With a potential sequel to Red Dead Redemption 2 in the works, there is one thing that could set it apart from the other games. With both previous games having such strong reviews and with many players so dedicated to them, it will be hard for any sequel to live up to the standard that they have set. Attempting to rehash the same story will lead to potential issues, as it will feel too much like a copycat of the first two games.

The story of Red Dead Redemption was a beautiful and tragic one, and there were the same characteristics in the sequel. The sequel living up to expectations might have seemed insurmountable at one time, but it happened. The chances of it happening again might seem even more impossible, but there is something that I believe could make things better and have a stronger chance at evoking a compelling third entry in the series.

A New Gang In RDR3 Could Be Just What The Series Needs

Something New To Set It Apart From The Games Before

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a new set of characters in the series. We know the Van der Linde gang very well, but the best thing for RDR3 to do might just be to leave it behind. It’s always hard to leave behind such a well-beloved and familiar group of individuals, but sometimes the best thing for a sequel to do is to leave behind something so well-beloved. And there is one big reason that this is the best thing to do.

The fact that anyone who has played the game likely has a strong connection and familiarity with the Van der Linde gang is great from the perspective of the old games, but it could hamper the success of a new one. We already know the fate of most of the gang, and we don’t want to see anything more happen to any survivors, nor do we really want to see anything rewritten. I want their story to live on in legend, not get mired down with another game.

New Characters Would Breathe New Life Into The Red Dead Franchise

Getting A New Leaf & A Whole New World To Explore

The same story with the same characters worked because we had two different lenses to view it from, with neither really impacting the other in a way that would cause the story to stagnate or rewrite the other. However, a third story set in the same group of characters just doesn’t feel right. It would be much better, and it would give the story new life, if we got to meet a brand-new group of characters that were seeking redemption in some way.

It’s possible that RDR3 might not even be a true western, depending on whether the game moves forward into the future, which will no longer have the feeling of the Old West, or moves back into the past. The time frame could determine what the game follows, but I still hold that moving slightly into the future and seeing a different type of gang that is dealing with the kingpins or prohibition might be quite exciting. It would give the game a completely different perspective while still having the possibility of redemption and adventure.

Even if it was the same time period, moving away from the Van der Linde gang and onto something else could give us an entirely different perspective. It would rejuvenate the series and allow us to visit new locations and interact with people in different ways. There were many mysteries introduced throughout both previous games, and those could show up in different ways and allow us to explore what might have happened that we didn’t see.

New settings, new mysteries, and new people to meet and fall in love with could make this game feel just as fresh as the last two games did. It has the danger to stagnate if the story tries to stay exactly the same, but we could move onto something fresh to make everything exciting. That doesn’t mean we have to fully say goodbye to old friends; it just means they won’t play as big of a part as before.

The Van Der Linde Gang Could Still Cameo In RDR3

We Don’t Have To Say Goodbye Forever

The other benefit of moving away from the Van der Linde gang entirely is that the game could occupy the same space in time if it wanted to. That, in turn, means we could get a nice cameo of the gang, perhaps even running into various gang members. We could see some of the ones lost alive again, or perhaps see later members of the ones still alive. Or, if the game does move forward or backward in time, we could see members that are connected who tell stories about their gang.

This could allow us to see them at their most charming without awakening too much trauma. The members we see could be at their best, with nostalgic stories to tell or discuss with us. We could hear rumors of John or Arthur without having to experience their tragedies all over again. That seems like the best way to give us the gang in a way that doesn’t mean the story has to suffer for it.

If the story does stick with the Van der Linde gang, it would be best if the time period did change so that we don’t feel stuck reliving most of the same events. We could see the future from Jack’s perspective later in his life. Or perhaps we could see the distant past through some of the earliest members of the gang. That would be the only way I think we could remain with the gang without it feeling redundant.

Whatever Rockstar chooses to do, it will have to change the story or the game in a substantial enough way to make it feel new and shiny again. I don’t want to feel like I am playing the same game again. I want to feel like it’s fresh and new and that there are mysteries to discover everywhere I go. With all luck, Rockstar will be able to do just that when we get Red Dead Redemption 3 after a long intermission between games.