Interesting that you describe Red Dead Redemption as taking inspiration exclusively from Spaghetti Westerns. One theory that I've come across is that the game is actually split into three distinct acts which each take inspiration from a different "era" in the cultural reflection we have placed upon the Wild West, and that this is parsed out across the three different acts of the game. When John arrives in Armadillo he's fighting alongside local lawmen to defeat the band of ruffians that have taken up shop in Fort Mercer. He befriends a motley crew of colourful characters to defeat the irreconcilably evil assholes who have slighted him and protect the community. It's akin to the earliest depictions of the Wild West, such as you might find in the Lone Ranger, Gun Smoke or High Noon. When John crosses the river to Mexico the tone changes drastically. He's forced to infatuate himself with a rebellion led by an egocentric, hypocritical prick and the targets of his violent actions become much more ambiguous. In that way the second act is similar to the second cinematic wave of more cynical and brutal Westerns begun by Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns, and cruder films still like The Wild Bunch. Lastly when John journeys back up north, out of the badlands and towards the most modernized territories, he is forced to face up to the fact that the West as he knew it is truly dying. The foes he must face in Dutch's gang are disenfranchised Native Americans driven to desperation by institutionalized cruelty, he has to stamp out the last embers of his past as an outlaw, and yet the solace of a family life is waiting for him as a final reward for his endevours. This is the modern "realist" era of western films, where the idealism of the past has been completely eroded away to leave much colder, bitter stories to tell, such as Unforgiven. I've probably botched the description of the theory horribly, but I think it's interesting. I'm probably talking out of my arse...
I'm not usually interested in the bollocks people talk on these comment sections but I can honestly say you've brought a news perspective to the table with that and it was well said too
I think it was years ago when I took my time playing through the campaign. The calmer moments of the campaign missions are when I reflected on how the tone, atmosphere, and the nostalgic "feel" of the game changed. I think the biggest moment was when John Marston and his son were leading cattle from the McFarlen's ranch to their own pastures. Starting from the first county and heading to the last in such a short distance (previously inaccessible). After all the journey to get home, now Marston was finally back, yet even in that moment the game felt nowhere closer to reaching the end.
Great comment, mate, and I do agree to some extents. I'd just call the different periods other things. The first act would be classed as more like classic westerns, with a colorful assortment of characters and lower stakes for the cast involved (the Mexico section would be spaghetti influenced as you said), and the last act would be a "revisionist" western story, where common tropes of the genre are either challenged or done away with entirely in pursuit of a more existential story. It's kind of amazing just how much RDR is able to hit all the levels of what you'd expect from a western, regardless of style. It really has something for everyone, in that sense. Though I think more than anything else, it would classify as a revisionist western for how it takes the genre to new places and challenges the expectations of the genre to deliver moments that can catch you by surprise, while also upping the anti on moral ambiguity and depicting the death of the Wild West via modernity.
***** So true man, Iv never gotten so attached to a character in a video game or movie like I did with John Marston. It would be amazing to see this become a movie.
I'm pretty sure that Edgar Ross cannot be killed by John Marston in his final stand scene. There is no alternative ending, you always get to play as Jack and you always get that final stranger mission.
I am the one who told kite that because I honestly remember taking him down as John Marston. Kite and I beat the game around the same time as each other right after it came out and when we were discussing the ending I expressed my disappointment that there wasn't any missions to play with Jack and she told me about the Ross mission. I was surprised because I thought he died in the final shootout which I now can't find any evidence of online (go figure). Either I (and another friend of mine) got a super secret ending, or we just never got the Jack mission for whatever reason and we falsely assumed that we blew Ross away in the final shootout. Whether I'm right or horribly wrong it's still a great game that deserves all the accolades it has garnished.
Flex Tales I actually didn’t realize there even was a stranger mission as jack until many years after I beat the game. It’s easy to miss, you probably just missed it too and assumed you had killed Ross.
@@deadrock1678 I'm conflicted because a lot of what makes Arthur better writing wise, ARE the traits, history and development they stripped from John in the first game and gave to him. Had John been written consistently in RDR2 and compared to an Arthur who stands on his own unique traits, it'd be more of a fair match imo.
To this day my favorite missions in RDR were the ones on John's ranch with his family due to the interactions you get to have which add depth to everyone. Jack's feeling of inadequacy struck me as the most interesting and real because when your father's such a godlike rugged figure most would feel lesser. Some understand it firsthand. Despite this John praises Jack for his intellect and genuinely appears to be proud of him for being different while still bonding with him in John's domain. It felt like a real father-son relationship and made the ending even more hard to bear for me....and I ain't even a son. Yet I cried like I lost my own father and still tear up over it. Wonderful game, unforgettable character. How could anyone thumb this video down?
I was so shocked of John Marston's death that I stopped the game and restarted the mission because I thought I had failed and there would be a way for John to survive. Great character and great game, one of my all time favorite!
i think almost everyone tried it multiple times..... no one could accept that he was gonna die no matter what. but that's really what truly makes a great game. you actually cared about him and his well being. you didn't want to see him go down like that. brilliant story telling.
