Red Dead Redemption 1

Red Dead Redemption 1 [RDR1] and Red Dead Redemption 2 [RDR2]

Red Dead Redemption: A Tale of Two Outlaws

With Rockstar reportedly working on Red Dead Redemption 3, I wouldn’t be surprised to see an official announcement sometime in 2026 or early 2027—though they’ll likely wait a few months after GTA VI drops to avoid stealing their own thunder.

For context: RDR1 takes place in 1911 (originally released for consoles in 2010, finally ported to PC in 2024), while RDR2 is set in 1889 (launched 2018 on both PC and consoles).

I should note that I actually played them in reverse order—RDR2 first, then the original. This backwards approach meant I initially missed Rockstar’s careful layering of references and callbacks. Playing the prequel first, then returning to the sequel, revealed a tapestry of connections I’d been blind to initially.

John Marston’s Return

The original centers on John Marston—a name that carries immediate weight if you’ve played RDR2, where he appears from the very first mission. In 1911, John is hunting down the remnants of his former gang, tracking old crew members who’ve been either imprisoned by the law or captured by rival factions.

Early in the story, a negotiation with another gang goes catastrophically wrong. John nearly dies in the fallout, only to be rescued by a farmer’s daughter. This creates an unexpected bond between them, strengthened later when he saves her from the noose. Her father gradually comes to see John not as the dangerous outlaw he was, but as family—a rare glimpse of warmth in a brutal world.

The Weight of History

Rockstar excels at this continuity. Characters who appear in both games carry their established personalities across the decades, which serves as narrative shorthand. When we encounter someone in RDR1 whom we “know” from RDR2, we understand their motivations without lengthy exposition. Their behavior feels natural because we’ve already witnessed the foundation being poured.

A Disconnected Legacy

Despite these strengths, my experience with RDR1 felt strangely detached. The narrative seemed to assume knowledge I didn’t have—specifically, why the gang fractured in the first place. The splits and betrayals lacked the emotional resonance they deserved because the game never fully explained the history between these broken bonds. Rockstar clearly recognized this gap, using RDR2 as a retroactive patch to flesh out the gang’s dissolution. But playing the original standalone, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing the first half of a conversation. The story simply never came home for me the way its prequel eventually did.

And the weel dropped off (for me personal), when they released the undead expansion, it was just a big no thanks. – I hope some people had some fun with it, but it was for sure not something that did add any value to me.