History RedDeadRedemption2 / TropesAToL

* TheHeroDies: Arthur, already terminally ill with tuberculosis, performs a HeroicSacrifice at the end.

** There are obstacles to various romantic relationships in the game that wouldn't really exist today. One of them is Arthur and Mary's InterclassRomance. Since Mary comes from money and would have no way to provide for herself should something happen to him, she doesn't have the the luxury of marrying for love and marries someone that's more "suitable". Nowadays a rich woman like Mary would have a college degree and the legal protection to not to have to listen to her dad. Another type of romantic obstacle that wouldn't exist today is the stigma against [[MalignedMixedMarriage interracial relationships]]. No one in the gang really has a problem with Lenny (who's black) having a crush on Jenny (who judging by Arthur's drawing of her was white) but it's implied that Hosea doesn't really mean that it wouldn't have worked out between them because of their similar names. It's more the fact that society wouldn't accept them. They wouldn't have been able to get legally married in a good chunk of the country (or even have sex in some places) as Loving vs Virginia , which repealed all anti-miscegenation laws, wasn't decided until 1967. In Manzanita Post, you can come across a Norwegian settlement group who fled to the U.S. because they killed brutally killed an interracial couple (Morrocan husband, Norwegian wife) and their child. The picture of said couple has "unclean" scribbled on the back of it. There's also what's implied to be Bill's closeted homosexuality. Arthur says in his journal that he doesn't care what secret Bill is hiding but there was no way for him to be who he was until the 1990s at the very earliest as the Clinton Administration was the first explicitly pro-gay administration. The Supreme Court didn't overrule the federal law prohibiting same-sex sexual relationships until Lawrence v. Texas in 2003.

* DarkReprise: There's two different low honor-related remixes of "Unshaken" that can play during the ending.
** If Arthur [[spoiler:decides to go back for the money and get revenge on Dutch and Micah instead of leave with John]], a threatening, bass-y, hip hop-esque beat plays as he makes his way back. The start of the song contains a snippet of Music/{{Nas}} vocals. Rather than the humble, questioning tone of the original version of "Unshaken", they're far more aggressive and confident:

* BulletTime: Dead Eye returns from the last two games, crossing over with SuperReflexes. There's also a kill-cam system that shows certain kills in slow-motion, similarly to Rockstar's ''VideoGame/MaxPayne 3''. The focus of the camera changes depending on Arthur's honor level; High honor will have the camera focus more on Arthur, while low honor focuses more on the victim.

** When John is holding Javier at gunpoint in ''Redemption'' 1, he says the following: "Now, I ain't the judge, but as it turns out, it's you or me. The way I see it, it might as well be you". In ''II'', Dutch says nearly the same thing ("It is either us, or him! The way I see it, might as well be him.") after [[spoiler:a shocked John admonishes him for drowning Angelo Bronte]], changing the context of the original line to John deliberately quoting Dutch.

** [[spoiler: Arthur's grave (at least on high honor) has an inscription of Matthew 5:6. Years later, John's will have an inscription of Matthew 5:9.]]

* TwentyBearAsses: A number of challenges involve obtaining a certain number of perfect quality pelts from specific animals.

* TheAlcoholic: The Van der Linde gang sure has some notable alcoholics. Uncle is rarely found without a drink in his hand, Karen becomes one later in the story and, in the Epilogue, [[spoiler:is presumed to have drank herself to death]]. Bill Williamson is almost always seen with a drink in his hand and is quite prone to ''AlcoholInducedIdiocy''. Perhaps the biggest example of an alcoholic is Reverend Swanson who's, almost literaly, never seen sober around camp. [[spoiler:He does get better in chapter 5 and quits drinking altogether]]

** A vaudeville singer in St. Denis sings "Hello! Ma Baby!," which seems out of place in the setting. However, the song was written in 1899 (when the game takes place), and was a Tin Pan Alley hit in New York that same year. So this isn't totally unrealistic. However, the arrangement contains blues elements, which wouldn't enter popular culture until the UsefulNotes/WorldWarI time frame, and the singer's vocal style is more appropriate to the 1940s.

** While pre-rolled cigarettes were available in cartons and packs in 1899, hand-rolling cigarettes was by far the more popular method of the era. It wouldn't be until UsefulNotes/WorldWarOne (where the easier-to-ship pre-rolled cigarettes were included in solder's rations) and the subsequent advertising boom of the 1920s that pre-rolled cigarettes took over.

* AnimalsLackAttributes: {{Averted}} with horse testicles that react to changes in temperature.

** Talismans require other materials than just the trophy from the legendary animal to be crafted, some only require VendorTrash that can be robbed/looted from NPCs but three are unique items that only spawn once in certain locations [[note]]The Old Brass Compass, Abalone Shell Fragment, and Cobalt Petrified Wood[[/note]] and two others are rewards from questlines [[note]]The Vintage Civil War Handcuffs and the Quartz Chunk[[/note]]. What's worse is those unique items [[LostForever can be sold]].

