There has been no news of whether or not Red Dead Redemption 3 (RDR3) will be released. Fans are more than sure that it will be released eventually due to the success of the previous game, RDR2. But will the third installment be able to compete with the past success of its predecessors?
Let us take a quick recap of the previous games and their success and assess when the next in the series will be announced and what we can expect from it.
The Red Dead Series
Red Dead Revolver
This is the first game of the Red Dead series. The series is a western-themed action-adventure game set in the late 19th century to early 20th century. The initial development was started in 2000 by Angel studio under funding from Capcom company. Angel company was later acquired by Rockstar Games and rebranded as Rockstar San Diego.
The game was released for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 under Rockstar Games in May 2004. Red Dead Revolver is a western-themed single-player action-adventure game designed by Josh Needleman-Carlton and programmed by Michael Kelley. It is a third-person shooter game where players can use handguns, rifles, shotguns, and throwable weapons such as knives, Molotov cocktails, and dynamite.
The plot
The plot revolves around Red Harlow and his revenge against his parent’s murderers. The story is set in the late 1800s. The game begins when prospectors Nate Harlow and his partner Griff find gold in the Bear Mountains. To celebrate, they make two identical revolvers, one for each of them. Griff gets caught by the Mexican army, and to escape, he reveals the location of the gold he found. He orders his right-hand man Colonel Daren to kill Nate and his family to keep the location of the gold from leaking further.
Daren kills Nate and his Native American wife, but their teenage son Red escapes by shooting Daren’s left arm with his father’s revolver. The heat of the revolver leaves a scorpion-shaped burn scar on his hand. Twelve years later, Red works as a ruthless bounty hunter, and he soon learns about the people responsible for the death of his parents. The rest of the game follows Red trying to exact his revenge against the perpetrators.
The success of the game was considered average. It was appreciated for being one of the best gun-shooting games out there but had more potential to improve. Regardless, it is now considered a cult classic game.
Red Dead Redemption (RDR 1)
Red Dead Redemption 1 is the successor of Red Dead Revolver in spirit. It is not a direct sequel of the first game but is rather inspired by it. The game was developed by Rockstar San Diego for Rockstar Games and was released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in May 2010.
It was under development for 5 years and is one of the most expensive video games ever made at the time. The game received critical acclaim for its gameplay, visuals, original music, performances, and narrative. It won many game awards and is considered one of the best games ever made by critics. It is also one of the best-selling video games of all time.
Red Dead Redemption (1) https://t.co/TJfsw4V9RO
— Ørdnung (@SwabianSalute) January 18, 2023
The plot is set in 1911 in a western-themed world. An ex-outlaw by the name of John Marston is the protagonist. The Federal Bureau captures his family. In exchange for their freedom, John is sent to kill or capture his previous outlaw teammates from the Van der Linde gang. The game follows John as he hunts down his former gang members through various fictional US towns of New Austin and West Elizabeth and the fixational Mexican state of Nuevo Paraíso.
Gameplay
The game is played from a third-player perspective. The players can roam the Western town primarily on horseback and on foot. The “Dead Eye” gunslinger gameplay concept is used. It enables players to mark numerous shooting targets on adversaries in slow motion. The game employs a morality system that allows players to influence their character’s level of fame and honor as well as how other characters react to them. The game comes with an online multiplayer feature replicating the single-player experience for up to 16 people in cooperative and competitive gameplay.
Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2)
The success of RDR1 prompted Rockstar Games to start working on Red Dead Redemption 2, the third of the Red Dead series. The game took eight years to develop and cost around $180 million. It was developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in October 2018. During its release, it broke several records and had the biggest launch in entertainment history. It generated $725 million in sales on the opening weekend, surpassing the lifetime sale of RDR 1 in just two weeks.
Red Dead Redemption 2 takes place in 1899 and is a prequel to RDR1. The player controls Arthur Morgan, a Van der Linde gang member led by Dutch Van der Linde. The world is set in five fictitious U.S. states: Ambarino, New Hanover, and Lemoyne are located to the immediate north and east of New Austin and West Elizabeth, which return from Red Dead Redemption.
The game revolves around the gang trying to make enough money through heists and robbing trains. The changing society doesn’t take kindly to the wild west. This forces the gang to make enough money and retire as soon as possible. Their leader Dutch Van der Linde, promises the next heist will be their last during each mission. Still, there seems no end to his greed. In the epilogue, players play as John Marston, the protagonist of RDR1. It sets the tone for the RDR1 plot.
Gameplay and Accolades
RDR2 can be played in first or third-person perspective. It is set in an open-world environment where players can explore the world when not on a mission. The players can dual-wield weapons. They can also combat enemies employing melee assaults, firearms, bow and arrow, throwables, or explosives. Red Dead Redemption 2 is made up of landscapes with roaming travelers, bandits, and wildlife. It also has settlements that range from farms to towns and cities.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is considered one of the best games for the eighth generation of video game consoles. It won numerous awards, including Best Audio Design, Best Narrative, Best Score/Music, and Best Performance.
Red Dead Redemption 3
Rockstar Games has not officially announced anything related to Red Dead Redemption 3 yet. Fans are more than eager for the game as no other wild west games can fill the void left by the Red Dead series. The biggest challenge will be surpassing the legacy of its predecessors’ success. Rockstar Games took more than 5 years the development each of the Red Dead series games. This time was essential for developing better gameplay, plot, world-building, and SFX.
Rumors of a red dead redemption 3… I’m not going to get excited until it’s confirmed but please please please. Also still dreaming of a RDR series. It would be so good
— hollywood (@hollylavonn) January 20, 2023
The immense success of Red Dead Redemption 2 is not waning even after 5 years of its release. Red Dead Redemption 3 will have a lot of expectations on its release. It will either have to be bigger and better than its predecessors or risk being a less-than-worthy successor. Rockstar Games must take all the time it needs to ensure that the next game can be as good as it can be. People expect the game to be released by the end of this decade.
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