Red Dead Redemption's Ending - *Spoilers a-plenty!*

[TheFedExPope]

Honestly, I hated the ending. Hated it. I actually had convinced myself the end of the game wouldn't be like it is. And when it happened I facepalmed pretty hard.

 

[MaltesePigeon]

Here's what I liked about the ending. You are doing all these mundane missions, herding cattle, taming horses, and then blam! the peaceful future they thought they were making is destroyed. I was thinking that the gubernatorial candidate who was trying to buy the election was next. While I think that would have been a good move for the story this ending caught me off guard. I like when stories surprise me. Shamalamalamalan's "The Village" is the my personal ultimate example of how realizing what's happening in the first act of a story destroys the entire story.

Here's what I dislike about the ending and the game in general. I played the game as a "good guy," I accidentally killed innocent people but I tried my best not to. In my mind and through my actions I molded John into a character but the game forced control out of my hands. In Mexico, I did all the resistance missions, thinking that the government missions would go away since I had chosen a side. Sadly, I had to help the corrupt government even though the character in my mind wouldn't have. The ending forced my hand in the same way. The ending would have been a great "bad guy" ending. If I would have robbed banks, trains, and innocent people throughout the game then I think John would have deserved to die and his son would have turned out just like him. So I dislike the ending because imho the morality system failed.

Consider Fallout 3 and Final Fantasy 13. Fallout 3 let's you be truly good or bad. Perhaps the story is weaker because of this. FF13 tells a story and you have no input. Perhaps the gameplay is weaker because of this. Red Dead tries to be the middle ground but it doesn't really work for me. What is the point of having input if it doesn't actually affect the game?

If I play again as a "bad guy" then between my bank robbing and indiscriminate murder I should be able to sleep with a whore. Causing me to die of syphilis like Al Capone did.

 

[Gethsemani_v1legacy]

The deal with the ending, even if you have a full Honor-meter, is that John is still an old outlaw. Not only is he a former outlaw who got a deal with the FBI, he is an outlaw who is completely unapologetic about his old life. He continually makes it clear throughout the game that he does not regret riding with Dutch and that in many ways he finds Dutch a better man then the FBI-agents. John dies because he isn't ready to adapt or repent for what he has done. His death is the Redemption in the title, not all his work for the feds.

It feels like a Gameplay/Story dissonance, but it isn't. The story is just laid out in such a way that the players moral input doesn't matter, because the character we control still have core values that we can't affect.

 

[Counter_Southpaw]

Did anyone else go on a wild rampage after Marston was shot?

 

[Wolfy4226]

The deal with the ending, even if you have a full Honor-meter, is that John is still an old outlaw. Not only is he a former outlaw who got a deal with the FBI, he is an outlaw who is completely unapologetic about his old life. He continually makes it clear throughout the game that he does not regret riding with Dutch and that in many ways he finds Dutch a better man then the FBI-agents. John dies because he isn't ready to adapt or repent for what he has done. His death is the Redemption in the title, not all his work for the feds.

It feels like a Gameplay/Story dissonance, but it isn't. The story is just laid out in such a way that the players moral input doesn't matter, because the character we control still have core values that we can't affect.

I think the fact that he basically says "If it were my choice, I'd be putting a bullet in you rather than Dutch" to the Federal Agents kinda says it all.

 

[Bloody Sun Boy]

I'm not sure if i liked it or not, i like that they didn't go the usuall always happy ending way of having everything work out in the end but i don't like the fact i have to play as the kid, when i was doing the ranch quests before John died i always through the kid was a complete brat as well. All this kinda put me in the spot of not being sure if i liked it overall or not, i will say i hate playing as Jack though.

 

[VivaciousDeimos]

Here's what I liked about the ending. You are doing all these mundane missions, herding cattle, taming horses, and then blam! the peaceful future they thought they were making is destroyed. I was thinking that the gubernatorial candidate who was trying to buy the election was next. While I think that would have been a good move for the story this ending caught me off guard. I like when stories surprise me. Shamalamalamalan's "The Village" is the my personal ultimate example of how realizing what's happening in the first act of a story destroys the entire story.

Here's what I dislike about the ending and the game in general. I played the game as a "good guy," I accidentally killed innocent people but I tried my best not to. In my mind and through my actions I molded John into a character but the game forced control out of my hands. In Mexico, I did all the resistance missions, thinking that the government missions would go away since I had chosen a side. Sadly, I had to help the corrupt government even though the character in my mind wouldn't have. The ending forced my hand in the same way. The ending would have been a great "bad guy" ending. If I would have robbed banks, trains, and innocent people throughout the game then I think John would have deserved to die and his son would have turned out just like him. So I dislike the ending because imho the morality system failed.

I don't think the morality system failed. As much of a good guy as you played as, Agent Ross would have always seen you as the murdering outlaw your character was before the game started. He pretty much tells you that every time you talk to him. All he could see of John was his past and so it made perfect sense to me that Ross would want him dead, even if he was reformed, and I think playing as a good guy almost makes the ending that much more poignant because he tried so hard to change himself and lead a good life only to fail because Ross was dick.