** There are obstacles to various romantic relationships in the game that wouldn't really exist today. One of them is Arthur and Mary's InterclassRomance. Since Mary comes from money and would have no way to provide for herself should something happen to him, she doesn't have the the luxury of marrying for love and marries someone that's more "suitable". Nowadays a rich woman like Mary would have a college degree and the legal protection to not to have to listen to her dad. Another type of romantic obstacle that wouldn't exist today is the stigma against [[MalignedMixedMarriage interracial relationships]]. No one in the gang really has a problem with Lenny (who's black) having a crush on Jenny (who judging by Arthur's drawing of her was white) but it's implied that Hosea doesn't really mean that it wouldn't have worked out between them because of their similar names. It's more the fact that society wouldn't accept them. They wouldn't have been able to get legally married in a good chunk of the country (or even have sex in some places) as Loving vs Virginia , which repealed all anti-miscegenation laws, wasn't decided until 1967. In Manzanita Post, you can come across a Norwegian settlement group who fled to the U.S. because they killed brutally killed an interracial couple (Morrocan husband, Norwegian wife) and their child. The picture of said couple has "unclean" scribbled on the back of it.

* TheAlcoholic: Uncle is rarely found without a drink in his hand. Karen becomes one later in the story and, in the Epilogue, [[spoiler:is presumed to have drank herself to death]].

** In the 'Wisdom of the Elders' questline [[spoilers: even after Arthur finds proof that the 'darkness' the town is experiencing is from lead and arsenic poisoning caused by runoff from a nearby mine and the MagicalNativeAmerican who's been 'helping' them is a conman sent by the mining company to get the townsfolk to waive their right to sue, the people of Butchers Creek still believe their problems are supernatural in nature.]]

** Milton and Ross introduce themselves as Pinkerton agents acting as lawmen on behalf of the US government. This arrangement was common in the 1870s and 80s, but had been made illegal by 1899.

** The KKK was not in operation during 1899. The First Klan was shut down by the US Government in the early 1870s under the Grant administration and wouldn't be recreated until the 1910s (although a number of similarly brutal white supremacist groups remained in operation in the South), and their infamous hood and robes wouldn't be seen until much later. [[ButtMonkey But who doesn't like seeing the KKK make]] [[TooDumbToLive complete fools of themselves?]] Since ''Red Dead'' is set in an alternate version of the United States like the ''GTA'' series[[labelnote: note]]To give an example of how different America in GTA is from real life, their version of Las Vegas is in their version of '''California''' instead of Nevada[[/labelnote]], it's possible that the KKK persisted in some form later. In one of the random encounters, a KKK leader notes that it's become much harder to operate due to the federal government, so they're probably a remnant.

* BadassArmy: Deconstructed with the US Army present in the game. Drawing their attention and wrath is considered a death sentence by most of the van der Linde gang, including Arthur. However, when they are fought, they turn out to be little more than green recruits handed rifles and sent off into dangerous situations. They are also led by an incompetent Colonel looking for some last glory before retirement who even tries [[spoiler:to have his actually competent second-in-command court marshaled and hanged for treason when he wants to sue for peace with the Wapiti]]. Discussed at one point by Arthur after fighting some of them when he finds one's ID card (a precursor to dog tags) and learns that he's just a "kid from New Jersey". Except when in overwhelming numbers, they're little match for hardened career outlaws.

* BadassCrew: The van der Linde gang, naturally. Even the women acquit themselves rather nicely with a gun in their hands.
* BadassGrandpa: Hosea is a veteran gunslinger who made his mark as an outlaw during the golden age of the Wild West. By the time of the game, he's up there in age (55 when average lifespan for men was about 46), but can still handle himself in a shootout. He also still serves as the "brains" of the van der Linde operation.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Dutch's ultimate goal throughout most of the game is to get enough money to escape to Tahiti (or a similar tropical location) with the gang. In one part of the story, he, Arthur, Micah, Javier, and Bill do end up on a tropical island--Guarma--which is suffering from many of the same things that Dutch hates about the US, namely workers and nature getting exploited by corporations and the military.

* CampCook: Pearson for the van der Linde gang. He was a former US Navy cook before joining the gang. Based on in-game comments, his culinary skills [[LethalChef leave a lot to be desired]].

** Josiah Trelawny is a pseudo member of the van der Linde gang and is much more at home scamming other city slickers than gunslinging in the untamed west.

** The assault on the O'Driscoll camp at the end of Chapter 1. The van der Linde gang kills three or four times as many O'Driscolls without a single casualty.