I was 11 when this came out. I have always loved The Wild West, beacuse my dad loves it ive kinda grown up with it. When i got the chance to play this game (thinking back this game isnt really suitable for an 11 year old) i loved it. To finally be able to live in the wild west was amazing. I got attached to Marston, and really loved his "badass-break everyone" style. When he died i cried like a baby. To have your hero die that way (yeah he was my hero. He gave me the chance to live back then) was terrible. Looking back on this game just give me memories of fun, playing with my friends. My friend had maxed fame and the lowest honor you can have, while i had the highest level of honor and fame. Now im 17, and i still loves The Wild West and this game. I cant wait for The Rdr2 to come out, which im sure it will. But for med RDR will always be the best game, just beacuse of the joy it gave me. Thanks John Marston, ima play rdr2 for you
I love this game to john Marston is life rdr is my favorite game iv done a lot to lost of memories I'm 16 now and I'm also going to play Red Dead Redemption for John Red Dead Redemption also impacted my life in a good way I'll never forget about the game then I also cried through every time John Marston dies like a baby I'm just he's my hero
One aspect I wish you had discussed was the morality system and how it relates to John's character. As a gameplay system the good/evil meter feels arbitrary and has little effect on the player but it draws attention to the actions the player performs. The system doesn't not change the story but it greatly changes the context of the story. A "good" John Marston is a tragic figure, a man who was promised absolution and given death despite his compliance. His death is eventually avenged by his son who is now the sole bearer of the burden the government has placed on his family. An "evil" John is someone who cannot turn back on his villainous ways and causes death and misery on his quest for his loved ones. He is given an execution worthy of a thief and a murderer and Edgar Ross is the true hero of the story. But Jack takes after his father and murders the man who rid the west of some of its most notorious outlaws. In a game that is so open I think it's important to discuss how the player's action shape the story.
Great post, and you're right that context is everything. That is why I think that either a bad playthrough of either John or Arthur's stories completely contradicts the story Rockstar are trying to tell. Because it isn't true redemption if you play these characters as murderous, vile men. There must be a component of guilt, and a concept of consciousness that comes with playing John and Arthur, two men who did bad and now need to use every opportunity to make up for it, for the sake of their souls.
@@Bad_At_Parties I disagree in Arthur's case, he achieves in redemption in both cases since playing bad throughout the story doesn't undermine the theme of redemption because he's going from bad to good either way. It's just that with high honor, he's a bad man who's been going against his vision of himself but ultimately acts to to his true self after he realizes he has finite time on this Earth, while low honor Arthur acts exactly like how everyone thinks of him but achieves a sort of last minute redemption by helping John to get to his family.
@@Bad_At_Parties Contrary to popular belief, the money ending isn't even selfish or the "bad" ending as you could do it with high honor as well it's literally Arthur getting the money for John and his family since he's dying anyway and it's not of any use to him but the game phrases it like it's the evil option for some reason.
Yeah some people will think that as a narrative TLOU is pretty cliche, but for a video game I think it's still great. The thing that makes the game standout from the rest is mainly the characterization and gameplay
Loved the video. I can't stop gushing over how astounding of a character John Marston is. One thing I wished the video talked about was how Marston always treated people right, or at least how he saw fit. He always did the right thing for strangers in need, and was amazingly polite to good people like Ms. MacFarlane and the Sheriff, and he looked down on villainous scum that he had the displeasure of knowing, like the Snake Oil Merchant or the corrupted Mexican politician.
Hey, may I suggest Niko Bellic to the next "What a character"? He is my favorite Grand Theft Auto protagonist, and I think that, much like John Marston, his story of trying to get away from his violent past and wanting to settle in peace with his family has a lot to be said. I will have to admit Niko's storyline it isn't as well written as that of Marston, but I still find him an amazing character nonetheless.
Yeah, It really stinks because Niko is probably one of the best characters in the GTA series, but GTA 4 has the worst gameplay out of all of them imo. The character was spot on, but if only the gameplay was better.
I actually think the driving engine and "gunplay" were probably the best in the series at the time, but yeah, there was an enormous lack of stuff to do and a lot of awesome features from previous games (Airplanes, car customization, properties, etc.) were missing. In my honest opinion, V is arguably the best in the series, it's like a perfected version of IV in almost every way. Even a year after release I play it almost everyday, there doesn't seem to be a lack of things to do in V (And in the online, for that matter).
henriquedematos Gta 4 is the best GTA in the series. I'm sickened they didn't do a 10 year anniversary, and sickened gta 5 went in an arcadey comical style, cheapens the experience in my opinion. I hope RDR2 has physics similar to gta iv and RDR1 and encourages R* to go back to that style with the next gta
marc mateja I didn't like it initially but it grew on me alot. The attention to detail was just incredible. It really does feel like you are progressing and forming relationships as Niko. I personally loved the driving and car damage as well as The euphoria physics. May be they'll do something once RDR2 is released
Holy crap I was searching for this video for ever, I remember discovering this because of my hype before RDR2 dropped. thank you for making this beautiful video, I’ll always remember it
This is one of 2 games that legit made me cry. The Walking Dead Season 1 is the second one. And I've ever only cried 3 time in my life. These two games, and even before that, the death of my father back in 2011, ten days before one of my favourite games released.
You should do one of these on Connor Kenway from AC3. A severely under-rated character, yes his voice actor wasn't great, but the character itself was great. A good simple man with a good simple goal flung into a complex world of greys and blacks. Always wanting to be able to do the right thing no matter what, and very, very rarely being able to.
This was BEAUTIFULLY done! :') Really did his character justice! Bet you a dollar if John wasn't fictional & dead he'd be shedding a couple of dem manly cowboy tears right about now!
What a perfect review of the man "John Marston" rarely can i say that a video spoke to me or made me actually feel something. You have accomplished this, thank you.
