Even though Rockstar may be focusing its attention on the highly anticipatedGrand Theft Auto 6right now, many players are wondering what the future ofRed Dead Redemptionwill entail. As of now, the studio seems to have moved away fromRed Dead Onlineand there is no DLC content in sight, so all eyes are on when the inevitableRed Dead Redemption 3will be revealed. While there are many directions the studio could take this next chapter, a prequel may be the best route forward.
So far, the entireRed Dead Redemptionfranchise has been built on the concept of prequels. Instead of moving the plot forward, Rockstar seems more interested in taking the story into the past. With the introduction of characters like Arthur Morgan, it has given itself even more opportunities to do just that. So, while some may want to see the life of Jack Marston, the franchise could do a lot more by exploring the even earlier days of the Van Der Linde Gang.
AlthoughRed Dead Revolveris technically part of theRed Deadfranchise, theRed Dead Redemptionseries kicked-off with John Marston’s iconic adventure in 2010. It brought players through a wonderful recreation of the American frontier in a story that many would not soon forget. Players followed him as he hunted down people from his past, fought his way through the Wild West, and ultimately met his end at the hands of a U.S. Army unit.
WhileRed Dead Redemptionended with playersin control of John Marston’s son Jack, Rockstar chose not to further expand upon that story with the sequel. Instead, it took players further back in time to the fall of the Van Der Linde gang and put them in control of Arthur Morgan. He was also forced to fight his way through the Wild West, defend himself against his old allies, and would also ultimately die. Just like with the first game, players would end their journey as John Marston, setting up the events ofRed Dead Redemption.
Arthur Morgan Has Many More Stories Left to Tell
That makes two games where players start as one protagonist before they are killed and must take the role of another. Additionally, the only sequel that Rockstar has made took the franchise back rather than forward. This means that, although that could change with the third one, there is a strong chance the studio continues down this path. Luckily,Arthur Morgan has many more storiesleft to tell.
Red Dead Redemption 3could show players the earliest days of the Van Der Linde gang, with it possibly exploring how the group first started. Just like with the first two games, players could assume control of another gang member that didn’t live long enough to participate inthe events ofRed Dead Redemption 2. Players could watch from afar as Arthur Morgan becomes who he is, and, at the end, take control of Arthur after the game’s protagonist perishes.
There is also a chance that Rockstar may not want to repeat this formula a third time.Red Dead Redemption 3may be the studio’s chance to take the franchise in a whole new direction, and possibly even explore something completely disconnected from what came before. Nevertheless, the characters Rockstar created are still rife with storytelling potential, which makes another prequel sound extremely promising.
Red Dead Redemption 2
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America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed. After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him. From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age.
