Highlights
- Red Dead Redemption 3 should double down on realism not only to be a good successor to RDR 2, but to keep gameplay diverse in Rockstar's games.
- GTA 6 will likely over and over-the-top, frenetic style, while RDR3 can prioritize substance with depth and detail.
- By keeping Red Dead realistic and GTA bombastic, Rockstar can consistently switch between two hugely different tones in its biggest properties.
With almost six years having passed since the last entry to the franchise, it is clear to see why so many fans want to see Red Dead Redemption 3 become a reality. A lot of the discussion around this potential title is geared toward what kind of setting the game might explore, with the time of the Old West essentially being over by the end of 2010's Red Dead Redemption.
Away from the potential characters and narrative of Red Dead Redemption 3, the project would have to match and exceed the overall gameplay experience of its predecessor, and Red Dead Redemption 2's iconic level of detail will be a hard feature to beat. It is true that too much of a focus on realism could make Red Dead Redemption 3 less approachable in some contexts, but the likely wackiness of Rockstar's upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 should leave a lot of room for RDR3 to take a grounded and detailed approach.
Red Dead Redemption 3 Should Turn a Heavily Memed RDR2 Moment Into a Feature
Red Dead Redemption 2 incorporates one theme in a memorable way, and the third game should go all in on the idea, making it a big new mechanic.
Red Dead Redemption 3 Would Need Compliment and Counter Grand Theft Auto 6
Even years after its release, Red Dead Redemption 2 holds up extremely well. Not only is the game's story and its characters being debated to this day, but the stunning visuals and immersive game mechanics of the title still remain as a huge strong point of RDR2.
Features like gun cleaning and horse bonding made the actions of the player feel more consequential and real, while the construction of towns over time and the fully-mapped daily routines of NPCs created a game world full of detail that Red Dead Redemption 3 would need to replicate. It is worth noting that some players did criticize the focus on realism in RDR2, suggesting that it got in the way of freedom of exploration and combat, but these features are something that the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 is expected to encourage in abundance.
Grand Theft Auto 6 Can Have the Style While Red Dead Redemption 3 Has the Substance
Rockstar's GTA franchise is renowned for its high-octane gameplay, with players having free rein over entire cities by land, air, and sea in what often leads to expansive crime sprees. The overall themes of Grand Theft Auto are usually much more zany and satirical compared to the more grounded and somber themes of Red Dead Redemption, and this should be reflected in the game mechanics of both franchises.
Once players become fully acquainted with Grand Theft Auto 6 following its intended 2025 release, there will likely be a desire for Rockstar's next big project to wow players with depth and detail as opposed to flashiness and explosiveness, and this is something that RDR3 could easily achieve. This same pattern happened with GTA 5 and RDR2, with both games being huge thematic departures from each other despite their shared success, and it only seems right that this pattern is continued and expanded upon with GTA 6 and RDR3.
The realism of Red Dead Redemption 2 has become one of the most identifiable and remembered traits of the title, and Red Dead Redemption 3 could easily take this realism to the next level. A heightened sense of detail works well with the more intense character studies that the RDR franchise usually explores, and Grand Theft Auto 6 may just create the perfect atmosphere for RDR3 to commit to this without as much criticism as it might have received otherwise.