Tbh the "if you liked John wait till you play as Arthur" posts annoy me I honestly dont think Arthur is as interesting as John. John has a purpose, Arthur pretty much goes with the flow until the end. John is a deeper and more interesting character
So glad you're back and doing a video on John Marston is a hell of a way to make a comeback! He's definitely my favourite character in all of gaming for all the reasons you mentioned in this video. Rockstar really nailed it out of the park with RDR and created a masterpiece of a game.
This whole "Arthur is better" is getting annoying now, look no hate on the character but its get annoying seeing that getting spammed on anything related on rdr. John is great, let us just enjoy that.
Agreed. There's almost this desperate need people have after RDR2 to spam every video, even if it's focused on John, on how much they prefer Arthur despite the video not prompting any comparison. Almost because most fans now jumped now on board with RDR2 and have nothing to share beyond their love for the only RDR they played.
Wow. I thought I knew all there was to know about John Marston, but you took it to another level. Red Dead Redemption is my favorite game of all time, and you have helped me see it throught a new light. Thank you.
John marston the greatest RDR series is a john marston story all the way. Arthur failed confronting Dutch. Its John marston who killed Dutch and everyone. Marston greatest
The greatest inspiration for RDR's story was probably The Wild Bunch. The plot is very similar: an ex gang member is forced to track down his former partners in crime, but it's told from the perspective of the gang. Anyone who loves RDR should check that movie out, I'd say it's one of the best westerns and heist movies.
I am new to her and I have to say I really respect her. She has great out looks on things. And the goomba episode was just great even this was a good video. Thank you so much.
John Marston is my favorite character from all Rockstar games. I wish they made more western games like this one too (with lots of background stories)... Nice video! Congratulations for the great work.
People are talking about Arthur's character development and all he did was beat a guy to death get sick and start acting nice while in the other hand at the beginning of the game john didn't care about his family nor his son nearly died by the wolves started to use his head and lay low and finally he started the pursuit of redemption ended up dying for his family... That's real character development
I watched this video for 45 seconds before deciding 1) you are significantly talented at making TH-cam videos, and 2) You have a fantastic narrator. Thank you for setting a hire standard for online videos.
So glad to see you again! Some people are loquacious as a distraction; they distract people with their words to keep them from trying to get to know them, and I wonder if that was John Marston's aim. There are those who would describe me this way.
I am a little late, but I couldn't help but to point out that you have some false info. You said if you do not shoot Edgar Ross, you unlock an alternate ending. That's not true. It's not possible to kill Edgar during the barn scene and you'll always get the option to kill Ross with Jack.
beautiful video, having recently replayed this game for the first time in years, I only just realised the depth of John Marston, having only really remembered the great gunplay and fantastic setting. Thankfully I think it's more than likely John will return to our screens in the near future. It has been leaked several times over the past few weeks that Red Dead 2 is nae completion at Rock star, but I think it's more likely the game is going to be a prequel to RDR. Whenever Marston is talking about his time with Duch's Gang, the words "Bank" and "Robbery" are more often than not, brought up in this conversation. Seeing as in GTA v heists are a vital part of not only the gameplay, but of the story too, it would make sense that they would want to keep this feature and develop on it for future GTA games, seeing as it was well received by the audience. What better way would there be to test new heist features and changes than in a Prequel to Red Dead Redemption? Which in itself was a game (mostly) developed to test the engine and capabilities of the consoles for GTA V.
One of my favorite things about this character is how loyal he is to his wife. Nowadays that type of relationship stuff means more than it did when I first played
Good video, well thought out and well researched. Also well executed, I like the new recording equipment and settings, it works really well with your voice. I also liked how you put the character and the game into context and how you gave a bit more background information on the Character, in this case about the voice actor in question. As for the Anti-Heroes, which are rather a new thing and as well as the common man hero, they are more interesting than a "classical hero" they have more depth than the classcial heroes. And we can relate better to them, as they are, like us flawed beings.
I do have to say you did a great job on this! And I'm sad I'm only just finding your videos! I do have to say though I disagree a bit with what you had to say about Jack at the end of the game. While playing the end mission, I didn't get a sense that Jack was not living up to what his father wanted. I only felt that he was finishing business; not necessarily anything more than that. I guess it might also depend on how you play the game though. For example, in my second play-through I made it my mission to have Jack, not John, help all of the strangers you meet along the way. But that aside, I don't feel that his revenge at all set him back. There's no reason that says Jack still couldn't have gone on and been a great man and went on to write books. Heck, there's even an easter egg in GTAV where you can find a book titled "Red Dead" by J. Marston, which many have speculated to having been written by Jack. I guess to sum it up, I didn't personally get a shock at what Jack felt he needed to do. However, I will say it made me question what I would have done in that situation. Is it better to forgive or should justice be served? Just another reason I fell in love with this game. Fine art should raise questions and that's exactly what Red Dead Redemption did.
You missed so many of the games points John marston wasn't selfish at all he was consistently selfless. Killing Ross is the redemption not john's failure.
Outstanding video! Great writing, research and production value. Just stumbled upon your channel through Adrian Chmielarz and insta-subbed. Great stuff.
