While Red Dead Redemption 2 is widely considered to be an open-world masterpiece, Rockstar Games' inevitable Red Dead Redemption 3 should learn from the second game's mistakes. RDR2 lets players explore a massive and intricately detailed recreation of the Wild West, which stretches from the swamps of Lemoyne to the snowy mountains of Ambarino. Red Dead Redemption 2 gets many things right about open-world game design, but the prequel's biggest missteps should serve as a lesson to Rockstar when developing RDR3.
Many consider RDR2 one of the best open-world games ever made, thanks mainly to the Western adventure's immersive recreation of the American frontier. The Wild West simulation is incredibly faithful to the time period, with everything from the clothes characters wear to the weapons they wield contributing to an authentic gunslinger experience. The world of Red Dead Redemption 2 includes a long list of optional Stranger missions, many of which can only be stumbled upon by curious players exploring the game world. A robust hunting and fishing system adds even more depth to this digital frontier, though some shortcomings of RDR2's open world should be addressed in the series' next entry.
RDR3 Shouldn't Lock Parts Of Its Map
Red Dead Redemption 2 boasts a truly enormous open-world map, but players are sadly banned from a huge chunk of the game world for most of the story. RDR2's Arthur Morgan can't visit New Austin, meaning players can't revisit the first game's iconic locations until they play as John Marston in the epilogue. The prequel introduces plenty of new regions for Arthur to explore, like New Hanover and Lemoyne, and establishes logical reasons for Arthur to stay in the eastern section of the game's map. However, making Blackwater and New Austin inaccessible until RDR2 is nearly finished only teases players wishing to set out and explore the game's entire map.
Rather than cutting players off from a large chunk of the game world, Red Dead Redemption 3 should almost immediately grant access to the entirety of its digital froniter. While an introductory section like RDR2's Colter chapter is a great way to ease players in before opening up Red Dead Redemption 2's entire world map, once the open-world adventure truly gets started no areas should be strictly off-limits. If the game's story dictates that the protagonist cannot enter a specific area or region, donning a disguise or switching to another character would be ways to remain narratively consistent while still letting players explore everything the Wild West has to offer.
RDR3 Can Fix The Wanted System
Despite focusing on outlaw gunslingers who thrive in the lawless American frontier, Red Dead Redemption 2 has a notoriously unpredictable Wanted system that can make committing crimes frustrating. RDR2 players will often find themselves robbing and incapacitating a victim in the middle of nowhere, only for a witness to magically appear and report the crime. There have also been cases of a player's crime reported in Red Dead Redemption 2 with the witness correctly identifying the culprit as Arthur Morgan, despite the fact that the player wore a disguise or was never seen by the snitch. In RDR2 minor crimes, like bumping into civilians, are also usually punished with lethal force.
To help create a more engaging Wild West simulation, Red Dead Redemption 3 must implement a more fair and realistic Wanted system. Committing a crime without being spotted by a witness should never trigger an investigation by the law, and using a disguise should help players slip away undetected by changing their outfit or jumping on a new horse. Punishments that appropriately fit the crime would make the open-world even more realistic, with lawmen only turning to lethal force if players commit murder or draw their weapon. Less severe crimes could result in fistfights with lawmen, or even result in sheriffs lassoing and hogtying the player for non-lethal transport to prison.
RDR3 Can Introduce Open-World Companions
Red Dead Redemption 2 puts enormous emphasis on the Van der Linde gang, with the game's entire narrative following the outlaw group's slow decline and eventual demise as they struggle to escape from the government. Most story missions and many optional side missions let players interact with their gangmates, resulting in notable moments like Arthur and Lenny's drunken shenanigans in Valentine or Charles' violent pursuit of poachers. However, in Red Dead Redemption 2 players are never able to actually travel across the open world with their Van der Linde posse as companions outside of these scripted moments.
Players are sadly unable to travel with a loyal best friend in Red Dead Redemption 2, and the series' next installment should change that. Riding around with a posse is a huge part of the Wild West fantasy, and the addition of computer-controlled companions would help RDR3 capture that iconic aspect of Western stories. Players could choose one or more companions to journey with them, perhaps communicating using a version of RDR2's dialogue system. This would let allies the player for any number of activities, like bank robberies or fishing trips. Depending on RDR3's story, these companions could be youngerversions of Van der Linde gang or entirely new outlaws.
By packing New Hanover and the rest of the frontier with small details and extensive optional content, Rockstar Games made Red Dead Redemption 2 one of the most immersive open world games to explore. However, some of the game's shortcomings should definitely be taken as a lesson when it comes time for the developer to craft Red Dead Redemption 3. Giving players immediate access to the entire map, polishing up the Wanted system and introducing open-world companions would be just a few ways to ensure RDR3 sures its predecessor. Exploring Red Dead Redemption 2 is undeniably immersive, but the Wild West simulator does fall flat in some places.
Source: Rockstar Games/YouTube
