History VideoGame / RedDeadRedemption

** Automobiles are seen in a handful of missions in West Elizabeth and are presented as cutting edge, despite the Ford's Model T having been available since 1908 and many other models at least know about before then. While the average American didn't yet own one, they were ubiquitious in any major city and a common sight in rural areas by 1911.

** [[spoiler: The inscription written upon John's gravemarker has the quote 'Blessed are the Peacemakers' upon it, which is from Matthew 5:9. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."]]

%%** [[spoiler: Jack. ]]

* SpiritualSuccessor: While not quite canon to ''VideoGame/RedDeadRevolver'', the game is much closer mechanically to the Activision-produced ''VideoGame/{{Gun}}'', an earlier open-world wild west game released during the previous console generation. It also takes many, ''many'' things from ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'', enough to make it feel like it's an expansion of that game (albeit set inside a ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas San Andreas]]'' style countryside.)

** The whole plot thread with Bill Williamson might count too. [[spoiler: Considering that Bill left Marston for dead ''twice'' and frequently insulted him whenever they did cross paths, it's no surprise that Bill ran away from John for so long considering how many people John killed just to try to get to him. As a bonus, CardCarryingVillain Colonel Allende sells out Bill the moment they're both in trouble and together.]]
** [[spoiler:John's reunion with his family. It's not your standard grand reunion with teary hugs and love declarations, instead Abigail's initial reaction is to scold John for all the time he took, before they discuss what happens to them now and if things can get better for them. Also, when Jack appears, John gives him a somewhat awkward hug, hinting at their strained relationship.]]

* NotSoDifferentRemark:
** "You're just like me, John! You can't change who you are!"
** Dutch gives a speech to [[spoiler:Leviticus Cornwall]] about how much they have in common. He tells him that, while they both kill and steal, [[spoiler:Cornwall]] does so indiscriminately while Dutch chooses who he wants to rob and kill.

* NoPronunciationGuide: During the segment in Mexico, characters can't decide how to pronounce Allende's name consistently (the correct Spanish pronunciation is ''ɑːˈjɛnde'').

* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: Most of the horse-training and horseriding features are. It's very damaging for a horse to run on paved roads, run into a full speed gallop immediately after resting, and in general be kept at full speed for long whiles at a time. And it usually takes months to teach one to come at your whistle.
** Also, most real horses are trained to be mounted from the left side only and get spooked if someone tries to get on from the right, much less vaulting onto them from behind!
*** This is an outdated practice; some keep it for traditional purposes, but others do away with it. Mounting from the left stems from medieval warfare, where right-handed swordsmen kept their weapons on the left and needed to avoid banging their horse's side. Since most people don't use swords or polearms anymore, it's actually encouraged for some schools to mount from both sides. As for "vaulting onto the horse," trick-riding has a long history and feudal-era knights specifically prided themselves on being able to mount their horse without touching the stirrups (sometimes in full armor!), so that is also very much possible in real life.

** Probably nitpicking, but neither do horses neigh when they jump (would be highly difficult), and good luck trying to make a horse in RL jump a fence from a walk.
** And naturally it's not ''that'' easy to tame a wild horse.

** Humans are a very dumb species that have to learn what comes naturally for most others. For example: swimming. Alright, John can't swim. Reasonable. Horses can't? Unreasonable. Horses can swim. So, in the Red Dead Redemption universe, they don't need to learn to come at a whistle and can teleport, but they can't swim. This was fixed in the sequel and online, where horses can indeed swim, but it takes a lot of stamina [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome as in real-life.]]

* ElSpanishO: When killing enemies in Mexico, some of John's one liners veer into this by mixing English and broken Spanish. John himself admits that he can only speak a little Spanish.

Now the year is 1911, and John's old life has come back to haunt him. With several members of his old gang still at large, the newly-founded Bureau of Investigation has sent [[FBIAgent Agent Edgar Ross]] to arrest John and give him an ultimatum: hunt down his former accomplices or lose his family forever. With little choice remaining, John must pick up his guns one last time, and at long last settle the score with the men who betrayed him...

In practice, this leads to a game that plays pretty much like ''Franchise/GrandTheftAuto'' [[RecycledInSpace in the Wild West]], but you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who'd think of that as a negative. In Marston's quest to capture his old friends and save his family, he rides over miles of sprawling deserts and plains and takes on missions that advance him closer to his goal, and takes part in many, many {{sidequest}}s -- or, if the player so desires, just wanders around doing [[WideOpenSandbox whatever he wants in the Wild West]].

In practice, this leads to a game that plays pretty much like ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'' [[RecycledInSpace in the Wild West]], but you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who'd think of that as a negative. In Marston's quest to capture his old friends and save his family, he rides over miles of sprawling deserts and plains and takes on missions that advance him closer to his goal, and takes part in many, many {{sidequest}}s -- or, if the player so desires, just wanders around doing [[WideOpenSandbox whatever he wants in the Wild West]].

