Spoilers ahead for Red Dead Redemption 2.Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game laden with nuanced storytelling and rich symbolism, and this approach to storytelling reaches as far as the year the game is set. The choice to set the game in 1899 is far from a trivial one, and this setting has implications for the broader Red Dead Redemption narrative, tying into core themes like freedom, the flow of history, and the mindset of outlaws.