Summary
Rockstar is presumably too busy withGrand Theft Auto 6to have begun work onRed Dead Redemption 3, but that doesn’t mean the game will never come out. The franchise’s cultural relevance swelled withRed Dead Redemption 2, so there would definitely be, at the very least, a strong financial incentive to release another entry. But the nextRed Deadwould have to make some changesto the series formula to avoid feeling stale.
Assuming Rockstar is planning to releaseRed Dead Redemption 3at some point, its protagonist is perhaps the biggest question that needs to be answered. Both John and Arthur are out of the picture for obvious reasons, and while some have speculated that a supporting character like Sadie or Jack Marston could helm the third game, this could come with some downsides. It may seem like a longshot, but if the third game took some notes fromRDR2’s charismatic con artist Josiah Trelawny, it could be a far more innovative and unique experience, taking the franchise to an exciting new creative realm.
John Marston and Arthur Morganare two of gaming’s most iconic leading men, no doubt about it. They both embody the rugged gunslinger archetype while still being nuanced and multifaceted, simultaneously upholding various genre tropes and subverting them in quiet, unexpected ways. The quality of these two protagonists is a bit of a double-edged sword, however, as they are tough acts to follow.
IfJack Marston was to take over as the series' lead, for instance, he would always be living in the shadows of his predecessors.
The same goes for Sadie, as she is presumably carrying the wild-west, gunslinger spirit as a bounty hunter following the events ofRDR2. Ultimately, focusing on these sorts of heroes runs the risk of retreading old ground, telling the same story about violence and the outlaw lifestyle all over again.
Additionally, there’s only so much room to innovate when it comes to open-world, horseback-driven exploration, gunplay, action-packed heists, and the like. Rockstar may instead want to reinvent theRed Deadseries with the third entry, and an atypical protagonist may be a good place to start.
Indeed,Trelawny is one ofRDR2’s more interesting side characters. The English con artist is decidedly unskilled in combat and would rather talk than shoot his way out of conflict. As such, he’s not the most obvious choice for a video game protagonist blueprint, which is fair: Trelawny himself, with his vague smugness, aloof attitude, and cowardly tendencies, isn’t always the most likable character. However, a protagonist with his wit, cunning, and approach to problem-solving, with a personality that’s a little more relatable, wouldn’t be a bad choice at all.
Instead of solving all their problems with violence, a character with Trelawny’s persuasive powers could manipulate NPCs to various ends, brandishing superior intellect instead of guns and fisticuffs. PerhapsRed Dead Redemption 3could even offer an inversion ofL.A. Noire’s dialogue-based gameplay, allowing characters to take hold of social situations—not for the purposes of solving crimes but committing them.
Like inL.A. Noire, players could gather intel, read NPC facial expressions, and tug on certain emotional and psychological vulnerabilities to achieve their goals. It wouldn’t have to replace classicRed Dead Redemptiongameplay outright, but this sort of social-sim approach would letRDR3shine as a unique third chapter in the series while making good use of Rockstar’s strong writing.
Red Dead Redemption 2
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.
