Summary
WhileRed Dead Redemption 3has not been officially confirmed by Rockstar, it is clear to see why so many fans of the franchise are debating what a sequel might look like. A lot of this desire stems from how critically acclaimed 2018’sRDR2continues to be to this day, and while this creates a good demand for a sequel, it also puts a tremendous amount of pressure on such a project.
Not only would it be hard forRed Dead Redemption 3to exceed the level of detail within its predecessor’s core gameplay, but it could be equally difficult for the game to develop its main characters likeRDR2did.Red Dead Redemption 3may have the best chance of achieving this by going in some bold new directions with the franchise, and perhaps Rockstar could look to its ownGrand Theft Autoseries for inspiration if it wants to accomplish this. ModernGTAhas become defined by multiple protagonists that can be seamlessly switched between in-game, and this may be a good way forRDR3to offer a new narrative perspective on its central figures.
BothRed Dead RedemptionandGrand Theft Autoare massively successful franchises for Rockstar, with both IPs offering different gameplay approaches to the genre of open world games. WhileGTAis more renowned for its chaotic sandbox freedom,Red Deadhas always offered more intimate character-driven stories where the narrative is much more important to the game’s overall experience.
This approach has recently extended toGrand Theft Autowith the franchise’s decision to involve multiple simultaneous protagonists, withGTA 5having Michael, Trevor, and Franklin, and the upcomingGTA 6being set to feature Lucia and Jason in its main roles. While this was a fantastic way forGrand Theft Auto 5to broaden its gameplay opportunities by giving each character unique skills and encounters, there were also story benefits that might be more at home in theRed DeadIP.
To be clear, theRed Dead Redemptionfranchise is no stranger to multiple protagonists, withRDRand its sequel both featuring a separate protagonist that is playable during the epilogue of each game. However, this could be taken a step further withRed Dead Redemption 3, with the game potentially having multiple protagonists in the main story that can be liberally swapped between throughout regular gameplay, as opposed to a second character being introduced in the epilogue.
One of the most debated issues around a potentialRDR3concerns what the story and characters of the title might look like, with the franchise having essentiallyexhausted the beloved figures within the Van der Linde gang narrative. IfRed Dead 3decides to feature an entirely new crop of characters as a result of this, then utilizing multiple protagonists throughout its story might be the best way to get fans to feel as connected to them as they were with the likes of John Marston and Arthur Morgan.
Having two or three unique protagonists inRed Dead Redemption 3could also build upon the detail of its 2018 predecessor, potentially allowing players to choose which character they want to tackle each mission with. This could lead to a continually branching narrative that can be influenced by the player at every step, leading to a huge range of story possibilities that can be fully explored in subsequent playthroughs. While this seems like a big ask, Rockstar has proven time and time again that it is capable of raising the expectations around its games, andborrowing the protagonist approach fromGTAcould be the perfect way forRDR3to make the narrative statement that it needs to.
