Summary
Discussion aroundRed Dead Redemption 3has been rampant ever since the launch of its predecessor in 2018, which reignited a passion for the franchise that should be taken further by Rockstar. Despite this, the setting ofRDR3will be a very difficult choice for Rockstar to make, with most of its core narrative being told and the days of the Old West essentially being over by the end of 2010’sRed Dead Redemption.
Leading theories point toward the benefits ofRed Dead Redemption 3being a prequel to the events ofRDR2, exploring the first days of the Van Der Linde gang while the moral values and purpose behind the group were at their strongest. While it may be difficult to create the same stakes as the first two games with this kind of setting, the merit in a prequel being able to give more backstory and development to the most important characters in the franchise is massive, and some key figures would stand to have a lot to gain from a prequel-focusedRDR3.
Despite the clear desire for aRed Dead Redemption 3, the game has not yet been officially confirmed by Rockstar.
Of course, the most obvious gang members that would really shine in a prequel-setRed Dead Redemption 3would be the original members, namely Dutch, Hosea, Arthur, and eventually John.Dutch’s character is arguably one of the most interesting inRed Dead Redemption, clearly being a born leader full of charisma, but is largely portrayed during his later years of borderline madness and paranoia.
Seeing a more idealistic and youthful Dutch would be a fascinating perspective inRed Dead Redemption 3, with the game having the opportunity to show players how Dutch was able to build a feared gang out of nothing in his younger years. Arthur was taken under the wings of Dutch and Hosea at just 14 years old, and seeing theprotagonist ofRDR2in a more vulnerable yet less jaded context would be just as important for his overall character development.
Arthur was 22 years old when a 12-year-oldJohn Marston was taken into the Van Der Linde fold, with both figures largely being raised by Hosea and Dutch for most of their lives. This led to an unspoken yet undoubtedly strong bond between the two runaways, and seeing this relationship in more detail would arguably be the most impactful aspect of character development thatRed Dead Redemption 3could portray with a prequel setting.
WhileRed Dead Redemption 2explores the inner workings of the Van Der Linde gangin detail, some members die off-screen very early on in the game and could feature in a prequel. The opening missions ofRDR2show the aftermath of the gang’s infamous botched robbery of a Blackwater ferry, where three longstanding gang members were killed.
Players can often hear the gang discussing Jenny and the two Callander brothers, Mac and Davey, who are all killed off just before the game’s opening. A prequel would be an excellent way to finally breathe life into these obscure characters, giving their sudden deaths inRDR2a more personal impact. It may bedifficult for a prequel-setRed Dead Redemption 3to capture the same narrative scope as its two predecessors, but it would bring some fantastic opportunities for the development of the IP’s most iconic characters, as well as some more obscure names.
Red Dead Redemption 2
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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.
