Red Dead Redemption 2 Story Summary
Spoiler Warning: Red Dead Redemption 2 is a massive game. Whether you played through it and were still confused, or just want to know what happened, you’re probably found this article looking for a story summary of Red Dead Redemption 2. If somehow, you’re here by accident, this is your warning to leave if you do not want to be spoiled on the plot, and ending, of the game. If you’d rather just read our review, go ahead and click that link.
Chapter 1 of Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 begins with the Dutch van der Linde gang in dire straights. They have fled to the mountains after a robbery gone wrong. Some members of the gang are dead or missing, and those that are still with the group are trying to find shelter in blizzard conditions.
Arthur Morgan, the main character, is able to help secure temporary shelter for the group in an old mining abandoned mining camp. Along the way, he rescues John Marston, one of the members of the gang that were separated after the robbery in Blackwater went south.
The gang stumbles onto an O’Driscoll hideout (a rival gang), and after taking care of them, they discover plans for a train robbery that they were planning, and rescue a recent widow, Sadie Adler, who decides to join the gang. Dutch, the leader of the self-named gang, decides to take on the plans for that robbery in their stead.
The train is a private one owned by Leviticus Cornwall, a powerful and wealthy business owner. The robbery is successful, but Dutch, Arthur, and the rest of the gang will learn that Cornwall doesn’t take kindly to being robbed. Cornwall will hire the famed Pinkerton Detective Agency to hunt Dutch’s gang down.
Chapters 2 and 3 of Red Dead Redemption 2
Arthur, Dutch, and the rest of the gang try to settle peacefully nearby a small town called Valentine. Until Dutch decides his next move, Arthur tries his best to help out the gang. He goes on hunting trips, rescues Micah and Sean from being hanged, pulls off another train robbery with John, and does a little debt collection all to help keep the coffers full.
The Pinkerton Detective Agency led by Agent Miller takes notice though, and attempts to turn Arthur against his brothers and sisters in the gang. He refuses, but the gang eventually pushes their luck too much though after a bank robbery. It ends up in a shootout that leaves a lot of law in Valentine dead, and the group is forced to go on the move again.
They go south this time, near the plantation town of Rhodes. Rhodes is dominated by two prominent families that are in the midst of a feud, the Grays and the Braithwaites. There are long standing rumors in the town that either, or both, of the families have hidden gold. Dutch, still searching for a big score that can allow him and everyone else to retire for good, decides to try and find it.
Hosea, Dutch’s oldest friend and most trusted advisor, helps Dutch come up with the plan to play both sides against each other. They are going to try to warm up to both sides of this feud, and when their war hits its climax, run off with the gold. Arthur is complicit and helps both sides attack each other to try and escalate the tension between the two.
It seems to be going well for a while, Arthur and Dutch are even made deputies. However, it turns out that they were the ones getting played the whole time.
The Grays set up an ambush which ends up with Sean, a prominent member of the gang, getting killed, and in the midst of that, Jack Marston, John’s son, is kidnapped by the matriarch of the Braithwaite family, Catherine Braithwaite.
Arthur and the gang defeat the Grays in town, and the Braithwaites on their plantation, but Jack is gone. Catherine Braithwaite has moved Jack to Saint Denis knowing that they would eventually come for him at her manor. They all move out to a new location closer to Saint Denis as they plan Jack’s rescue, and to stay on the run from the Pinkertons.
