Red Dead Redemption fans say John's story was better than Arthur's

Red Dead Redemption fans are debating whether Arthur Morgan or John Marston got the better end of the stick when it comes to their personal story spanning across the doomed Wild West. Guys, guys, please, you're both pretty.

The Red Dead Redemption games offer stories that stick with their players, surpassing those of their favourite books, films and TV shows to find a special place in their hearts. Ultimately, Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2 are anchored in tragedy as the freedom of the American Frontier is slowly yet surely curtailed, the heroes finally paying the price for their lives of crime. The second game has the advantage in that the player is already aware of the members of the Van Der Linde gang, but they must acquaint themselves with these characters, understanding their motives and more, knowing how it will end. On the other hand, Red Dead Redemption struck a chord even without this grounding, pulling the rug out from under players with next to no notice with the death of John Marston after fulfilling the Pinkertons' demands.

Cor, what a tone shift that was. Why not enjoy these ridiculous Red Dead Redemption 2 wins and fails for a spell?

Ah, a time when a video game character's death wasn't spoiled on social media. Anyway, Reddit user Thyatiran argued that John's story is more affecting than that of Arthur's thanks to the relatability of the character. "I felt so connected to John," they said. "Cause you know he won't make it to RDR1 one way or another, it made me feel a sense of detachment from Arthur." Others chimed in with their own opinions on the differences between the two games and whether it is possible to say one is superior to the other. One might argue that Red Dead Redemption is a product of its time where the structure of an open-world game was somewhat constrained while the sequel had the opportunity to hone in on the characters that you only got a sense of in the first.

"For me it is just one story. There is no such a thing as one or another, it is a whole story of [misdirection] and bad decisions that leads to violence and suffering," claimed Reddit user _Medhros_. They are technically right, and perhaps that stances avoids all necessity of a duel at dawn to settle this matter.