Rockstar’sRed Dead Redemptionfranchise will likely be immortalized as one of gaming’s best narrative-driven adventure games, regardless of whether it continues with the release ofRed Dead Redemption 3. Of course, that hasn’t stopped fans of the series from hoping that Rockstar will pull the trigger with a third entry, and it’s interesting to speculate about howRed Dead Redemption 3could evolve the franchise, especially considering how great a leap forwardRDR2was from its predecessor.
One way thatRed Dead Redemption 3can build off the foundations laid by the games that came before it is via the honor mechanic. This feature was introduced inRed Dead Redemption, where it was more of a measure of John Marston’s reputation than his morality. This is reflected by the fact that actions committed while wearing an identity-obfuscating bandana do not have an impact on John’s honor level, even if they would have otherwise.Red Dead Redemption 2pushes the system forward, making low-and high-honor actions impact Arthur’s honor level regardless of witnesses, and having his honor level play a bigger role in the story, ultimately affecting the ending and certain aspects of the epilogue. WithRed Dead Redemption 3, Rockstar may be able to toy with this system some more, incorporating the best aspects of bothRDR’s andRDR2’s incarnations.
It’s important to reiterate that, asexciting asRed Dead Redemption 3may seemto many fans, it hasn’t been announced by Rockstar, so the following is purely speculation.
The aforementioned differences between how honor works inRed Dead Redemptionand its successor could play a role in how such a system would work in the third game. Maybe Rockstar could do away withRed Dead Redemption 2’s high-honor, low-honor dichotomyby introducing a new vector for players to engage with. Since “honor” in theRed Dead Redemptionseries has previously seemed to straddle the line between morality and reputation, perhapsRed Dead Redemption 3could split the system into two different categories, such as:
Whatever these hypothetical mechanics are called is ultimately secondary to their function, which would be to delineate player actions that are ethical or moral within the context of the game world and separate them from those that impact their reputation. This majorchange fromRed Dead’s previous honor systemswould mean that players could have a greater, deeper variety of honor states for the player-character, enjoying benefits like shop discounts based on their reputation while still suffering negative story consequences for their low honor, for instance.
By complicating the honor/reputation system in this way,Red Dead Redemption 3could not only provide a more realistic role-playing experience, but also grant more significant narrative rewards based on player choice. For example, let the hypothetical system be called karma and reputation:Red Dead Redemption 3’s storycould be greatly impacted by a player having low karma and high reputation; perhaps a pivotal story beat could center on the character’s internal guilt about their immoral actions, amplified by the fact that those around them considered them to be a paragon of virtue. Conversely, a player with high karma and low reputation could experience an ending that reflects that, the character completing their journey at peace, but reviled by those around them.
Of course, these are just possible avenues that Rockstar could take. In all likelihood, if it ever releases,Red Dead Redemption 3will take a different formthan anyone could have predicted. But still, theorizing aboutRed Dead 3’s honor system equivalent reveals how much potential the game could have.
Red Dead Redemption 2
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America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed. After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him. From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age.