* AnAxeToGrind: The Legends and Killers DLC pack includes the Tomahawk, which can be used as both a ranged and melee weapon.

* RareGuns: Weapons such as the Henry repeating rifle, [=LeMat=] Revolver, and Volcanic pistol were obsolete by the time the game takes place. The [=LeMat=] had a very low production run and would only be found in museums, while the Mauser would be virtually impossible to find in America at the time.
** The Volcanic Pistol deserves a special mention. Developed in the 1850s, it was a lever-action pistol fed from a tubular magazine, and it fired "Hunt Rocket Ball" ammunition. Said ammunition has the honor of being one of the earliest metallic firearms cartridges, as well as the somewhat more dubious honor of being almost useless due to its pathetically low muzzle energy. As for the gun itself, it's rare enough that one was recently sold for $6,500 on the television show ''Series/PawnStars''.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Everything from newspapers lauding the medicinal properties of tobacco to a rabidly anti-Semitic ShopKeeper in Armadillo, the game doesn't shy away from the ideals and attitudes that have been considered long out of date in the 21st century.

** Luckily you can get an ass from ''every'' bear you kill.

*** This is an outdated practice; some keep it for traditional purposes, but others do away with it. Mounting from the left stems from medieval warfare, where right-handed swordsmen kept their weapons on the left and needed to avoid banging their horse's side. Since most people don't use swords or polearms anymore, it's actually encouraged for some schools to mount from both sides. As for "vaulting onto the horse," trick-riding has a long history and feudal-era knights specifically prided themselves on being able to mount their horse without touching the stirrups (sometimes [[UpToEleven in full armor!),]] so that is also very much possible in real life.

* NiceHat: It's a Western, there are no hats that aren't nice.
** Some of the Mexican sombreros almost count.

* AnachronismStew: In keeping with the game's theme of modern progress [[TilightOfTheOldWest ending the western era]], the regions and settlements in the game are portrayed in varying states of technological advancement, ranging from technologies that would be considered obselete in 1911 to ones that wouldn't see mainstream adoption for decades. There are a few oddities in the weapon selection such as a fully-automatic Mauser C96 (not available until 1932) and a Carcano rifle (which did exist, but would have been nearly impossible to find in the US/Mexico at the time). In the other direction, the 1850s oddball Volcanic Pistol would have been a rare museum piece in 1911, as well as being completely obsolete.

* AnachronismStew: In most cases, the game averts this quite well. However, there are a few oddities in the weapon selection such as a fully-automatic Mauser C96 (not available until 1932) and a Carcano rifle (which did exist, but would have been nearly impossible to find in the US/Mexico at the time). In the other direction, the 1850s oddball Volcanic Pistol would have been a rare museum piece in 1911, as well as being completely obsolete.

** John himself is a deconstruction of the ActionDad, as shown when he returns home at the end of the game. Abigail emntions that Jack is in a way growing up without a father with the implication being that depsite his best efforts John tends to get into trouble and leves often, and it's clear that Jack compares himself unfavorable to his father.

* DeconstructionFleet: Despite overall being a {{Reconstruction}} of a genre most people had moved on from by showing how enjoyable Western stories can be, the game still deconstructs several iconic aspects of the Western genre as well as a few subgenres.

** The SpaghettiWestern is deconstructed through Nuevo Paraiso, which shows how living in such a GrayVsBlack world brings nothing but pain and suffering while films in this genre tend to have subtle theme of honor. While John succeeds in killing Bill as well as Javier, or capturing him if the player wishes, he also helps a corrupt and violent man become president after killing the previously corrupt president.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Of [[spoiler:Jack's YouKilledMyFather and RoaringRampageOfRevenge against Agent Ross]]. One would think that the ending is a little bit bittersweet since [[spoiler:Jack got his revenge but it's a small consolation when you realize that John's wife, one of the people John started this entire endeavor for, is also dead, possibly due to the depression of losing him. Meanwhile Jack himself, in his search for vengeance, has adopted the lifestyle John was trying to protect him from. Many of Jack's gameplay quotes indicate his life is pretty hollow. On top of that, no one other than Jack will ever know the truth about John Marston's redemption and Ross' betrayals. Not only that, but, in the end, the act of vengeance shows that Jack became exactly the man John didn't want him to be, that is, a man like himself - and one of his quotes shows that he gave up on his dream of becoming a writer and lost his idealistic spirit]].

* KnifeNut: Averted. Trying to use the knife in combat is an effective way to get killed.
** You do have to kill 5 wolves with it alone for a challenge.

* VendorTrash: Animal skins. Some animals surprisingly pay out for higher values than others, such as hawk feathers fetching better premiums than deer skins. The skins themselves are worth more if you sell them to shops where that animal is not normally found (e.g. buffalo skins in Mexico).

* MoralDissonance: Lampshaded.

* AmbiguouslyGay: [=DeSanta=]. He's first seen making eyes with a more obviously gay waiter. Later the two walk off arm in arm. While he tells Marston to take advantage of the rebel women, he never follows his own advice.

'''Reyes:''' You've been spending too much time with Captain [=DeSanta=].\\

** Another conversation regarding [=DeSanta=] goes like this:

** In "Cowards Die Many Times" even after it's clear that [[spoiler: Williamson and Escuella aren't in the church like [=DeSanta=] promised and he's definitely been led into a trap]], John ''still'' keeps his guard down and turns his back on a Mexican Army soldier who, predictably, [[spoiler: knocks him out while [=DeSanta=] laughs at him.]] It's profoundly out of character too considering Marston is usually the type to pull his gun at the slightest sign of trouble, but he doesn't even ''reach'' for it here.

** A lot of [=DeSanta=]'s lines during "Cowards Die Many Times" [[spoiler:hints at the impending betrayal, such as telling John "It's been a busy time for you in Mexico" (knowing he's been helping both sides), and when John asks why Williamson and Escuella are in the church, [=DeSanta=] replies that it's "a good place to judge a man."]]

* JerkassHasAPoint: [[spoiler:Jerkass ''had'' a point in this case. Captain [=DeSanta=] makes several comments on how Abraham Reyes' fight for freedom is only a glorified thirst for power, which, when you get to know Reyes, proves to not be very far from the truth. Made clear in a newspaper article in the game's epilogue, where it's revealed that he became a tyrant just like Allende before him.]]

* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: John does this to [[spoiler: de Santa]] in an attempt loosen his tongue as to the whereabouts of Escuella. We don't actually see much, but the sheer amount of damage to his body speaks for itself.

** The scene where John meets [=DeSanta=] is very similar to a scene in House of a 1000 Corpses where a character did a similar phsych-out that [=DeSanta=] does.

* SpitefulSpit: John Marston does this to many people he defeats such as Vicente de Santa.

* SpoilerTitle: The mission titles that, instead of quoting the Bible or other writings literally describes what the mission will be about. These are [[spoiler:"The Burning."]], [[spoiler:"Hanging Bonnie [=McFarlane=]."]], [[spoiler:"The Great Mexican Train Robbery"]] and [[spoiler:"Captain [=DeSanta's=] Downfall"]].

** In "Cowards Die Many Times" even after it's clear that [[spoiler: Williamson and Escuella aren't in the church like DeSanta promised and he's definitely been led into a trap]], John ''still'' keeps his guard down and turns his back on a Mexican Army soldier who, predictably, [[spoiler: knocks him out while DeSanta laughs at him.]] It's profoundly out of character too considering Marston is usually the type to pull his gun at the slightest sign of trouble, but he doesn't even ''reach'' for it here.

** The scene where John meets Desanta is very similar to a scene in House of a 1000 Corpses where a character did a similar phsych-out that Desanta does.

* BrokenAesop: While not exactly a heavy focus, the game does have some anti-racism messages here and there, such as Abraham Reyes showing an ugly anti-chinese mindset to emphasize he's a {{Jerkass}}, Edgar Ross showing a similar anti-indian streak to make it clear he's an utter HateSink, an EasterEgg mixed couple household hidden in New Austin, and the general use of DeliberateValuesDissonance in the random dialogue sprouted by the various [=NPCs=]. Then once you reach West Elizabeth, you're suddenly treated to an over-the-top racist doctor who's intented to be PluckyComicRelief, you meet [[TokenHeroicOrc the only native american in the entire game]] who ''doesn't'' try to shoot you on sight (and is [[spoiler:gunned down by other natives in his [[WeBarelyKnewYe third mission]] partially thanks to the aforementioned doctor who becomes a KarmaHoudini]]), before the missions make you slaughter countless more natives to finally reach the ManBehindTheMan MightyWhitey who's given more sympathy than the dozens of now-dead mooks who've explicitly said to be misguided young men looking for a purpose. In short, any anti-racism messages the game may have are unfortunately buried under the AlwaysChaoticEvil indians who'll happily kill their own and obey a white guy without question as long as he lets them cause mayhem, without any indication it's meant to be commentary on the CowboysAndIndians theme common in old westerns.

** Speaking of horses, medieval warhorses would ''not'' have been huge drafts like the Ardennes; modern equestrians note that Spanish-type breeds like the Andalusian, or other [[PintSizedPowerhouse short but muscular horses,]] were far more preferred in warfare, as they could sprint and turn on a dime. Not only are modern draft horses (and the concept of "horse breeds" in general) only a couple of centuries old, they're slow and uncomfortable to ride, and [[EasyLogistics they eat even more than REGULAR horses.]] But since this is the early 1900s, [[SocietyMarchesOn the misconception of draft-type warhorses would have been widely accepted as "fact."]]