Nice video, I like the in depth look at Marston's character and the comparison to the man who voiced him, Rob Wiethoff. I'd add though that I disagree that Marston gave no bones regarding his past. I can think of at least one example where he displayed some kind of remorse when speaking with Bonnie MacFarlane, when he said he wasn't proud of his past. I'd say after he was left to die by his gang, he had a change of heart/priorities, especially towards those he called his brothers. That said however, I'd also say that it was clear (to me at least) that Rockstar's purpose for Marston's moral ambiguity was to leave his morality in the hands of the player, allowing you to become either a good man, or an outlaw. Again, great video. :)
+Dougie “dougster701” Haggerty Pretty sure you can't. I remember trying to find him on a second playthrough during that sequence and he wasn't in the crowd.
Not sure if you've heard of this character or game, but see if you can do a video of the character Prince Vorkken, from the game The Wonderful 101. He's a real fun character who also goes through a fall from grace, to villainy, and then redemption in through out the game, and his psyche and motivation are fairly complex, or at least I saw that in the game.
So happy to see you back in action, Kite :) Thank you for the motivation you've sent my way on Twitter and for being such an awesome person. Looking forward to upcoming videos both here and on [redacted for spoilers, go watch her announcement video people!]
They can't make him a "bad" or "good" person since you (the player) are the one who gets to choose who he becomes. All that the game can give you is his past and tell you that he has done bad things but also has potential to do good. His past is just another way for you to make the character into who you want him to be. Great video. Also this seems to be your 69th video so on behalf of the internet: Giggity.
All the people he helped in a way does redeem him... He risked his life for people like the MacFarlanes. But you are right, his main interest was rescuing his family. Although some of his acts of horror might have been cleaned by his kindness to strangers.
In RD2 he had doubts of being an outlaw he even questioned his logic aiding Ms Adler on a bounty. He wanted a life for him self and family. Edgar Ross deserved what he got, he was a dirty lawmen
I just realized after all of these years that when John says “ Besides, you might see me get fired by some massive wild beast” Rockstar was probably referring to his death and the “massive, wild beast” that they were referring to was the government.
![Why Micah Bell is Rockstar's most hated character [SPOILERS]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ky_pHTZcHvI/mqdefault.jpg)
John Marston. 1873-1911. Loving husband and father. "Blessed are the peacemakers"
Bruno Alves Damn straight
We shall see him again soon
actually a name of a mission in Redemption 2 too
Arthur Morgan. 1863-1899. Loyal to the end. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness"
It's so funny because in RDR2 Micah will say the same thing to Arthur Morgan
Marston: Left The life of a Gunslinger
Wiettoff: Left The life of a Voice Actor
Marston: Drifted Back into it
Wiettoff: Drifted Back into it
And they ruined him
@@Ma1q444 hi
@@assassingamer5983 ye
@@Ma1q444 I think they did. He's not the John Marston from RDR1 and I'm not talking about character development.
@@themadtitan7603 What are you on about exactly? Please tell me this isn't more complaining about the damn character model for John.
Interesting that you describe Red Dead Redemption as taking inspiration exclusively from Spaghetti Westerns.
One theory that I've come across is that the game is actually split into three distinct acts which each take inspiration from a different "era" in the cultural reflection we have placed upon the Wild West, and that this is parsed out across the three different acts of the game.
When John arrives in Armadillo he's fighting alongside local lawmen to defeat the band of ruffians that have taken up shop in Fort Mercer. He befriends a motley crew of colourful characters to defeat the irreconcilably evil assholes who have slighted him and protect the community. It's akin to the earliest depictions of the Wild West, such as you might find in the Lone Ranger, Gun Smoke or High Noon.
When John crosses the river to Mexico the tone changes drastically. He's forced to infatuate himself with a rebellion led by an egocentric, hypocritical prick and the targets of his violent actions become much more ambiguous. In that way the second act is similar to the second cinematic wave of more cynical and brutal Westerns begun by Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns, and cruder films still like The Wild Bunch.
Lastly when John journeys back up north, out of the badlands and towards the most modernized territories, he is forced to face up to the fact that the West as he knew it is truly dying. The foes he must face in Dutch's gang are disenfranchised Native Americans driven to desperation by institutionalized cruelty, he has to stamp out the last embers of his past as an outlaw, and yet the solace of a family life is waiting for him as a final reward for his endevours. This is the modern "realist" era of western films, where the idealism of the past has been completely eroded away to leave much colder, bitter stories to tell, such as Unforgiven.
I've probably botched the description of the theory horribly, but I think it's interesting. I'm probably talking out of my arse...
That. Is. Amazing
You sir, has earned my Up vote!
(Or 1+, idk)
I'm not usually interested in the bollocks people talk on these comment sections but I can honestly say you've brought a news perspective to the table with that and it was well said too
I think it was years ago when I took my time playing through the campaign. The calmer moments of the campaign missions are when I reflected on how the tone, atmosphere, and the nostalgic "feel" of the game changed. I think the biggest moment was when John Marston and his son were leading cattle from the McFarlen's ranch to their own pastures. Starting from the first county and heading to the last in such a short distance (previously inaccessible). After all the journey to get home, now Marston was finally back, yet even in that moment the game felt nowhere closer to reaching the end.
Nice theory dumbass but it’s actual word from rockstar directly
Great comment, mate, and I do agree to some extents. I'd just call the different periods other things. The first act would be classed as more like classic westerns, with a colorful assortment of characters and lower stakes for the cast involved (the Mexico section would be spaghetti influenced as you said), and the last act would be a "revisionist" western story, where common tropes of the genre are either challenged or done away with entirely in pursuit of a more existential story.
