After nearly seven years, Red Dead Redemption 2 still remains a masterclass in impressive immersive open-world design and emotionally charged narratives. Red Dead Redemption 2's reputation has really only strengthened since its debut, with players pouring collective thousands of hours, if not more, into the experience. Given RDR2's enduring popularity, it's only natural that fans have been clamoring for more content about the characters and story within the world.
As such, there has been a lot of conjecture and theorizing about if, and how, developer Rockstar may consider producing Red Dead Redemption 3 even though, by all indications, the studio's silence about one has at this point largely implied that nothing of the sort will be materializing soon. However, one detail about one of the franchise's major characters, Dutch van der Linde, could prove to be an important aspect were fans to see a third title.
Dutch's Age in Red Dead Redemption 2 Could Come into Play in a Big Way in a Potential Third Game
How Old is Dutch Van der Linde in Red Dead Redemption 2?
While the game itself never makes explicitly clear exactly how old Dutch van der Linde is in it, luckily an official answer was provided by information in the Game of the Year guidebook. In this extension, Dutch is stated to have been born in 1855. Thus making him 44 by the time of Red Dead Redemption 2, with it being set in 1899, right on the cusp of the turn of the 20th century.
And although there is clearly a father-son/mentor dynamic between Dutch and RDR2 protagonist Arthur Morgan, they are actually not all that far apart in age, as Arthur is declared to be 36 at the start of the adventure. However, due to the nature of their relationship and Dutch's charisma, Arthur and the others initially fully trust Dutch's vision and plan (which Dutch never misses an opportunity to state he has.) But over the course, they slowly come to the realization that Dutch isn't quite the leader he seems to be, and despite his constant claims to have all their bests interests in mind, and that their dreams will be finally be fulfilled after "just one more job," his actions and decisions more often than not end up contradicting this.
Why Dutch's Age Might Be a Big Factor if Red Dead Redemption 3 Ever Happens
There are various questions about the potential direction of a third entry, or if a Red Dead Redemption 3 is even necessary. But speculation remains ripe and fans have often given a lot of thought and opinions on what one could or should be. One major direction that has been brought up numerous times is that, if a third title does happen, then it could follow Dutch's exploits at an earlier point in his life. Such a title could perhaps see fans play as Dutch as a young up-and-coming outlaw during the seminal time when he formed his "freedom first" philosophy, well before putting together RDR2's gang that fans know and love. This could let players experience his rise, and see how this informed his characterization and eventual self-inflicted tragic downfall.
Obviously, given his fate, if Red Dead Redemption 3 is a sequel, it would preclude Dutch from appearing. And if Rockstar goes the opposite route, a prequel wouldn't absolutely need to star Dutch. However, it could still feature him in more of a side or cameo role, with his age and disposition adjusted accordingly. One other interesting historical detail about the time period that could provide a path to this presentation is the California Gold Rush. The Gold Rush was a time of upheaval, rapid growth, and change in America, lasting from approximately 1848 to 1855.
With the latter year coinciding with Dutch's birth, being raised directly in its wake could easily have made a big impression on a young Dutch, and Rockstar could show both how this affected Dutch's upbringing and society in general in an RDR3. While it remains uncertain for now whether the studio will ever return to RDR, depending on how it approaches it, there are still some promising ways to incorporate Dutch at a different point in his life and show fans a previously unseen side of him.
Red Dead Redemption 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 95 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
- Released
- October 26, 2018
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Engine
- RAGE
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- N/A
