Rockstar’s Red Dead franchise has become one of the most popular video game franchises in the last decade. 2018’s Red Dead Redemption 2 shoved 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 of Red Dead Redemption 2, a Red Dead Redemption 3 makes sense. However, before going all-in on such an ambitious project, the company could instead divert its attention towards a Red Dead Redemption remake, which would also benefit Red Dead Redemption 3 in the long run.

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Catering to a New Red Dead Audience

The eight-year gap between Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2 means many players got into RDR 2 potentially without playing the first game. Contextually, this doesn’t make much of a difference since the story of RDR 2 takes place years before the events of RDR 1. However, the direct connection between them means that these new players would want to continue the story with RDR 1.

Unfortunately, RDR 1 isn’t available on PS4, PS5, or PC. Xbox players could play Red Dead Redemption on their Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S via backward compatibility, but other players would miss out on it altogether. PC players are at the most disadvantaged here, as RDR 2 was the first Red Dead game to come to PC. A Red Dead Redemption Remake would be a bridge connecting RDR 2 and RDR 3, thus giving Rockstar Games more freedom to steer the narrative of RDR 3 whichever way it wants, without worrying about any inconveniences that could pop up otherwise.

A Red Dead Redemption Remake could also amp up some of the gameplay features introduced in Red Dead Redemption 2. For instance, hunting played a huge role in RDR 2 and should be added to a RDR 1 Remake. This would especially make sense for players fresh off of RDR 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 the RDR 1 Remake that would be more indicative of what’s to come in RDR 3.

Fixing Red Dead’s Lore Inconsistencies

As much as a great game Red Dead Redemption 2 is, it still has its own share of problems, and much of it comes from it being a prequel. There are plenty of moments in RDR 2 where the game stirs away from the story beat introduced in the first Red Dead Redemption, hence making the latter a more incoherent experience. For instance, Arthur Morgan isn’t mentioned at all in Red Dead Redemption. While this makes sense from the game’s development point of view, it is still disappointing for the fans of RDR 2 who have yet to play RDR 1.

Arthur’s absence from RDR 1 is still an understandable inconsistency compared to some of the more prominent ones that definitely need addressing in an RDR Remake. For example, it’s mentioned in RDR 1 that John and Abigail had two children. However, in RDR 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 from RDR 2 to RDR 1, rather than vice versa. Hence, a remake could fix those inconsistencies and set things right for RDR 3.

RELATED: The Case for a Red Dead Redemption Remake Before GTA 6

Road to Red Dead Redemption 3

Both Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2 leave plenty of room for a sequel. Red Dead Redemption 2 diligently sets up Sadie Adler as a possible protagonist of Red Dead Redemption 3. Sadie is one of the most complex characters in the Red 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 of RDR 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. With Grand Theft Auto 6 rumored to feature a female protagonist, RDR 3 could likely take a similar direction, and fans certainly wouldn’t be complaining.

Unfortunately, just like Arthur, Sadie is absent from RDR 1 and 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 up RDR 3. Rockstar could pull off a GTA 5 scenario where GTA 4’s protagonist 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 of RDR 3, a subtle reference in a RDR 1 remake could go a long way in making RDR 1 feel authentic to RDR 2, without spoiling the original experience.

On the other hand, the original Red Dead Redemption does a fine job of setting the 19-years-old Jack Marson as a possible protagonist of Red Dead Redemption 3. If that happens to be the case, a RDR 1 remake 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. Whether RDR 3 would feature Jack Marston or Sadie Adler, or both, is currently unknown. However, a RDR 1 remake could open up the pathways for both of them as a future protagonist.

A Next-Gen Red Dead Sneak Peak

Rockstar Games have always been the studio to push gaming consoles to the limit. It’s still astonishing to see Grand Theft Auto 5 running smoothly on a PS3 and Xbox 360. Similarly, Red Dead Redemption 2 features 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. With Red Dead Redemption 3 seemingly years away from release, and possibly won’t see the day of light until the end of this gen (if at all) a RDR 1 remake 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 with Red Dead Redemption. The company recently acquired Ruffian Games, a studio known for making Halo: 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 a Red Dead Redemption remake, while the larger studio works on Rockstar’s next big project.

MORE: Red Dead Redemption 3 Needs to Break a Series Tradition to Stay Unpredictable