It's kind of amazing just how much RDR is able to hit all the levels of what you'd expect from a western, regardless of style. It really has something for everyone, in that sense. Though I think more than anything else, it would classify as a revisionist western for how it takes the genre to new places and challenges the expectations of the genre to deliver moments that can catch you by surprise, while also upping the anti on moral ambiguity and depicting the death of the Wild West via modernity.
Anyone else cry at the end of the game?
PlaGueRAza I sure did..
PlaGueRAza I was depressed for about a month i almost cut my wrist and was suicidal but im OK again
Who doesn't?!?!
😭😢😭😢😭😢
***** So true man, Iv never gotten so attached to a character in a video game or movie like I did with John Marston. It would be amazing to see this become a movie.
I did and a lot
I'm pretty sure that Edgar Ross cannot be killed by John Marston in his final stand scene. There is no alternative ending, you always get to play as Jack and you always get that final stranger mission.
I am the one who told kite that because I honestly remember taking him down as John Marston. Kite and I beat the game around the same time as each other right after it came out and when we were discussing the ending I expressed my disappointment that there wasn't any missions to play with Jack and she told me about the Ross mission. I was surprised because I thought he died in the final shootout which I now can't find any evidence of online (go figure). Either I (and another friend of mine) got a super secret ending, or we just never got the Jack mission for whatever reason and we falsely assumed that we blew Ross away in the final shootout.
Whether I'm right or horribly wrong it's still a great game that deserves all the accolades it has garnished.
It wasn't Edgar Ross you shot..
well he
isnt in there when your in dead eye
Flex Tales you dint get the mission because you dint go to black water and talk to the officer by the train station
Flex Tales I actually didn’t realize there even was a stranger mission as jack until many years after I beat the game. It’s easy to miss, you probably just missed it too and assumed you had killed Ross.
That will teach Red Dead Redemption 2 players and Arthur fans about the greatest Rockstar character of all time.
Lol no as much as badass and cool as hell John is, Arthur is better for me.
Yep
@@deadrock1678 I'm conflicted because a lot of what makes Arthur better writing wise, ARE the traits, history and development they stripped from John in the first game and gave to him. Had John been written consistently in RDR2 and compared to an Arthur who stands on his own unique traits, it'd be more of a fair match imo.
To this day my favorite missions in RDR were the ones on John's ranch with his family due to the interactions you get to have which add depth to everyone.
Jack's feeling of inadequacy struck me as the most interesting and real because when your father's such a godlike rugged figure most would feel lesser. Some understand it firsthand. Despite this John praises Jack for his intellect and genuinely appears to be proud of him for being different while still bonding with him in John's domain. It felt like a real father-son relationship and made the ending even more hard to bear for me....and I ain't even a son. Yet I cried like I lost my own father and still tear up over it.
Wonderful game, unforgettable character. How could anyone thumb this video down?
I was so shocked of John Marston's death that I stopped the game and restarted the mission because I thought I had failed and there would be a way for John to survive. Great character and great game, one of my all time favorite!
haha me too.
I tried over and over again...
i think almost everyone tried it multiple times..... no one could accept that he was gonna die no matter what. but that's really what truly makes a great game. you actually cared about him and his well being. you didn't want to see him go down like that. brilliant story telling.
jack did not murdered Ross, he killed him. There is a HUGE damm diference.
Not really. He got revenge by murdering him. Killing him. Was it justified? Maybe. But it doesn't mean it's not killing.
Not by the one who is dead.
very difficult reference to get
Canario Garcia , i got the reference
***** never said he did not kill him. I said murder.
I don't get the reference but I agree. When I was in the Marines you learn the difference. Murder is wrong and killing is justified and even fun.
I was 11 when this came out. I have always loved The Wild West, beacuse my dad loves it ive kinda grown up with it. When i got the chance to play this game (thinking back this game isnt really suitable for an 11 year old) i loved it. To finally be able to live in the wild west was amazing. I got attached to Marston, and really loved his "badass-break everyone" style. When he died i cried like a baby. To have your hero die that way (yeah he was my hero. He gave me the chance to live back then) was terrible. Looking back on this game just give me memories of fun, playing with my friends. My friend had maxed fame and the lowest honor you can have, while i had the highest level of honor and fame.
Now im 17, and i still loves The Wild West and this game. I cant wait for The Rdr2 to come out, which im sure it will. But for med RDR will always be the best game, just beacuse of the joy it gave me. Thanks John Marston, ima play rdr2 for you
I love this game to john Marston is life rdr is my favorite game iv done a lot to lost of memories I'm 16 now and I'm also going to play Red Dead Redemption for John Red Dead Redemption also impacted my life in a good way I'll never forget about the game then I also cried through every time John Marston dies like a baby I'm just he's my hero
haha I'm playing this game at 11 years old😂😂
Klark CG U know at least John will be back, since RDR2's a prequel to the first game.
jelly puma damnnn you don’t care if it has blood? You must be so tough and brave!!!
Did you like rdr2?
One aspect I wish you had discussed was the morality system and how it relates to John's character. As a gameplay system the good/evil meter feels arbitrary and has little effect on the player but it draws attention to the actions the player performs. The system doesn't not change the story but it greatly changes the context of the story.
A "good" John Marston is a tragic figure, a man who was promised absolution and given death despite his compliance. His death is eventually avenged by his son who is now the sole bearer of the burden the government has placed on his family.
