This article contains MAJOR spoilers for bothRed Dead Redemption 1andRed Dead Redemption 2
Summary
Rockstar Games has had a pretty flawless record for the last decade or so, with the disappointingGrand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Editiontechnically being developed by an external studio. FromGrand Theft Auto 4all the way up toRed Dead Redemption 2, it’s been banger after banger for Rockstar, and that consistency has put the developer/publisher right at the top of the Western video game industry.
Right now, Rockstar is developing the most anticipated video game of all time, and it feels like it has the entire world at its beck and call. But whileGrand Theft Auto 6is still at least a year away from release, many fans are already getting themselves excited over what might come next. Though there’s been no official word on it whatsoever, many fans believe that Rockstar’s next game could beRed Dead Redemption 3. Due to the immense success of the series so far, a thirdRed Dead Redemptioninstallment seems inevitable, though its protagonist might find themselves in a lose-lose situation already.
Rockstar is no stranger to putting death in its games, and that’s especially true fortheRed Dead Redemptionfranchise. From minor side characters that the player meets for just one mission to major characters that the player forms a close bond with over the course of tens of hours of gameplay,Red Dead Redemption1and2aren’t afraid to use the finality of death to tug on the heartstrings, and evoke a strong emotional reaction.
Nowhere is this more evident than in bothRed Dead Redemptionendings. BothRed Dead Redemption 1and2see their main playable character die at the end of their respective stories. While these deaths are absolutely heartbreaking, they both feel incredibly well-earned, and they’re both set up in a natural way. John Marston,Red Dead Redemption 1’s protagonist, has a character arc that leans into the game’s titular premise, forcing the ex-outlaw to face off against his crime-ridden past by eliminating his old gang mates one by one, all to earn redemption in the eyes of the law, as well as his own eyes
But the tragedy lying at the heart ofRed Dead Redemption, and one thatJohn Marstonprobably knows deep down for the game’s entirety, is that he’ll never be truly forgiven for his past actions. He won’t be fully redeemed by himself, and certainly not by the powers that be, who mercilessly gun John down at the end of the game.
Red Dead Redemption 2’s Arthur Morganfeatures a similar character arc to John Marston, albeit a much more somber and reflective one. As opposed to the game picking up years after Arthur has laid his pistols to rest,Red Dead Redemption 2drops players into the last days of Arthur Morgan’s life of crime, allowing players to see a much faster, but somehow more fleshed-out redemption than Marston’s. But despite changing his ways (depending on the player’s choices) Arthur Morgan also dies at the end of his tale, seemingly the only way out for an outlaw.
Fans have been set up to expectRed Dead Redemption 3’s new protagonist to die at the end, just like John Marston and Arthur Morgan did before them, though that might be a dilemma for everyone. IfRed Dead Redemption 3’s protagonistdoes die at the end of the game, then it might come across as too repetitive and formulaic, simply repeating the same narrative beats as the last two games.
But on the other side of the fence, ifRed Dead Redemption 3’s protagonist doesn’t bite the dust, that could be a tad too predictable; it would be the most likely outcome, since Rockstar probably wouldn’t want to repeat the same narrative three times in a row. This dilemma is made even worse by the series' aforementioned themes of redemption and the inability to exit the life of an outlaw unscathed, which would be contradicted ifRed Dead 3’s protagonist survived.
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.
