The story of Red Dead Redemption 3 will be great if it keeps the series' usual quality, but it can't afford to repeat Red Dead Redemption 2's biggest risk. Red Dead Redemption 2 has become one of Rockstar's most successful games, winning several awards and garnering a huge fanbase. Even though there haven't been official updates regarding the next potential Red Dead Redemption, the game is anticipated regardless due to the strength of RDR2.
One of the reasons for Red Dead Redemption 2's enduring popularity is its protagonist, series newcomer Arthur Morgan. RDR2 chronicled his attempts to keep the Van der Linde gang together. Players familiar with the original Red Dead Redemption already knew that Arthur wouldn't succeed, since that game's plot involved John hunting down other members of the gang who had taken a turn for the worse. Arthur's struggles and the tragedy of the Van der Linde gang's fall made for a powerful story, but Rockstar might not succeed at flipping the script to a new character so completely next time around.
Red Dead Redemption 3 Should Focus on What the Series Already Has
Even though Arthur's tragic story in Red Dead Redemption 2 made him a beloved character, him being the sequel's protagonist was a significant risk. John's death in Red Dead Redemption's ending and his son Jack becoming the protagonist in the epilogue was already a controversial move, so the announcement that RDR2 would be a prequel planted the idea that players may get to play as John again. Replacing John with RDR2's protagonist was not a popular idea until Arthur showed his quality upon the game's release.
Even though introducing a brand-new protagonist for Red Dead Redemption 2 turned out to be a great move, Red Dead Redemption 3's eventual protagonist is unlikely to produce the same returns if they are also a new character. With John dead at the end of Red Dead Redemption, going back in time with Red Dead Redemption 2 gave players a high-quality supporting cast to really explore. Ironically, now these characters are the same reason why RDR3 shouldn't repeat the same move.
It would be unwise for Red Dead Redemption 3 to invent a new character as the protagonist when there are so may Red Dead 2 characters who deserve a starring role. For example, there's still the option to follow up on what Jack did after Red Dead Redemption. Charles and Sadie from Red Dead Redemption 2 were also likable characters who never lost their way, and they both have open-ended stories that could be continued in a sequel. RDR3 could even look further into the pasts of John, Arthur, or Dutch; all of which would be lost if Red Dead Redemption 3's protagonist was someone who players were never introduced to beforehand.
While Red Dead Redemption 2's risky decision with Arthur ended up bringing new life to the series, there are so many potential paths for Red Dead Redemption 3's story that abandoning them for a brand-new protagonist would be a waste. Even though it's unlikely that Red Dead Redemption 3 will be able to wrap up all the story threads left open, it can at least give proper closure to one or two. The surviving characters all have something to offer, so even though Red Dead Redemption 2's protagonist gamble worked, Red Dead Redemption 3 shouldn't do the same.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
