Video game remakes are in high demand nowadays. Titles such asResident Evil 2,Demon’s Souls, andFinal Fantasy 7 Remakehave been developed from the ground up for modern consoles, and are immensely popular among both new players and the old ones. However, one game that is constantly in demand for a remake that hasn’t unfortunately received one is none other than 2010’sRed Dead Redemption.
Rockstar’sRed Deadfranchise has become one of the most popular video game franchises in the last decade. 2018’sRed Dead Redemption 2shoved players into a melancholic yet beautiful open world, and allowed them to experience the heart-wrenching tale of Arthur Morgan and Dutch’s band of outlaws. Given the success and popularity ofRed Dead Redemption 2,aRed Dead Redemption 3makes sense. However, before going all-in on such an ambitious project, the company could instead divert its attention towards aRed Dead Redemptionremake, which would also benefitRed Dead Redemption 3in the long run.
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The eight-year gap betweenRed Dead RedemptionandRed Dead Redemption 2means many players got intoRDR 2potentially without playing the first game. Contextually, this doesn’t make much of a difference since the story ofRDR 2takes place years before the events ofRDR 1. However, the direct connection between them means that these new players would want to continue the story withRDR 1.
Unfortunately,RDR 1isn’t available on PS4, PS5, or PC. Xbox players couldplayRed Dead Redemptionon their Xbox One and Xbox Series X/Svia backward compatibility, but other players would miss out on it altogether. PC players are at the most disadvantaged here, asRDR 2was the firstRed Deadgame to come to PC. ARed Dead Redemption Remakewould be a bridge connectingRDR 2andRDR 3, thus giving Rockstar Games more freedom to steer the narrative ofRDR 3whichever way it wants, without worrying about any inconveniences that could pop up otherwise.
ARed Dead Redemption Remakecould also amp up some of the gameplay features introduced inRed Dead Redemption 2. For instance, hunting played a huge role inRDR 2and should be added to aRDR 1 Remake. This would especially make sense for players fresh off ofRDR 2. The ability to craft ammo in camp, or make coffee to boost Dead Eye core, or the addition of talismans, would also serve as a welcome and much-needed addition in the RDR remake. Furthermore, Rockstar could introduce new gameplay attributes in theRDR 1 Remakethat would be more indicative of what’s to come inRDR 3.
As much as a great gameRed Dead Redemption 2is, it still has itsown share of problems, and much of it comes from it being a prequel. There are plenty of moments inRDR 2where the game stirs away from the story beat introduced in the firstRed Dead Redemption, hence making the latter a more incoherent experience. For instance, Arthur Morgan isn’t mentioned at all inRed Dead Redemption. While this makes sense from the game’s development point of view, it is still disappointing for the fans ofRDR 2who have yet to playRDR 1.
Arthur’s absence fromRDR 1is still an understandable inconsistency compared to some of the more prominent ones that definitely need addressing in anRDR Remake.For example, it’s mentioned inRDR 1that John and Abigail had two children. However, inRDR 2, players only get to meet Jack. Even in the game’s epilogue that takes place years away after the events of the main game, Jack’s sister isn’t seen or mentioned. Plot holes like these are plenty, and it would be immersion breaking for people jumping ships fromRDR 2toRDR 1, rather than vice versa. Hence, a remake could fix those inconsistencies and set things right forRDR 3.
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BothRed Dead RedemptionandRed Dead Redemption 2leave plenty of room for a sequel.Red Dead Redemption 2diligently sets upSadie Adleras a possible protagonist ofRed Dead Redemption 3. Sadie is one of the most complex characters in theRed Dead Redemption 2, and fans get to witness it all; Her growth from a widow in despair to a ruthless bounty hunter.
In the final moments ofRDR 2, Sadie bid farewell to the Marstons and presumably move to South America, as she had previously shown interest in going there. Sadie’s growth is empowering, and there is plenty more to explore in her story, not to mention how enticing a South American western setting sounds. WithGrand Theft Auto 6rumored to feature a female protagonist,RDR 3could likely take a similar direction, and fans certainly wouldn’t be complaining.
Unfortunately, just like Arthur, Sadie is absent fromRDR 1and isn’t mentioned at all. While it’s unreasonable to expect Rockstar Games to make a remake where Sadie plays a prominent role in John’s redemption, she could still be vaguely referenced to set upRDR 3. Rockstar could pull off aGTA 5scenario whereGTA 4’sprotagonist Niko Bellic is loosely mentioned by Lester. Moreover, there is a wanted poster of Niko lying around in a house in Sandy Shores. If Rockstar is planning to make Sadie the protagonist ofRDR 3, a subtle reference in aRDR 1remake could go a long way in makingRDR 1feel authentic toRDR 2, without spoiling the original experience.
On the other hand, the originalRed Dead Redemptiondoes a fine job of setting the 19-years-oldJack Marsonas a possible protagonist of Red Dead Redemption 3. If that happens to be the case, aRDR 1remake would be needed more than ever, especially for people who haven’t played the original and missed out on Jack’s character arc in the first game. WhetherRDR 3would feature Jack Marston or Sadie Adler, or both, is currently unknown. However, aRDR 1remake could open up the pathways for both of them as a future protagonist.
Rockstar Games have always been the studio to push gaming consoles to the limit. It’s still astonishing to seeGrand Theft Auto 5running smoothly on a PS3 and Xbox 360. Similarly,Red Dead Redemption 2features one of the most gorgeous and highly detailed open worlds ever in a video game, and it’s hard to not take a break every now and then to just take in the countless breathtaking views it offers.
With the release of PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, fans are yet again eager to see what visual and technical achievements the company could accomplish with its upcoming titles. WithRed Dead Redemption 3seemingly years awayfrom release, and possibly won’t see the day of light until the end of this gen (if at all) aRDR 1remake would be a perfect appetizer to keep fans busy.
Many AAA developers tend to remake or remaster their last-gen titles to get familiar with the next-gen consoles. Although Rockstar Games isn’t known for remaking their titles, they could make an exception this time around withRed Dead Redemption. The company recentlyacquired Ruffian Games, a studio known for makingHalo: The Master Chief Collection. Ruffian Games, now labeled as Rockstar Dundee, seems like a perfect team to work on a relatively small scale next-gen project like aRed Dead Redemptionremake, while the larger studio works on Rockstar’s next big project.
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