In Red Dead Redemption 2, on the other hand, the player's fore-knowledge of John's death and the total collapse of the Van der Linde gang shapes their reception of the story from the get-go. While the first game, like so many western movies, explores the idea of the Old West declining and people unable to adapt to a more modern world without frontiers or outlaws, it isn't until John's surprise death that the game really solidifies its commitment to that theme. The story's hope spots like the lucky escape of John Marston and his family are known to be short lived. Most of the main story involves Arthur Morgan fighting for a gang players know will fall apart from the first game. Red Dead Redemption 2 is bursting at the brim with dramatic irony.
