In order to immediately imprint Jean onto the player, I needed to align him and the player emotionally. It's why we aren't even introduced to him at the start of the game, we're introduced to two nameless thugs (Hoss and Kleetus) threatening harm to a woman and child - something that instantly makes us hate them. This scene also makes us anxious because we know this woman can't stop her armed assailants by herself; she's totally at their mercy. Just when all seems lost, a stranger appears. A stranger with the willingness and capability of doing exactly what we want to do: kill those bad guys! With one line "I'm gonna" the motivations of the player and the character are aligned, creating an instant bond.

We see in the following conversation with the widow, that even though he cares, he's afraid to let others in. We get the feeling he's been hurt and lost before, and doesn't want to feel that way again. Another feeling we're all familiar with. He puts his walls up high and we can relate. "I'm just passing through" he says in response to the offer of hospitality.

In the bar, he's developed further in his conversation with Don. We get to see that he is observant, friendly, and holds fairly progressive and modern viewpoints for the time. But when the bad guys bust into the bar, things are cut short. Such rotten luck. Again, something we can all relate to.

From the fight in the bar, all the way to the duel with Bloody Bill, we see one obstacle after another thrown in front of Jean, and he perseveres. He out-fights, out-smarts, and out-talks each threat. Between this scene and the conversation in the bar, Jean has displayed both gratitude and grit: traits that are near-universally endearing. He's a decent guy, but has bad luck. He cares, but he doesn't let others in. He's got adversity all around him, but he pulls himself through. He shows the will to overcome, even when the odds are against him, and he's doing so to protect people who can't protect themselves. He's doing the best he can, just like we are.

And to end the scene, a bit of mystery. In his conversation with Bloody Bill and the ensuing flashback, we see that Jean used to be one of the bad guys. We see that he didn't always have those scars. We see that he was trained by Wild Bill Hickock, the most famous gunfighter to ever live. There is an entire story to this character we weren't even aware aware of. After the threat is dealt with, and all the Bushwhackers are dead, we see the Widow's reaction to the same revelation we had, but she reacts differently. She's gone from lovestruck, to scared, to pensive after seeing how many men Jean killed. Through her reaction, we see that he is not normal, that there is something different and maybe a little sinister about him. There's a darkness in him that has pushed away another person who used to care about him. Just like each of us, he knows what it's like to feel lonely.

Every aspect of the opening scene is used to craft this feeling. We've all felt alone, lost, and like we're wandering. We all want to do the right thing, but bad luck keeps us down. But that's not all. There are holes in the story that the our imagination is starting theorize about with anticipation. In just 10 short minutes, the we were not only introduced to the game's core mechanics, but been given a glimpse into a world and a character that are more than meets the eye. We are left with many questions and want to know more. We are bought in and want to experience more of the adventures of Jean Smith.