There Won’t Be Another Dan Houser When ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ Is Still Playable After Its Major Spoiler

Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the best games ever made, both critically and financially. While Rockstar Games definitely made the game’s world look amazing in terms of graphics and made it have fun gameplay, a lot of the game’s success can be attributed to its spectacular story.

It is so good in fact, that having the story spoiled for you doesn’t affect its impact. Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar Games was a big part of this success. And despite his departure from the company in 2020, this level of quality means that the game will remain relevant long after his leave.

Dan Houser is part of why Red Dead Redemption 2‘s story hits this hard

The main meat of Red Dead Redemption 2 is Arthur Morgan’s story, and it is a beautifully tragic tale of redemption set against the backdrop of the end of the Old West in America.

In Arthur’s story, we follow him as he struggles with mortality, loyalty, and his own moral compass. And this makes it an incredibly personal experience that has stuck with us players till today. And the agreement between fans is that having the ending spoiled doesn’t take away from said experience.

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As one fan aptly stated, “It’s the journey, not the destination.” But what is the big spoiler? Well if you already know then you’ll understand, but if you don’t then spoiler alert, you might just become an example of this same point. At the end of RDR 2, Arthur Morgan, the protagonist, dies. But why does this not change the player experience?

That’s because it’s the intricate character arcs, the emotional weight of Arthur’s journey, and the thematic depth of redemption that make RDR2 worth playing. RDR2 has the ability to bring out true emotional responses from players, and all players will agree to that.

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“It’s the MOST worth it. You can know what’s coming and you still have no idea how it impacts you,” said a fan when asked if it’s still worth playing after getting spoiled. And it’s true. As Arthur struggles with tuberculosis we see the Van der Linde gang come apart and find its end. Depending on the decisions you the player make as Arthur, you get different endings too. It couldn’t be any better.

Other game writers should follow this example

Dan Houser, co-creator of Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto, left Rockstar Games in March 2020 after an extended hiatus. As a writer for the game, we owe a lot of the depth of the story to him, and his departure was really the end of an era. Now he leads Absurd Ventures, a studio dedicated to creating “weird sh*t from desperate people.”

The idea and belief that having a story spoiled for you ruins it is one that doesn’t get the essence of true storytelling. As we’ve seen from RDR 2 and its fans, knowing Arthur Morgan’s fate doesn’t change or take away from the experience that you will have living through his life. Good stories are good because of how they’re told, not just of what happens. And this idea is true for all forms of storytelling be it a game, novel, or film.

Despite being a prequel to Red Dead Redemption, RDR2 feels complete in itself. Its narrative choices and branching endings give players agency, even as Arthur’s fate remains fixed. The game’s epilogue transitions seamlessly to John Marston’s story, bridging the gap between the two games while leaving players emotionally invested.