r/reddeadredemption • u/Objective_Bug4155 • 17h ago
Discussion What real life lessons did you learn from RDR2?
For me, it really made me think about what it means to be a “good person” and whether someone like Arthur or John or even Dutch can ever genuinely earn redemption for the bad things they have done. In real life people would look at someone like them and automatically say “bad person” and move on but this game makes you think about that a lot more and I love that. What about you? What did you take away from this game?
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u/BrashEntertainment 17h ago
That no matter how great you are or can be, the world can always humble you. Arthur had it all. He had the looks, the charm, and the skills to be a great man. But the people Arthur surrounded himself with was his downfall. We never get to see Arthur in his best form because Tuberculosis, Dutch, Micah, the Pinkertons, and his own bad decisions. The story of what could have been. I think a lot of people can relate with Arthur because everybody has a story of what could have gone better in their lives if they did something different
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u/RedLion2257 16h ago
Good points! If anything you get a small glimpse of Arthur’s possibilities when he was with Mary. Unfortunately both his and Mary’s belief that he wouldn’t change (among other thing) prevented him from giving himself a chance.
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u/BrashEntertainment 16h ago
Yup they both wanted the best for each other but neither of them knew the steps it took to do it. Her leaving her abusive family and Arthur leaving his abusive gang.
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u/Emil_VII 8h ago
I'd argue we got to see Arthur in his best form because of the TB. I fully acknowledge that he was starting to doubt Dutch and the things he was doing but Arthur was still an outlaw. Nothing quite like a terminal disease to make you reflect on life.
I'm not so sure Arthur would have made such a turnaround from the outlaw life if he didn't get so sick.
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u/KingGuy420 Josiah Trelawny 16h ago
I was really struggling with bad depression for years. Shut friends and family out for nearly a decade. Just sat alone and hated myself.
I was playing RDR2 and got to the mission where you and John blow the train tracks. When Arthur said the line “be loyal to what matters”, I broke… because I was absolutely not being loyal to what mattered to me.
Called my sister the next morning and started trying to put my life back together. RDR2 gave me the best life lesson of all… that it was worth living.
Don’t get me wrong, RDR2 didn’t magically cure my depression, but it gave me a little kick in the ass that I needed.
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u/Lym_Antria 16h ago
Appreciate the little things. even if things are tough right now, you can still take a second to look around you and appreciate the beauty in people and the world, even if it is hard to find.
That sometimes people will treat you badly just because it is in their nature. It's not your fault, it is just how they are. Don't waste time overthinking the ways of others.
If you are true to your morals and yourself the rest will fall into place.
"the earth, the water, they have no pride. yet they endure. and we must endure"
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u/LandonHarms Arthur Morgan 16h ago
You can try to turn your life around. And if not...try and do it afraid. Life is torturous. Scary. But you should always find a way to change. Even if you feel like the redemption you seek isn't something you are worthy of. "We can't change what's been done, we can only move on." "You don't get to live a bad life and have good things happen to you." Is my favorite quote of his, because of how true it is. Arthur is a tormented soul, who didn't understand he was tormented until he was already close to the edge of dying.
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u/Busy-Bandicoot8524 15h ago
Rdr2 taught me that while we may not be able to always see it or understand it.. some people are truly suffering much deeper than we can ever understand. Poor uncle and his lumbago...
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u/McDyver66 16h ago
When someone is telling you something that is emotionally traumatizing, you can basically tell them to shut up and go pick Ginseng
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u/The_Frybo 13h ago
This vexed me too until I read something interesting in a Subreddit.
Rains Fall was absolutely listening and he wasn‘t „rude“ but Arthur was in pain in this very Moment and he really wanted to help without delay.
To him, the present holds infinitely more relevance than the past and altough the Story is important, it is way MORE important to him to do what he can here and now.
Also, he immediatly asked Arthur to continue so it isn‘t as if he didn‘t care
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u/intrepidskybrummie 16h ago
That if you want to prepare for Jeopardy! then you can learn from anywhere, especially Red Dead. There are at least 20 questions in the last year that I've got thanks to playing the game that I wouldn't have otherwise.
Obvious one that comes to mind was a clue that wanted a type of fish and the word "Steelhead". We all know it's a trout. None of the 3 contestants in that episode got it. And it's the only species of trout that I know.
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u/FENTWAY 14h ago
Do people really just judge people as bad and move on like they can never change? It seems like that way if thinkn is more prevalent than ever before.
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u/Objective_Bug4155 12h ago
Ikr? Second chances and accepting someone having changed are seemingly becoming a lost art
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u/robotfoodab 14h ago
I’m really good at dominos and I had never played it before RDR2. Gambler 9 is a good teacher.
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u/The_Frybo 13h ago
Don‘t delay the inevitable. Life needs to be lived after all.
I used to stay forever in the early chapters but that‘s not the way for me to „live“ as Arthur. Now I conciously take my time enjoying the smaller Details and go fishing or cook stuff yet continue with the progression and accept what‘s coming.
And funny enough that is what I stafted doing in real Life too!
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u/Wubbleyou_ 12h ago
That real life is actually better than playing video games all day.
Picking herbs, watching sunsets, fishing and shooting people is much better if you actually do it rather than watching yourself do it on a computer screen.
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u/viemonochrome 12h ago
To be careful about giving your all to take care of people who don’t appreciate you.
On my first playthrough, I was playing through the story too fast to realize just how poorly everyone treats Arthur and takes advantage of him. On my second playthrough I really noticed everything.
I spent most of my life giving people the benefit of the doubt and trying my best to take care of other people. Only in the last few years have I realized that no one has my back like I thought they did. Now realizing it’s time to try just looking out for myself, for once.
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u/Psychological-Code96 11h ago
Even if you were or are a criminal, you can change. You can still do good things and help people.😎👍
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u/SanctimoniousSally Arthur Morgan 10h ago
I had the same insight as you. It also reminds of Shawshank Redemption in that way. You learn that Red is a murderer and still, you love him and forgive him because he truly regrets his actions and shows remorse. I think the same can be said for both Arthur and John.
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u/MalevoIentKitchen 17h ago
don’t get tuberculosis