I’m reaching the end of chapter 6, and I can’t wait for the story to be over. It’s not that I hate anything about the game, it’s that I can’t stand Dutch and it’s time for Dutch to die. There’s also the fate of Arthur and what could possibly await him at the end of his story. And while I push through the campaign, I’ve begun to read articles about people who seem to be playing the game the ‘correct’ way.

Some people are playing the game at a more methodical pace. They take their time, in no rush to get everything done. They explore the world that Rockstar has built. There are reports of Alien spacecraft, vampires, and other oddities that I doubt I will ever see before I finish the game. And I guess for those who can endure the mechanics of the game that works, and I have to admit discovering those hidden gems do sound cool but at what cost? I have a list of games I want to play, new experiences to have, and sticking in this world would only hold that up. Plus, I have Destiny, and that serves as my hobby game (Unless COD takes its place).

But that made me wonder. Is there more than one way to play the game? Is it possible to grind through the story and explore at a later date? I could easily see myself finishing this game, moving on and coming back later to visit the world like I would Fallout or Skyrim. Just hopping in to wander around aimlessly doing random shit and explore new lands. We’ll see what happens once I finish the game this weekend. But in the meantime what’s your thoughts on the game?

Is there a right and wrong way to play Red Dead Redemption 2?

I’ve just saved another member of the gang and about to rob a train with John Marston. I have to believe I’m somewhere near the end of chapter two and I’m stuck trying to figure out a simple question. How do you define fun? Red Dead, for all its Westworld like qualities, isn’t that fun. I spent most my time on my horse traveling from location to location and combat is just terrible. There was a moment when members of the O’Driscle gang ambushed and turned a simple mission to sale a horse I just caught into the scene from The Godfather. And this isn’t the first time I’ve been ambushed. It seems like every time an ambush happens it’s an automatic death sentence. You can try to run, but they’ll just chase you, and if you decide to fight back, you’ll only get killed. The mechanics in this game just don’t cut it.

And yet here I am still playing the damn game. Why? Because on some level it’s entertaining. The world itself is the draw and the interactions between characters. It’s a world that asks you to explore only to find itself crippled when you actually want to do something. But let’s get back to the question at hand. How does one define fun? This weekend I played Mark Of The Ninja, and I enjoyed it. The game was fun. It was fun in the way old school video games where fun, but Red Dead. I don’t know. So the question is how do we define what makes a game a “good game?” Because what this is teaching me is that I must better define the metrics by which I discuss the games I play and the recommendations I give to those around me.