The deal with the ending, even if you have a full Honor-meter, is that John is still an old outlaw. Not only is he a former outlaw who got a deal with the FBI, he is an outlaw who is completely unapologetic about his old life. He continually makes it clear throughout the game that he does not regret riding with Dutch and that in many ways he finds Dutch a better man then the FBI-agents. John dies because he isn't ready to adapt or repent for what he has done. His death is the Redemption in the title, not all his work for the feds.

It feels like a Gameplay/Story dissonance, but it isn't. The story is just laid out in such a way that the players moral input doesn't matter, because the character we control still have core values that we can't affect.

Yes. Exactly this.

And as soon as I started doing the family missions I knew what was coming, but this could just be savviness on my part from watching westerns as a little girl with my dad. I think if someone were to ever make a tally of the westerns where the hero died in the end it would probably be roughly equal to the ones where they ride off into the sunset.

So to answer the OT: I loved the ending. Yes, I do think that John is a much better character than Jack, but I don't hate Jack, and even though the revenge mission could have been stretched out a little farther, I was still massively satisfied when I got to shoot Ross in his smug face.

 

[Omikron009]

The ending greatly saddened me. It was probably the biggest emotional response (beyond rage) that a game has ever produced in me.

 

[Xyphon]

So...wait....There's more after you take control of Jack?....O-o..how do I unlock this?

Head to the Blackwater train station and talk to the stranger there.

 

[Creator1234]

Anyone know if anything happens to the McFarlanes? If you know, could you point me in the right direction?

Although we are not told i would guess(considerin the health issues at the time) that Mr. Mc died of old age or something and Bonnie is either really old or died from like chlorea or somethin, but i havent got a clue who is looking after the farm now lol

Also can i just ask im not the only person who truly hates Jack am i? and i mean TRULY hate compared to John

Its only 3 years after John died though so Bonnie might not be an old woman, i checked it out and apparently shes married or something.

Only 3 years? DAMN! Jack did a lot of growing up in 3 years, still really hates him though.

 

[MaltesePigeon]

Here's what I liked about the ending. You are doing all these mundane missions, herding cattle, taming horses, and then blam! the peaceful future they thought they were making is destroyed. I was thinking that the gubernatorial candidate who was trying to buy the election was next. While I think that would have been a good move for the story this ending caught me off guard. I like when stories surprise me. Shamalamalamalan's "The Village" is the my personal ultimate example of how realizing what's happening in the first act of a story destroys the entire story.

Here's what I dislike about the ending and the game in general. I played the game as a "good guy," I accidentally killed innocent people but I tried my best not to. In my mind and through my actions I molded John into a character but the game forced control out of my hands. In Mexico, I did all the resistance missions, thinking that the government missions would go away since I had chosen a side. Sadly, I had to help the corrupt government even though the character in my mind wouldn't have. The ending forced my hand in the same way. The ending would have been a great "bad guy" ending. If I would have robbed banks, trains, and innocent people throughout the game then I think John would have deserved to die and his son would have turned out just like him. So I dislike the ending because imho the morality system failed.

I don't think the morality system failed. As much of a good guy as you played as, Agent Ross would have always seen you as the murdering outlaw your character was before the game started. He pretty much tells you that every time you talk to him. All he could see of John was his past and so it made perfect sense to me that Ross would want him dead, even if he was reformed, and I think playing as a good guy almost makes the ending that much more poignant because he tried so hard to change himself and lead a good life only to fail because Ross was dick.

The deal with the ending, even if you have a full Honor-meter, is that John is still an old outlaw. Not only is he a former outlaw who got a deal with the FBI, he is an outlaw who is completely unapologetic about his old life. He continually makes it clear throughout the game that he does not regret riding with Dutch and that in many ways he finds Dutch a better man then the FBI-agents. John dies because he isn't ready to adapt or repent for what he has done. His death is the Redemption in the title, not all his work for the feds.

It feels like a Gameplay/Story dissonance, but it isn't. The story is just laid out in such a way that the players moral input doesn't matter, because the character we control still have core values that we can't affect.

Yes. Exactly this.

And as soon as I started doing the family missions I knew what was coming, but this could just be savviness on my part from watching westerns as a little girl with my dad. I think if someone were to ever make a tally of the westerns where the hero died in the end it would probably be roughly equal to the ones where they ride off into the sunset.

So to answer the OT: I loved the ending. Yes, I do think that John is a much better character than Jack, but I don't hate Jack, and even though the revenge mission could have been stretched out a little farther, I was still massively satisfied when I got to shoot Ross in his smug face.

I dunno, not only was my honor bar full, but so was my fame. So I was famous for helping people out, retrieving their stolen horses, killing men attacking whores, etc. Yet Ross's opinion of me didn't change one bit although everyone's had. Now I could see if the governor wannabee still wanted my version of John dead because he was out of touch with the common folk. But Ross? My good honor could have changed the ending by just having Ross say, "I'm sorry John," before I was shot to pieces, and it would have felt more real to me.

Enough of this, I think I'll take this Clint Eastwood gritty taste out of my mouth by watching some good ol' Roy Rogers. Dale Evans is smokin' hot, imho.