An "evil" John is someone who cannot turn back on his villainous ways and causes death and misery on his quest for his loved ones. He is given an execution worthy of a thief and a murderer and Edgar Ross is the true hero of the story. But Jack takes after his father and murders the man who rid the west of some of its most notorious outlaws.
In a game that is so open I think it's important to discuss how the player's action shape the story.
Bravo!
Great post, and you're right that context is everything. That is why I think that either a bad playthrough of either John or Arthur's stories completely contradicts the story Rockstar are trying to tell. Because it isn't true redemption if you play these characters as murderous, vile men. There must be a component of guilt, and a concept of consciousness that comes with playing John and Arthur, two men who did bad and now need to use every opportunity to make up for it, for the sake of their souls.
@@Bad_At_Parties
I disagree in Arthur's case, he achieves in redemption in both cases since playing bad throughout the story doesn't undermine the theme of redemption because he's going from bad to good either way.
It's just that with high honor, he's a bad man who's been going against his vision of himself but ultimately acts to to his true self after he realizes he has finite time on this Earth, while low honor Arthur acts exactly like how everyone thinks of him but achieves a sort of last minute redemption by helping John to get to his family.
@@Bad_At_Parties
Contrary to popular belief, the money ending isn't even selfish or the "bad" ending as you could do it with high honor as well it's literally Arthur getting the money for John and his family since he's dying anyway and it's not of any use to him but the game phrases it like it's the evil option for some reason.
I miss playing as john marston...that environment of red dead redemption was a unique one
well u got him back right ?
As unique as it gets friend
Possibly the best narrative (tied with BioShock 1) of any game I've ever played. Beautiful.
Better than BioShock
It's a good game but The Last of Us has the cake for best narrative
I disagree. It has very good presentation, but the story itself is quite a common one for post apocalyptic fiction.
Yeah some people will think that as a narrative TLOU is pretty cliche, but for a video game I think it's still great. The thing that makes the game standout from the rest is mainly the characterization and gameplay
Good to see you back again, Kite :D
God, RDR was such a memorable game, the ending still gets me.
Only OGs will prefer John Marston than Arthur Morgan
👍👍👍
Red dead redemption is one of my favorite games and I respect Weithoffs decision that makes me feel like red dead redemption is one of a kind
You've done an excellent job with your videos and this series in particular. I've stayed away way too long!
Loved the video. I can't stop gushing over how astounding of a character John Marston is. One thing I wished the video talked about was how Marston always treated people right, or at least how he saw fit. He always did the right thing for strangers in need, and was amazingly polite to good people like Ms. MacFarlane and the Sheriff, and he looked down on villainous scum that he had the displeasure of knowing, like the Snake Oil Merchant or the corrupted Mexican politician.
"One of them machines can turn men into angels..."
-Jack Marston
Hey, may I suggest Niko Bellic to the next "What a character"? He is my favorite Grand Theft Auto protagonist, and I think that, much like John Marston, his story of trying to get away from his violent past and wanting to settle in peace with his family has a lot to be said. I will have to admit Niko's storyline it isn't as well written as that of Marston, but I still find him an amazing character nonetheless.
Yeah, It really stinks because Niko is probably one of the best characters in the GTA series, but GTA 4 has the worst gameplay out of all of them imo. The character was spot on, but if only the gameplay was better.
I actually think the driving engine and "gunplay" were probably the best in the series at the time, but yeah, there was an enormous lack of stuff to do and a lot of awesome features from previous games (Airplanes, car customization, properties, etc.) were missing. In my honest opinion, V is arguably the best in the series, it's like a perfected version of IV in almost every way. Even a year after release I play it almost everyday, there doesn't seem to be a lack of things to do in V (And in the online, for that matter).
henriquedematos Gta 4 is the best GTA in the series. I'm sickened they didn't do a 10 year anniversary, and sickened gta 5 went in an arcadey comical style, cheapens the experience in my opinion. I hope RDR2 has physics similar to gta iv and RDR1 and encourages R* to go back to that style with the next gta
henriquedematos
I couldn’t agree more. I was really disappointed that there was no anniversary edition. My absolute favorite game.
marc mateja I didn't like it initially but it grew on me alot. The attention to detail was just incredible. It really does feel like you are progressing and forming relationships as Niko. I personally loved the driving and car damage as well as The euphoria physics. May be they'll do something once RDR2 is released
Holy crap I was searching for this video for ever, I remember discovering this because of my hype before RDR2 dropped. thank you for making this beautiful video, I’ll always remember it
Awww you remembered it! RDR2 is one of my favorite games of all time. So thankful Rockstar saw the potential 🙏
This is one of 2 games that legit made me cry. The Walking Dead Season 1 is the second one. And I've ever only cried 3 time in my life. These two games, and even before that, the death of my father back in 2011, ten days before one of my favourite games released.
You should do one of these on Connor Kenway from AC3. A severely under-rated character, yes his voice actor wasn't great, but the character itself was great. A good simple man with a good simple goal flung into a complex world of greys and blacks. Always wanting to be able to do the right thing no matter what, and very, very rarely being able to.
Glad to hear you're back
This was BEAUTIFULLY done! :') Really did his character justice! Bet you a dollar if John wasn't fictional & dead he'd be shedding a couple of dem manly cowboy tears right about now!
What a perfect review of the man "John Marston" rarely can i say that a video spoke to me or made me actually feel something. You have accomplished this, thank you.
"Ohhhh don't bury me on the lonely prairies...."
Glad to see you back up and running again. Also a phenomenal episode.
