10 EXACT Moments You Knew Video Game Characters Were Doomed
2. A Fork In The Road - Red Dead Redemption II
Red Dead Redemption 2, as a prequel, does a lot of great things to set up and flesh-out the story of the first game.
Considering his absence from RDR1, players certainly had reason to believe protagonist Arthur Morgan would die along the way, most likely amidst one of the many shootouts prominent through the old West. Then again, it wasn't guaranteed. Perhaps he could ride off into the sunset?
No actually, that's not going to happen. Instead, he contracts one of the most devastating illnesses that ravaged the turn of the 20th century.
In retrospect, there are so many little subtle hints. Rewatching the confrontation that leads to Arthur getting sick shows that his victim is sputtering from more than just the beating. On Arthur's return to Strauss, the music highlights a rasping melody that scrapes along the neck of a double-bass, itself sounding like chesty coughs.
Of course, Arthur's sickness is reflected in the gameplay too as he loses weight and strength. It's never outright called attention to however. The real moment of realisation comes when control is taken from the player and, after he collapses, Morgan is told he has tuberculosis.
Suddenly, everything makes sense. There's no legendary shoot-out and there certainly isn't a chance in hell Arthur is riding off when the credits roll. Hearing the word "tuberculosis" was a death sentence in 1899 and players knew that there was no escaping this one.