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Red Dead Redemption 2 is now seven years old.
Telling the story of outlaw Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang, the game is set squarely in between Red Dead Revolver and Red Dead Redemption.
Red Dead Redemption 2 released five years after Grand Theft Auto V, but it itself took over eight years to make. Analysts believe its combined development and marketing budget was somewhere between $ 370 – 540 million, making it one of the most expensive games ever made.
The game is set in 1899, right at the cusp of the end of the American frontier. In over 100 years before that, a period of American expansion expanded the country’s borders, as settlements would form towns and cities to populate its many states.
The story of the Van der Linde gang is both tied to and is revisionary to the frontier myth; this notion of a mythical Wild West where outlaws and lawmen engaged in heroic battles.
Red Dead Redemption 2’s Importance To The Franchise’s Mythology
After telling the story of former John Marston, Rockstar dipped back into the well to the story of his former fellow outlaw, Arthur Morgan. Making a prequel helped tie loose ends from John’s backstory, giving us a more complete picture of his life.
But even more important, Rockstar gave players a reason to care about Arthur, arguably more than John. Rockstar used Arthur’s character to reexamine this period of American history in a modern lens.
Arthur becomes conflicted and discovers his convictions after years of becoming a hardened criminal. While this may not be an accurate depiction of real life settlers, cowboys, or outlaws, it’s a compelling one.
Red Dead Online
While Red Dead Online is not as big or popular as Grand Theft Auto Online, it’s still a significant part of the franchise. It does not quite give you the opportunity to settle and own land, but it’s still a great way to jump back in and explore the world.
Red Dead Online is characterized by its own story campaign. This is augmented by frontier era open world activities like exploration, hunting, attacking rival gangs, and more.
Is Rockstar Going To Do It?
Rumors have persisted for some time that Rockstar is bringing Red Dead Redemption 2 to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 has been going around for some time now. Several proven sources attest that these new ports exist, but Rockstar has yet to announce them.
It’s not clear if these new versions really exist. If the rumor turned out to be fake, we hope Rockstar saw the interest and are working to make it real as we speak.
