Red Dead Redemption 3 is just a pipe dream at the moment, but there is still hope for developer Rockstar to bring another western adventure to life. It’s likely a long wait for a potential Red Dead Redemption 3, but if that day finally comes, the first questions will be about its story. The Red Dead Redemption series has been hailed as some of the best storytelling in gaming, but its lean away from full-blown historical accuracy could be keeping it from great sources of inspiration.
Of course, Red Dead Redemption embraces historical accuracy where it counts. From the lifestyle of its characters to the landscape, the franchise’s approach to historical fiction works. However, subverting expectations in RDR3 by focusing on accuracy with its locations, plot points, and characters could bring fresh sources for Rockstar to draw from with narrative building.
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Red Dead Redemption 3 May Benefit From More Historical Accuracy
The Pros and Cons of Red Dead Redemption’s Fictionalized Version of the US
Until now, Red Dead Redemption‘s alternate version of the American west has given Rockstar freedom to put its own spin on certain historical settings and moments; for example, Saint Denis is based on New Orleans. However, a new Red Dead Redemption story featuring real-life historical events in the places they occurred could be the perfect recipe for a fresh story. Not only would the franchise be able to explore real world situations that helped shape the Old West, but there could also be exciting cameos featuring actual historical figures that could play a larger role in the plot.
RDR3 Could Showcase Some of the Biggest Names of the Wild West Era
- Jesse James
- Annie Oakley
- Buffalo Bill
- Billy the Kid
- Butch Cassidy
- Wild Bill Hickock
- Wyatt Earp
- Calamity Jane
- Doc Holliday
- Belle Star
In addition to this list of some of the Wild West’s most notable stars, there are also plenty of deep-cut names that could serve as more cameos for history fans. There’s the risk of such an approach feeling more like a game adaptation of the 1993 film Tombstone, but if done properly, it could be a compelling new way for Rockstar to tell a proper western story. Red Dead Redemption excels at realism, making it a perfect franchise to showcase history-defining events.
Despite being influential to US history, the Wild West era was surprisingly short-lived. Most historians consider this period of time to have lasted from the 1860s to the 1890s.
As a way to avoid making a more historically accurate list of characters feel like Tombstone or Young Guns, Red Dead Redemption could continue its tradition of a unique roster of lead characters while bringing forth small cameos from people like Jesse James and Calamity Jane instead of making them the central focus. The characters of Red Dead Redemption help bring its stories to life, and coming across the surprise appearance of a bona fide, real-world Wild West legend may prove to be a big success.
Red Dead Redemption’s Future is a Mystery
There are a variety of routes Red Dead Redemption 3 could take. While actual historical figures could be fun, it also runs the risk of shaking up the franchise’s proven formula too much. It’s more likely that Rockstar will stick to what has made the series so successful. However, there is still the option for the studio to bring a small amount of historical accuracy to the series’ NPCs by at least featuring a handful of cameos from actual outlaws and gunslingers.
Reports have claimed that Red Dead Redemption 2 could launch for the Switch 2, but this has yet to be confirmed.
The future of Red Dead Redemption remains to be seen, but it’s exciting to speculate on what could be next for the beloved western series. After the highly-anticipated launch of GTA 6, a lot of gamers’ sights will be set on the next Red Dead Redemption title, and whatever that entails, it’s likely to bring another fascinating story to players.
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