Tbh the "if you liked John wait till you play as Arthur" posts annoy me
I honestly dont think Arthur is as interesting as John. John has a purpose, Arthur pretty much goes with the flow until the end.
John is a deeper and more interesting character
I very much disagree. Arthur is much more deep than John but they're both amazing protagonists.
It starts out that way one could argue, but I think by the end of the game Arthur's purpose becomes pretty clear..
@@BeatleHarrison ???????? You might want to replay the game again.....
@@Patricksargentmusic Replay the game to find out that what he’s saying is completely true?
@@johnr5103 Replay the game to actually find out there's more to it?
So glad you're back and doing a video on John Marston is a hell of a way to make a comeback! He's definitely my favourite character in all of gaming for all the reasons you mentioned in this video. Rockstar really nailed it out of the park with RDR and created a masterpiece of a game.
This video was so good to watch. Please do more of these. Great work!
Stumbled upon this video today and I must say it's really good! It's certainly one of the best character analysis I have ever watched on youtube.
This whole "Arthur is better" is getting annoying now, look no hate on the character but its get annoying seeing that getting spammed on anything related on rdr. John is great, let us just enjoy that.
Totally agree with you.
Agreed. There's almost this desperate need people have after RDR2 to spam every video, even if it's focused on John, on how much they prefer Arthur despite the video not prompting any comparison. Almost because most fans now jumped now on board with RDR2 and have nothing to share beyond their love for the only RDR they played.
Wow. I thought I knew all there was to know about John Marston, but you took it to another level. Red Dead Redemption is my favorite game of all time, and you have helped me see it throught a new light. Thank you.
Man, this was a great one. Thanks for uploading.
Amazing video! Love it so much I didn't see time passing by. Congratz!
John marston the greatest RDR series is a john marston story all the way. Arthur failed confronting Dutch. Its John marston who killed Dutch and everyone. Marston greatest
The greatest inspiration for RDR's story was probably The Wild Bunch. The plot is very similar: an ex gang member is forced to track down his former partners in crime, but it's told from the perspective of the gang. Anyone who loves RDR should check that movie out, I'd say it's one of the best westerns and heist movies.
I am new to her and I have to say I really respect her. She has great out looks on things. And the goomba episode was just great even this was a good video. Thank you so much.
You know, with Red Dead Redemption 2, it answered almost all the questions asked about John’s character.
No it fucking didnt, he was a whole other character in that game
John Marston is my favorite character from all Rockstar games. I wish they made more western games like this one too (with lots of background stories)...
Nice video! Congratulations for the great work.
Great new video :) Glad to see you back! Blowin' the dust off your channel and gettin' back into the life like an ole cow-poke ;)
Sometimes I wonder what it would've been like to have existed in that era. Assuming I survived for longer than 15 years, it would have it's upsides.
The way you explain things is amazing.
Missed you! Good to have you back!
People are talking about Arthur's character development and all he did was beat a guy to death get sick and start acting nice while in the other hand at the beginning of the game john didn't care about his family nor his son nearly died by the wolves started to use his head and lay low and finally he started the pursuit of redemption ended up dying for his family... That's real character development
Well I mean anything sounds bad when you simplify it like that
Well I mean anything sounds bad when you simplify it like that
U mad arthur is a better protagonist and the best protagonist in fiction, cope
Nicely done. Welcome back, you were missed!
I watched this video for 45 seconds before deciding 1) you are significantly talented at making TH-cam videos, and 2) You have a fantastic narrator. Thank you for setting a hire standard for online videos.
So glad to see you again!
Some people are loquacious as a distraction; they distract people with their words to keep them from trying to get to know them, and I wonder if that was John Marston's aim. There are those who would describe me this way.
The end of Red Dead Redemption actually made me cry multiple years ago, he’s such an amazing video game character
RIP John Marston. Gone, but NEVER forgotten
My gta online dad is john marston!
I am a little late, but I couldn't help but to point out that you have some false info. You said if you do not shoot Edgar Ross, you unlock an alternate ending. That's not true. It's not possible to kill Edgar during the barn scene and you'll always get the option to kill Ross with Jack.
Yep
This is absolutely phenomenal. Bravo! One of the best games of all time.
John Is The Gray Area of Fiction.
beautiful video, having recently replayed this game for the first time in years, I only just realised the depth of John Marston, having only really remembered the great gunplay and fantastic setting.
Thankfully I think it's more than likely John will return to our screens in the near future. It has been leaked several times over the past few weeks that Red Dead 2 is nae completion at Rock star, but I think it's more likely the game is going to be a prequel to RDR.
Whenever Marston is talking about his time with Duch's Gang, the words "Bank" and "Robbery" are more often than not, brought up in this conversation. Seeing as in GTA v heists are a vital part of not only the gameplay, but of the story too, it would make sense that they would want to keep this feature and develop on it for future GTA games, seeing as it was well received by the audience. What better way would there be to test new heist features and changes than in a Prequel to Red Dead Redemption? Which in itself was a game (mostly) developed to test the engine and capabilities of the consoles for GTA V.
"What About Loyalty?"
- John Marston
One of my favorite things about this character is how loyal he is to his wife. Nowadays that type of relationship stuff means more than it did when I first played
Good video, well thought out and well researched.
Also well executed, I like the new recording equipment and settings, it works really well with your voice.
I also liked how you put the character and the game into context and how you gave a bit more background information on the Character, in this case about the voice actor in question.
