Red Dead Redemptiontransported players back to 1911 and the rapid decline of the Wild West, and its sequel in 2018 elaborated further on the twilight years of outlaw culture with a sublime story and wonderful characters.The Van Der Linde Ganghad lots of life, and developing upon the somewhat stereotypical personalities in the first game did well to give them a sense of history as they gallop, meander, and thieve their way through the USA in search of success and the high life. Both Rockstar-developed titles are two of the best Western stories in gaming, and while this will surely always be an option for the series to return to, it doesn’t have to be restricted to the typical Western format for its stories.
The First World War, also known as the Great War, was a conflict that occurred from 1914 until 1918, and was formally concluded with the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. It was a significant turning point in Western culture, and affected nations all around the world. It’s the subject of plenty of video games includingBattlefield 1andValiant Hearts.While most expectRed Dead Redemption 3to be another cowboy epic set in the later years of the 19th century, it would do well to lean into The Great War for inspiration.
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ShouldRed Dead Redemption 3opt to set its tale just a few years after the first gameit could take advantage of the narrative, tonal, and presentational benefits of the First World War and how it not only impacted Europe, but the world at large. Seeing the changes it made to American culture could be fascinating, using war not as an all-encompassing setting, but as a catalyst for something more unique. That’s something that isn’t done all too often in gaming, andRed Dead Redemption 3could use the war’s global impact to make its storytelling both on the main quest line and with side activities truly stand out.
Red Dead Redemption 2takes place 34 years after the conclusion of the American Civil War, and does well to show that the fallout from the conflict is still there. With former soldiers littering the land, it feels so deeply rooted in America’s tumultuous past. The story may focus far more onthe Van Der Linde gang’s issues with the O’Driscollsand Pinkerton Detective Agency, but it also did so much for the world-building and reinforced the notion that Rockstar is an industry leader in implementing real-world issues into an otherwise fictional experience.
War in Gaming is a One Trick Pony (But Doesn’t Have to Be)
While there are a handful of titles like the aforementionedValiant Heartsas well asThe Last Express, The Saboteur, andSpec Ops: The Linethat approach war in a more nuanced way, the genre is littered with shooters. From the consistent release ofCall of Dutyto more sporadic titles likeWolfenstein, Medal of Honor, Battlefieldand the like, it’s a crowded market that appeals to a specific audience. It makes sense for shooters to take place during a well-known war in world history, but it’s not the only genre that can use it to craft a memorable game.
Red Dead Redemption 3has not officially been announced, and should it come to fruition, it is likely years away. However, with the impressive scope of the second game still on the minds of players almost five years after it launched it’s all-too-easy to speculate how a potential follow-up could manifest. The first was just a few short years away from the fateful year that war broke out across the globe.
Red Dead Redemption 2is available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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