** As related to the above, the death penalty is very liberally used throughout the game which is in stark contrast to today, especially outside the US. Today, it's legal in 29 states and still practiced in 17 of those. The US is one of the few developed countries that still has it even though the federal government hasn't executed anyone since 2003.

** There are obstacles to various romantic relationships in the game that wouldn't really exist today. One of them is Arthur and Mary's InterclassRomance. Since Mary comes from money and would have no way to provide for herself should something happen to him, she doesn't have the the luxury of marrying for love and marries someone that's more "suitable". Nowadays a rich woman like Mary would have a college degree and the legal protection to not to have to listen to her dad. Another type of romantic obstacle that wouldn't exist today is the stigma against [[MalignedMixedMarriage interracial relationships]]. No one in the gang really has a problem with Lenny (who's black) having a crush on Jenny (who judging by Arthur's drawing of her was white) but it's implied that Hosea doesn't really mean that it wouldn't have worked out between them because of their similar names. It's more the fact that society wouldn't accept them. They wouldn't have been able to get legally married in a good chunk of the country (or even have sex in some places) as Loving vs Virginia , which repealed all anti-miscegenation laws, wasn't decided until 1967. In Manzanita Post, you can come across a Norwegian settlement group who fled to the US because they killed brutally killed an interracial couple (Morrocan husband, Norwegian wife) and their child. The picture of said couple has "unclean" scribbled on the back of it.

--> Once women get the vote, the whole country will stop making such a pig's ear of everything! There'll be no more wars, no hunger, no stupidity! We'll elect a woman president, within the first ten years, of course, men are such judgemental prigs, you need us women to help straighten you out! Okay? With us helping, I'm not saying there won't be trouble, I just think we'll do a better job of things.

* DudeWheresMyRespect: Arthur is the self-described "workhorse" of the van der Linde gang, and it comes with the lack of respect one would expect. He is apparently the only gang member contributing to the camp food supply, and missing even a single day draws negative comments from Pearson and Ms. Grimshaw. Want to upgrade the camp? Arthur will be providing 90% of the necessary funds. Someone owes the gang money? Arthur collects. Another gang member needs some extra muscle on a mission? Yep, Arthur. Something goes wrong on that mission? Must be Arthur's fault.

** The van der Linde gang. Four are mentioned as dead or dying as a result of the Blackwater fiasco and subsequent escape before the game even starts. By the end of the game, [[spoiler:Sean, Kieran, Lenny, Hosea, Susan, Molly, Micah, and even [[TheHeroDies Arthur himself]]]] lie dead.

* DysfunctionJunction: Pretty much the entire van der Linde gang. There isn't a single member who has been subjected to some sort of terrible loss or abuse before falling in with the gang.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: Due to the {{Prequel}} nature of the game, it is a ForegoneConclusion that the van der Linde gang will break up through both internal strife and the constant pursuit of the authorities. However the epilogue reveals that [[spoiler:Charles, Mary-Beth, Tilly, Swanson, and Sadie were able to settle down and have satisfying lives afterwards. Charles moved to Canada and raised a family, Mary-Beth became a prolific author, Tilly married a successful lawyer in Saint Denis, Swanson moved to New York and became a preacher, and Sadie becomes a Bounty Hunter and eventually decides to move to South America to pursue a more peaceful life. Also, Edith and Archie Downes if [[TheAtoner Arthur chooses to help them]] in the final chapters; they take his money and invest it to become the owners of a successful golf course]].

* EqualOpportunityEvil: The van der Linde gang is easily the most diverse in the game, including several minorities and women. This is in a setting with plenty of period appropriate racism and sexism portrayed.

** The van der Linde gang will gladly rob anything they can make a dollar on and isn't above killing anyone who gets in their way. But they take ''great offense'' to [[spoiler:the Braithewaites kidnapping Jack]]. Cue the RoaringRampageOfRevenge.

* {{Fauxshadow}}: Kieran is a captured O'Driscoll who sticks with the van der Linde gang because leaving the protection they offer is basically a death sentence. In short order, he takes the gang to wipe out an O'Driscoll hideout, saves Arthur's life, offers a fun fishing companion mission, and seems to be earning the respect most of the gang. He really seems like a character who will become important down the line and who you will be rewarded for fostering a positive relationship with. [[spoiler:Instead, he is captured by the O'Driscolls offscreen in Chapter 4, killed, beheaded, and sent into camp as an example/distraction immediately prior to an O'Driscoll attack]].

* FictionalProvince: The game takes place in the fictional US states of New Austin, West Elizabeth, New Hanover, Ambarino, and Lemoyne. Guarma is a fictional Caribbean island visited as well.

** At the very least, Dutch van der Linde and part of his gang (John Marston, Bill, Javier) will survive the events of the prequel, as they appear in the events of the first game set years later.

* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Micah. The rest of the van der Linde gang are a group of outlaws who nonetheless view each other as a sort of family unit. All with the exception of Micah, a violent psychopath who often goes out of his way to antagonize other members of the gang and otherwise act like a massive asshole. The only reason he's able to stick around is because he's a competent gunman and he's really good at sucking up to Dutch, who goes through a steady decline as the game goes on. [[spoiler:Eventually, by the end, he sells the gang out to the Pinkertons to save his own skin.]]

* GatlingGood: Mounted M1908 Maxim machine guns are used in this role. They'll be used against you in several missions, and you can sometimes take control of them. Oddly, the first game, set 12 years later, is more technologically backwards, featuring things like Gatling guns and wood-burning locomotives more appropriate to the 1870s. Of course, this was a function of RDR 1's troperific homages to Hollywood westerns, anachronisms be damned. The appearance of 1908 Maxims in 1899 is equally anachronistic, in the other direction (the US Army's MG at the time was the Colt M1895 "potato digger.")

** The O'Driscolls are the primary rival of the van der Linde gang and are almost entirely Irish in terms of ethnicity.

** All of the rival gangs have their negative attributes played up to instill player hatred and make the van der Linde gang look much more reasonable by comparison. The Colm O'Driscoll is a SmugSnake who believes in [[AMillionIsAStatistic quantity over quality]] when it comes to his gang members. The Lemoyne Raiders are TheRemnant of the Confederacy, complete with anti-Federalist ideals and loads of racism. The Night Folk are barely human [[ImAHumanitarian cannibalistic]] monsters. The Murfree Brood are inbred HillbillyHorrors who torture their victims and launch sneak attacks.

* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Several of the female members of the van der Linde gang contribute in this fashion. Abigail is retired from this life since having Jack, but a few others still actively engage and, based on the conversations you can have with them, are quite lovely people. Part of an early Chapter 2 mission has you rescue Karen when one of her Johns reacts angrily to her attempting to rob him.

* ImproperlyPlacedFirearms: The US Army, just like in the first game, are seen wielding a different weapon instead of what should be the standard service rifle at the time. In the first game, it was the Krag-Jørgensen in place of the Springfield 1903. Here, it's the Winchester Model 1866 instead of the Krag-Jørgensen. The first game got a pass simply because the Springfield isn't in the game, but they get no such excuse here, where the correct service rifle is a usable weapon.

* BottomlessMagazines: Everyone ''but'' you-they do have to reload, but they never run out of bullets. When you loot their corpses, however, you will only get a handful of standard rounds of ammunition.

* [[spoiler: Then, during the Epilogue, John will start with very little, but he eventually gains access to the satchel, which might be the Legend of the East satchel, allowing him to use everything Arthur had. The only issue is a distinct lack of provisions, but given it's been eight years, odds are that the food has either spoiled, or John, Jack, and Abigail ate the food during the times that the Pinkertons were looking for them, and John couldn't hunt, and Abigail couldn't go shopping.]]

* [[spoiler:TheHeroDies: Arthur, already terminally ill with tuberculosis, performs a HeroicSacrifice at the end.]]
* [[spoiler:HeroicRROD: A high Honor Arthur in the final mission succumbs to tuberculosis worsened by overexertion.]]
* [[spoiler:HeroicSacrifice: Two examples from Arthur.]]

* HeroicRROD: [[spoiler:A high Honor Arthur in the final mission succumbs to tuberculosis worsened by overexertion.]]
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Two examples from Arthur.]]

* TheHeroDies: [[spoiler:Arthur, already terminally ill with tuberculosis, performs a HeroicSacrifice at the end.]]

** As related to the above, the death penalty is very liberally used throughout the game which is in stark contrast to today, especially outside the US. Today, it's legal in 29 states and still practiced in 17 of those. The US is one of the few developed countries that still has it even though the federal government hasn't executed anyone since 2003.

** In the ''GTA V'' mission ''The Long Stretch'', one mandatory objective is to purchase a pump-action shotgun from Ammu-Nation with Franklin's own money. It is possible to '''trigger a Mission Failure''' if Franklin doesn't have enough money for it. During a mission in Chapter 2 involving a bit of livestock rustling, Arthur needs to purchase a Remington Rolling Block rifle from the Valentine gun store, again with his own funds. However, should he not have the funds to pay for the cost of the rifle himself, John will pay for it instead.

* Easter Egg; One of the random gamblers in Valentine is named [[GrandTheftAutoIII Claude.]]

* AIBreaker: Cougars and panthers are ambush predators who can deliver a OneHitKill to the player when they pounce. However, if you are first through from horseback (which is likely even on a fully bonded horse when a cougar/panther is close), they seem to get confused and do not pounce right away. Instead, they'll circle around you, giving you time to get to your feet, draw a weapon, and potentially kill them. Notably, this does not happen with other predators like wolves and grizzly bears, who can and will attack you immediately after being thrown from your horse.