As for the Anti-Heroes, which are rather a new thing and as well as the common man hero, they are more interesting than a "classical hero" they have more depth than the classcial heroes.
And we can relate better to them, as they are, like us flawed beings.
We love JM
Great vid. John Marston is my favourite Rockstar character.
Beautifully written and what a Voice Over.
Awesome video! John Marston is one of my favorite game characters.
Also, you have such a nice and mesmerizing voice! :)
I love how she says Spaghetti - "Spigiddy". Great video, really reminds me of how special Red Dead Redemption (and Revolver for that matter) were!
I do have to say you did a great job on this! And I'm sad I'm only just finding your videos!
I do have to say though I disagree a bit with what you had to say about Jack at the end of the game. While playing the end mission, I didn't get a sense that Jack was not living up to what his father wanted. I only felt that he was finishing business; not necessarily anything more than that. I guess it might also depend on how you play the game though. For example, in my second play-through I made it my mission to have Jack, not John, help all of the strangers you meet along the way. But that aside, I don't feel that his revenge at all set him back. There's no reason that says Jack still couldn't have gone on and been a great man and went on to write books. Heck, there's even an easter egg in GTAV where you can find a book titled "Red Dead" by J. Marston, which many have speculated to having been written by Jack.
I guess to sum it up, I didn't personally get a shock at what Jack felt he needed to do. However, I will say it made me question what I would have done in that situation. Is it better to forgive or should justice be served? Just another reason I fell in love with this game. Fine art should raise questions and that's exactly what Red Dead Redemption did.
I like how you basically described that GTA takes place in the same universe as Red Dead Redemption just years later
You missed so many of the games points John marston wasn't selfish at all he was consistently selfless. Killing Ross is the redemption not john's failure.
Ikr, John is only selfish in the beggining of rdr2, and works his way to being selfless after someone close to him had died
Outstanding video! Great writing, research and production value. Just stumbled upon your channel through Adrian Chmielarz and insta-subbed. Great stuff.
NEXT- What a Character: Arthur Morgan!
Ehh
Nice video, I like the in depth look at Marston's character and the comparison to the man who voiced him, Rob Wiethoff. I'd add though that I disagree that Marston gave no bones regarding his past. I can think of at least one example where he displayed some kind of remorse when speaking with Bonnie MacFarlane, when he said he wasn't proud of his past. I'd say after he was left to die by his gang, he had a change of heart/priorities, especially towards those he called his brothers. That said however, I'd also say that it was clear (to me at least) that Rockstar's purpose for Marston's moral ambiguity was to leave his morality in the hands of the player, allowing you to become either a good man, or an outlaw. Again, great video. :)
Red Dead is my favorite rockstar game and John is an awesome character. Great video!
I don't know why but apparently in the cut scene before the duel , Ross can be holding different shotguns.
John Marston is a hero.
This game will always be a special game to me.
You can't shoot Ross as marston when you come out the barn can you ?
+Dougie “dougster701” Haggerty Pretty sure you can't. I remember trying to find him on a second playthrough during that sequence and he wasn't in the crowd.
+TMac53
Yeh I think it's just the normal marshals and soldiers
+Dougie “dougster701” Haggerty i've shot him but he got back up
i'm not it happened a long time ago though
No, absolutely not
Not sure if you've heard of this character or game, but see if you can do a video of the character Prince Vorkken, from the game The Wonderful 101. He's a real fun character who also goes through a fall from grace, to villainy, and then redemption in through out the game, and his psyche and motivation are fairly complex, or at least I saw that in the game.
Wow. Its been a while, nice video as always.
Yeah! It's been months. I even missed Christmas. :(
Thank you!
“Blessed are the Peacemakers”
Excellent video! I'll definitely have to play this game one day.
'What a character: Arthur Morgen
So happy to see you back in action, Kite :) Thank you for the motivation you've sent my way on Twitter and for being such an awesome person. Looking forward to upcoming videos both here and on [redacted for spoilers, go watch her announcement video people!]
Nice video and a interesting analysis of a great character.
That ending was beautiful
Now do one for Rip Van Winkle
Back in 2018 because fuck me this analysis is brilliant.
What a character: Ezio Auditore Da Firenze
Frotyminecartz don't make me cry even more
Frotyminecartz who?
Great video! Welcome back, and yeah that was a great game.
They can't make him a "bad" or "good" person since you (the player) are the one who gets to choose who he becomes. All that the game can give you is his past and tell you that he has done bad things but also has potential to do good. His past is just another way for you to make the character into who you want him to be.
Great video. Also this seems to be your 69th video so on behalf of the internet: Giggity.
Now do a vid about Arthur Morgan.
John Marston is my fav character ever
great video. great job. great voice :)
This channel is going to be big some day.
This was beautiful.
RIP John Marston a true bad ass!
All the people he helped in a way does redeem him... He risked his life for people like the MacFarlanes. But you are right, his main interest was rescuing his family. Although some of his acts of horror might have been cleaned by his kindness to strangers.
In RD2 he had doubts of being an outlaw he even questioned his logic aiding Ms Adler on a bounty. He wanted a life for him self and family. Edgar Ross deserved what he got, he was a dirty lawmen
This is a well done video. Thanks.
I just realized after all of these years that when John says “ Besides, you might see me get fired by some massive wild beast” Rockstar was probably referring to his death and the “massive, wild beast” that they were referring to was the government.
Prepare for Arthur fans saying wHaT aBoUT aRtHuR