Red Dead Redemption 1 Or 2 - Which Is Better?
6. The Supporting Cast
Despite the stories sharing similar plotlines, the key difference that separates the two is the characters. Red Dead Redemption presents its characters as a twisted caricature of traditional western stereotypes. The prime example of RDR’s simple character structure is the drunk, clumsy, and devious Irishman called Irish.
When John interacts with characters such as Irish, Seth, and Reyes we get the impression that John is the only sane person in a chaotic world. The problem with those characters is that they are almost too cartoonish with no real substance behind them. The bad guys are bad, the good guys are weird, and there’s not much to be said otherwise.
The core characters at the heart of RDR are John, Abigail, and Jack. However, even Abigail gets very little to do, with her and Jack only appearing roughly two thirds into the game.
RDR2 does a much better job of establishing fleshed out and likeable characters within the gang. Who can forget the joyous drunken adventure with Lenny or the heartbreaking moment Sean is shot in the head? Each moment with the members of Dutch’s gang feels genuine no matter which direction the player takes Arthur’s story.
Winner: Red Dead Redemption 2