Red Dead Redemption offers plenty of action and adventure, but the heart of the franchise lies in its story. Over the years, Red Dead Redemption has offered a compelling glimpse into life in the rapidly changing Old West, and if a third game is on the horizon, it has its work cut out for it. The first game and its prequel have been hailed as some of the strongest stories in gaming, and Red Dead Redemption 3 will need to bring something new to the table to meet expectations.
Despite no official confirmation from Rockstar, a potential Red Dead Redemption 3 many players have thought about. With Red Dead Redemption 2 being a prequel to the first, there isn't really a clear path for a third game to take. Since the franchise has primarily focused on the Van der Linde gang, there is opportunity for Red Dead Redemption 3 to follow Charles or Sadie, but the road ahead is foggy. There will likely be a new path that Rockstar takes, but when it comes to the tradition of a game-changing epilogue, Red Dead Redemption 3 would best benefit from sticking to this formula.
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Red Dead Redemption: Best Horses, Ranked
Players should do their best to tame these particular horses in Red Dead Redemption.
Red Dead Redemption and well-crafted epilogues go hand in hand
Red Dead Redemption's series-defining final chapter
Between Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2the epilogues in both stories offer endings that bring too much of the game's story to a bittersweet end. The themes and conflicts of the franchise are brought full circle in these final moments, and Red Dead Redemption 3 must continue this approach. If a third game continues to connect the stories of Red Dead Redemptionthen a final chapter led by a new character is expected. The switch from Arthur Morgan to John Marston in the second game, and the switch from John to his son Jack in the first, has offered a fascinating way for the story to continue with new eyes.
Major events saved for a story's final moments
- Red Dead Redemption 2 follows John Marston to the climax of Micah Bell finally getting his karma at the hands of Dutch.
- Red Dead Redemption shows Jack Marston getting revenge on Ross for killing his father.
The story during the many hours of both Red Dead Redemption game contains plenty of compelling and harrowing moments, but these epilogues are the final pieces of the puzzle to tie it all together. They've brought some of the most iconic and monumental story changes to each entry, and ending such a beloved storytelling device could prove to be a mistake.
Red Dead Redemption 3 Finding a balance between tradition and subverting expectations
Honoring some of the franchise's strongest attributes
Although it seems that the time of the franchise with the Van der Linde gang is over, that does not mean that all the traditions created by its history have to be forgotten. Red Dead Redemption 3 could still easily explore a whole new set of characters while still sticking to the same storytelling formulas that the series has become so beloved for. The story structure is as much a part of the franchise now as the harsh frontier world.
After the long development of the upcoming
GTA 6
a possible
Red Dead Redemption 3
may be years away.
When it comes to games with a solid mix of action and well-crafted stories, Rockstar has been a trailblazer in the industry. As hope for Red Dead Redemption 3 continues to build, it will be exciting to see where the developer chooses to take one of its most successful franchises next. A new character or a fresh setting can be a welcome change of pace, but sticking to the storytelling methods that have helped build the franchise is necessary.
