RDR3 should recapture the magic of RDR2's best character moments

RDR3 should recapture the magic of RDR2’s best character moments

by


Reflexes

  • Every character in the Van der Linde gang in RDR2 is fully realized, with in-depth backstories and development throughout the game.

  • The interactions in the camp are key to understanding the characters’ evolutions, from happy conversations to moments of despair and change.

  • The return of camps in RDR3 could provide a unique opportunity for character development and storytelling in an immersive and dynamic way.

From major characters like Arthur, John, and Sadie to supporting characters like Pearson and Swanson, there doesn’t seem to be a character in the Van der Linde gang that is poorly represented or supported in Red Dead Redemption 2. It’s an impressive feat given how big the Van der Linde gang is at the start of the game, and while the story writing has been praised from top to bottom since its release, juggling all of these fully realized characters is arguably not enough. It’s something Rockstar gets enough credit for. .

With a sequel presumably coming to complete the trilogy, the bar has been set almost impossibly high for what many would consider the studio’s masterpiece in Red Dead Redemption 2. But there is something the studio can do to catch lightning in a bottle a second time; One of the most underrated features of the second game was responsible for much of the character work that it would be criminal not to return in the third game: the camps and the character interactions that occur within them.

Related

Red Dead Redemption 3 has the perfect plan to change the perspective of the series

If Red Dead Redemption 3 wants to offer a new vision, a perspective is the perfect opportunity for the series to expand its vision.

Red Dead Redemption 3 needs to bring back homey camp conversations

Red Dead Redemption 2’s best character moments come from conversations at camp

Some of the best character moments came from stopping and taking the time to talk to the camp’s NPCs. It’s very easy for camp conversations to take a backseat to all the fun and exploration the world has to offer, but interacting with the gang members at camp as the story progresses is one of the best. narrative content of the game. Completely disposable if the player does not pay attention to it.

During the beginning of the game, conversations in the camp are happy and calm, reflecting the backdrop of the gang’s history in their heyday. It gives a chance to meet all the gang members under normal circumstances before things start to go really bad; their backstories, their views on life and other gang members, and their perspective on what happens in the story. It’s a really intuitive way to let the player get to know Arthur Morgan and his Red Dead Redemption 2 companions as people, rather than simply as NPCs, there to offer expository dialogue and give quests.

As the story progresses, the conversations at the camp change noticeably. Desperation, distrust and fear begin to set in as everyone realizes that their luck is changing for the worse. Some characters like Reverend Swanson and Karen have most of their character development in these conversations and their final destinies are very well constructed after taking the time to talk to them during the game’s early chapters. As individual members of the gang begin to falter, they will tell Arthur one by one of his intentions to leave the gang before things get too bad.

How Camp Conversations May Return in Red Dead Redemption 3

The camp was a great addition to the game that needs a return in Red Dead Redemption 3. In fact, it would be another simple way to achieve such natural character development in a Red Dead Redemption game without sacrificing the freedom and fun that the medium allows. In the absence of turning a third game into a scene simulator, something similar to Red Dead Redemption 2Camp is probably the best option to recapture those significant story beats.

But it might be an idea to change the formula slightly to keep it fresh. The first game had a sort of stationary hub through Beecher’s Hope, although it was mostly empty after the government took Abigail and Jack. A third game could combine the two concepts: the camp filled with interesting three-dimensional NPCs and a stationary base of operations to return to.

A stationary camp may reflect the glory days of the Van der Linde gang in the Old West as a simpler time when they didn’t have to be constantly on the move. It can even lead to a construction system where the player can contribute to the construction of the camp over time and watch it expand and grow, just like the camps in Red Dead online. Only time will tell, although repeat camps would be good for the franchise’s intimate storytelling.


Leave a Comment