Red Dead Redemption has spawned some of the most impactful stories in video game history. When we look at the emotional connections we had to these incredible characters, it doesn’t just feel like a game. In Red Dead Redemption 1, we got to play through as John Marston, who dies near the end of the game, meaning you control his son. The second game brings him back because it’s a prequel; this time, we play as Arthur Morgan. Perhaps the most iconic video game character of all time.
Rockstar wrapped up Arthur’s story in an amazing way during the second game. You had the choice to have Arthur die honourably or have Micah kill him (which is criminal). This is how a third game can still allow us to have our favourite heroes, including both Arthur and John as well.
This is via a prequel. The same as 2 was to 1. The Van Der Linde gang is an important aspect of both games. You hunt the gang down during 1, whilst you’re a part of it during 2. The gang has been around for a long time, and we hear so many stories as we play through the second game. More notably, the Blackwater Massacre, which we will discuss a bit later on, I do feel like this is how the game should end.
Dutch
Of course, for me, Arthur would be the main protagonist again. It could be someone else, but ideally, I’d prefer to play as a younger Arthur. The reason is simply due to the backstories. Arthur has been part of the gang for a very long time. He was initially recruited by Dutch when Arthur was just a teenager. This would put Red Dead Redemption 3 right in the era where Arthur is still learning the outlaw life, giving players a version of him we’ve only heard about but never seen.
Dutch is extremely charismatic. He’s obviously done something right, as so many people trust him. They do it blindly as well. We observe how long it takes for Arthur to disengage during the second game, knowing full well that Dutch unravelling. This type of trust can only come from being a true leader.
The third game could showcase this instead of the slow downfall that we see in the second game. We’ve heard the stories, so I’d love to actually see it.
Hosea
Let’s look at other stories the game could explore. Arthur and Hosea’s relationship. Hosea was a father figure to Arthur. There’s a lot of information to explore there. Signs point to the fact that Hosea almost raised Arthur and taught him nearly everything he knows. A prequel could finally show Hosea teaching Arthur the art of scams and social manipulation, which becomes a huge part of Arthur’s skillset later in life.
Hosea and Dutch formed the gang, so both of these have been there since the very beginning. I’ve discussed Dutch being the leader, but Hosea is the father figure. This could create some very interesting dynamics. There are even talks of controlling Hosea as a protagonist in the game.
Isaac and Eliza
This is one of the most emotional stories we hear during the second game. Arthur tells Rains Fall about his tragic story.
Arthur had a child named Isaac Morgan with a woman named Eliza. One day, after going to visit them, he found them both murdered. It’s clear that it’s this trauma above all else that shapes Arthur’s character. The guilt, the distrust, his protective nature, the need for redemption in the second game, after all he’s done.
This could shape an extremely emotional narrative to a third game, as players would get to experience this. We’d get to see Arthur’s reaction, the change, the aftermath and everything else that would come with a character like Arthur witnessing that. Rockstar does super well with their emotional storytelling in the Red Dead Redemption games, so I feel like this would be another one to add to their long list of almost making grown men cry.
John Marston
There is genuine disdain between John and Arthur, especially during the early segments of the second game. We learn as the game progresses that John actually left the gang. He didn’t leave for a little while either; it was a year. It’s known that people don’t really get out when it comes to leaving the gang. John did and managed to make his way back in. Arthur never approved of this. It takes some time for them to reconcile properly during the second game.
A third game could pull John’s story even deeper, as well as Arthur’s. We’d come full circle for John as he’d be in all 3 games. This allows John to have the full redemption story from start to finish, as well as Arthur Morgan. It’s not always about the dynamics between characters; sometimes, it really is just adding further depth to a wonderful character, that is, John Marston.
Other characters
I’d be here all day typing if I were to talk about each individual character. We could explore Abigail’s early days in the gang, including her early relationship with John. There’s John’s calming presence. The ultimate villain, Micah’s introduction into the gang. Bill and Javier. There are also other characters who die in the second game that we could see more of, including the Irish legend, Sean. All in all, it would be great to see how each of these major side characters would come to be a part of the gang.
O’Driscolls
The O’Discolls actually play a very important role in the second game. They fuel Dutch’s paranoia first of all, and a number of the Van Der Linde gang members have been killed by the O’Driscolls. It’s a feud that we know has been going on for years between Dutch and Colm, but it’s never fully explored as to what actually started the whole thing.
A third game, playing as Arthur, could easily focus on his first fights with them and why he comes to hate them just as much as Dutch does. After all, look at how much satisfaction Arthur gets when he watches Colm die. It’s like he enjoyed every single second of watching him drop. It’s all about the why, and I think a third game could provide those answers.
Locations
This era opens up a lot of world-building opportunities. They could, in theory, use the same map. A slightly older version of Rhodes, Saint Denis and Valentine would be good to see. They could also show a more fleshed-out Blackwater, and they could even explore other locations such as Chicago. We hear some stories from the gang’s time in Chicago. There are a lot of locations to visit and focus on.
Blackwater Massacre
You hear about Blackwater on multiple occasions throughout the second game. We know Dutch was heavily involved in some way. This would be the end mission for the third game. Whether the protagonist is Arthur or we play as Dutch during this sequence. The reason why we should play as Dutch here is that even Arthur isn’t 100% sure about what went down.
The Blackwater Massacre is so infamous because it involves so many people, including a defenceless civilian woman who was killed. The massacre is so important because it leads the gang to flee to where we see them in the snow section of the second game. The gang takes a long time to recover, and to be honest, they never really do. It’s because of this massacre that the second game went the way it did. The decisions made at that massacre shaped everything. It feels like the pivotal moment that’s spawned 2 games.
Remastered RDR2
This is a hopeful wish above all else. I’d love to see Red Dead Redemption 2 remastered and offered alongside it so we can experience the story all the way through. I’d even go as far as to be greedy and ask for the first game as well. The reason why the second game could be remastered is due to how long it could be before Red Dead Redemption 3 is even a thing.
Rockstar is seemingly all in on Grand Theft Auto 6 at present, meaning Red Dead Redemption 3 is probably 5+ years away, if it even happens at all. This would be ample time to remaster both of the games, purely because they’d be using a lot of the same map anyway if they did follow the ideas I’ve put forth.
