Red Dead Redemptionhas grown into one of the most beloved single-player narrative-driven games in the industry. With its compelling and well-crafted story and fantastically rich open-world exploration of the American frontier, hope for moreRed Dead Redemptioncontinues to grow. With both mainline titles,RDR1andRDR2, offering thoughtful stories about the end of the Wild West era, the themes of learning how to live in a rapidly changing world were fertile soil for emotional and fascinating storylines.
As a prequel,RDR2planted the seeds forRDR1’s story, which focused on the quickly approaching end of the Wild West period. For this time in American history to be so short-lived, it was a monumental moment for the country, defined by lawlessness and a person’s determination to strike it big at almost any cost. WhileRDR1details the finale of this era,a potential route forRDR3to venture down could focus on the beginnings of the Wild West.
A Time Marked By Both Possibility and Conflict
The period before the Wild West was a time of great turmoil for America, as the Civil War officially began in 1861. This four-year conflict brought death and destruction throughout the country as citizens faced head-to-head against one another. Following this war, the era of the American cowboy began to form, bringing forth the Wild West periodRed Dead Redemptionis so well known for. People began expanding further west, which gave many a newfound sense of hope. However, this time was also defined by plenty of new conflict, as settlers encroached on more and more Native American land. AlthoughRed Dead Redemptionis in a tricky spot with its story, starting from the beginning could be a fascinating way to keep things fresh while also staying put in the western era.
The Wild West spanned from the mid 1860s to around the late 1890s, only lasting three decades.
Exploring the Civil War and the Early Frontier
A fascinating starting point would be near the end of the Civil War and into the beginnings of early frontier days. Such a defining moment for America would be a treasure trove of themes and moral questions to dig into in regard to building a compelling story.The world ofRed Dead Redemptionis full of possibilities, making a fresh and interesting protagonist easily attainable. A bold route would be to follow an ex-Union soldier who has decided to move from the more technologically advanced world of the northern states and venture off into the unknown west.
Another intriguing route would be to tell a story from the eyes of Native Americans whose homeland is being taken over. The beginnings of such a period lend itself to plenty of story routes. There is also the added benefit of starting off with a blank slate, but even ifRDR3takes another leap back in time, it may be best to tie itself back tothe Van der Linde gang.
One more story route, and probably the most likely for another prequel, would be to feature a member of the Van der Linde gang as the game’s protagonist. When it comes to the timeline of the early years of the Wild West, one of the few options would be for Hosea Matthews to take the stage asRDR3’s lead character. As a man who once had aspirations of becoming an actor and comedian, seeing his descent into the life of an outlaw could be fascinating.
Hosea and Dutch met in the mid 1870s, beginning their long friendship.
Following Hosea’s early life as an outlaw would pave the way to markhis eventual run-in with Dutch. Not only would this allow the franchise to explore a different perspective of the Wild West era, it would ultimately bring everything full circle with a bittersweet connection.
Red Dead Redemption
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America, 1911. The Wild West is dying. When federal agents threaten his family, former outlaw John Marston is forced to pick up his guns again and hunt down the gang of criminals he once called friends. Experience an epic fight for survival across the sprawling expanses of the American West and Mexico, as John Marston struggles to bury his blood-stained past, one man at a time.Red Dead Redemption is a Western epic, set at the turn of the 20th century when the lawless and chaotic badlands began to give way to the expanding reach of government and the spread of the Industrial Age.
