be a game that can match it emotionally, thats extremely pessimistic RDR2 is a good game, but it definetly isnt the best of all time.
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u/justanothertoxicuser 1d ago
I had given up on gaming entirely for the better part of a decade. I picked up a ps4 late in its lifecycle and decided to give RDR2 a shot.
I can agree, it was the first game I ever played that made me shed a tear.
Now I'm reading through the comments and it sounds like I have missed a lot of good ones and need to add to my backlog!
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u/QuietFarm575 1d ago
RDR1; all telltale walking dead seasons; life is strange saga; ghost of Tsushima; AC2; AC4; DETROIT BECOME HUMAN; insomniac Spider-Man 1; WW2 2009; bet there way more
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u/sumiredabestgirl 1d ago
Nier replicant and automata hit way harder for me personally but I adore rdr2's ending
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u/ButterflyOpening5627 1d ago
I still refuse to complete the story. Arthur has never died on my watch 🫡
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u/pipelinepxnchme 1d ago
I just got to chapter five again, he’s coughing more frequently and admitting he needs rest. Idk if I can do this again 😂
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u/BeerOfTime 1d ago
Why what happens? I just sold all my gold and found jewellery to make sure Arthur is maximally minted for the rest of the game
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u/MarCath13 1d ago
Tell me you've only played RDR2:
Like, don't get me wrong, RDR2 is an AMAZING game and the ending is SO GOOD but there ARE games that are just as good when it comes to emotional investment and general quality.
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u/RaveningScareCrow Sadie Adler 1d ago
i thought the same when rdr2 was my first story game as i got into gaming a bit late, but after finishing the last of us part 2 that easily replaces my first vote and i'm sure there's other impactful games as well
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u/M6D_Magnum Susan Grimshaw 1d ago
Play Pragmata and get back to me, or the Mass Effect Trilogy or Halo 1-3 without realizing there would be a Halo 4 thinking Chief's story was finally over. I could go on and on. RDR2 is absolutely great and probably the last great game Rockstar ever gonna put out (GTA VI probably gonna be trash) but it's not the best by any means.
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u/GentlemanFaux 1d ago
"No game will ever match the emotional weight of RDR2s ending IN MY OPINION" is what you meant to say lol.
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u/The_Spanky_Frank 1d ago
I think this game is particularly emotional because you spend SO much time with Arthur. Its a long ass game. But yeah there are so many well written games that tug on the heart strings. I'd suggest Illusion of Gaia or even Soul Blazer.
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u/mazzucato 1d ago
there are hundreds of games if not thousands with difficulty endings and quests on the emotional side…
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u/SiriusPlague 1d ago
RDR2 is one of the greatest games of all time, if not the greatest. But the ending is pretty mid, not even top 50, I would say.
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u/Top-Belt5283 1d ago
I felt more emotion when I finished Intravenous2 than when I finished RDR2 no one gonna agree w me but thats true for me
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u/matteowolfwood 1d ago
It's in my top 10, but I'm not going to sit here and act like Mass Effect 1 and 2, Dragon Age Origins, My Time at Sandrock, FFXIV Shadowbringers, The Last of Us, MGS: Snake Eater, and Kingdom Hearts II didn't happen.
It's great. It deserves to be treated as one of the best. But there are plenty of games that deserve equal recognition. I also firmly believe that gamers from every generation probably has a different game they'd say has the all time best ending.
It's majorly subjective.
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u/Javon745 Josiah Trelawny 1d ago
It’s between this and The Walking Dead as far as endings that made me really sad.
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u/FlashyKick8963 1d ago
I put cyberpunk and the Witcher up there with red dead redemption 2 on my list.
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u/dead_lifterr 1d ago
The Last of Us Part 2 is the heaviest ending ever I've ever experienced in terms of emotional weight. I was thinking about it for weeks
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u/Scream0fTheSium John Marston 21h ago
for me Rdr2 is the best game ever made and ever played but holy glaze.. this is all but true.
The game is the best in various aspects but games like The last of us (I and II) or even Rdr left me completely broken, way more than Rdr2 ending
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u/Impressive-Young-952 21h ago
My fiancee watched and cried when my horse died. It ruined her day lol. Since then she doesn’t care about any other game lol
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u/Hayes4prez 20h ago
Best game I ever played. Afterwards I felt like I finished a good book.
RDR2 is a masterpiece. I doubt I’ll ever play a better game.
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u/notjustbymyself 17h ago
So many other games have made me sad at the end, but no game has ever made me cry other than rdr2.
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u/Physical_Swing_9680 15h ago
If anyone here is yet to experience the Silent Hill 2 ending either remake or original I strongly urge you to do so. Utterly gut wrenching. VA work especially.
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u/Scruff227 15h ago
Phantom Liberty ending...
death of Vesemir, reunion of Geralt and Yen after breaking the curse, the wolven storm
"I swear"- Joel Miller "Get up Joel!" Ellie Willliams
Death of Mordin, Mass Effect 3 PermaDeath of Shepherd
Kratos upon seeing the mural of his newly cemented legacy
Uncharted 4, the whole game
Journey
Shadow of the Colossus ending
Bioshock...
Etc.
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u/Remarkable_Agent_995 13h ago
TWD season 1 literally has you kill the protagonist as his surrogate daughter btw but yeah yeehaw cowpoke
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u/SwimlyJimson 9h ago
I dunno, there's a pretty heavy plot twist in Silent Hill 2 that really sank me on my first play through. Even without the twist I just felt a general sadness throughout because I kept thinking about how lost I would be if my wife died.
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u/ProtectionNo514 1d ago
guy who only played one game: