Aside from freeing Rockstar's free-roam template from dull health management, Red Dead Redemption excels in providing an incentivised narrative. Although the player likely does not care about John Marston's imprisoned family, we are made to understand that Marston does. Marston yearns for his family safe return, it is at the forefront of all his dealings with his world. Plainly, it's his motor.
Balance for this single-minded questing is provided through the detailing of Marston as a character. He's a charming mix of grumpy, dead-pan sour talk and roughly hewn industrial gentry. He grumbles at fetch quests, yelps at danger, and cheers success. His voice is a constant presence in Red Dead Redemption, a charismatic commentary on your actions. Rockstar have created a hero that is incredibly easy to like; although his home life is an abstract, it quickly becomes important to the player because it is important to their beloved toy.
Rockstar also work hard to make Marston's quest seem lightly absurd. There's a constant suggestion throughout that his efforts are in vain, and his family are long gone. So when an opportunity for contact finally does arise, the player's feelings match Marston's own. Both are tentative and fearful. This is Red Dead Redemption's success, the player and avatar emotionally aligned; desperate to get home, but terrified at what they might find when they get there.
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