2018's Red Dead Redemption 2 seems to grow more and more revered with each passing year. While the first Red Dead Redemption was a bona-fide hit, and expectations for its sequel were generally quite high, few could have predicted the level of nuance, soul, and wisdom that would be conveyed through Red Dead Redemption 2's narrative and world, making a third entry in the series a more tantalizing prospect than ever.
But where exactly Red Dead Redemption could go after its second entry is a bit unclear. RDR2 is a prequel that ends in the death of its protagonist, and the hero of the first Red Dead Redemption meets a similarly fatal end, meaning that the main character of a hypothetical threequel would have to be a fresh face. Of course, a sprawling cast of characters has been introduced across both entries, and gunslingers like Jack Marston and Sadie Adler have been put forth by fans as possible candidates to lead the third game. This could work, in theory, but it comes with a few complications and downsides, and Rockstar may be better poised to simply hit the reset button for future entries.
While there is certainly demand for a third Red Dead Redemption, it must be stated that it hasn't been confirmed or denied by Rockstar in any official capacity. The following is simply speculation.
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The decision to make Red Dead Redemption 2 a prequel makes a lot of sense, mainly due to the fact that the game's events play an important role in its predecessor's story; there was value in the expansion of certain narrative elements and character backgrounds. Additionally, RDR2 being a prequel allows it to continue the themes of its predecessor, focusing on the same questions of freedom, loyalty, and order. Put another way, these two games are inextricably linked, coming together to form a cohesive, comprehensive, and epic story.
But like every good story, it has come to an end. The audience may not know every detail about every character's fate, and that's fine. A sequel following Sadie, Charles, Jack, or some other beloved outlaw to their death could diminish the impact they had in the earlier games, turning them from a key part of Arthur or John's story into just another reference to milk content out of. Similarly, if Red Dead Redemption 3 were to be another prequel, showing the members of the Dutch Van der Linde Gang in their glory days, it would be likely be formulaic, trite, predictable, flaccid, and forced, especially in comparison to the inspired RDR2.
Red Dead Has Done a Soft Reboot Already
It may not have been anywhere near as successful or iconic as the Redemption games, but Rockstar's Red Dead Revolver was actually the series' first outing before the pivoting to the John/Arthur duology. So, while it might seem like a bold idea to completely reboot the franchise with a new cast of characters for Red Dead Redemption 3 (or whatever it would theoretically be called), it's really not so unheard of. And of course, one can't forget the Grand Theft Auto franchise, through which Rockstar has developed a penchant for telling various unique stories only connected by the loosest of threads.
This might be the only real path forward for the franchise. At the very least, it could be the only path that doesn't run the risk of creatively bankrupting the series, engaging in some twisted necromancy with Red Dead Redemption's already-established characters and concepts, and most fans would probably agree that that outcome would be worse than no sequel at all.
Red Dead Redemption 2
-
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
WHERE TO PLAY
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.
