When it came out,Red Dead Redemption 2was widely celebrated as one of the most innovatively massive games to come out in recent years. Rockstar Games made every effort, seemingly with little compromise on production quality, to make the prequel an incredibly immersive recreation of the American West. But now that the game has settled with fans, and Rockstar Games has anotherGrand Theft Autogame on the horizon,Red Dead Redemption 2could have a profound impact onGrand Theft Auto 6.
For Rockstar’s most popular franchise, each game has always been an exercise in ridiculous satire.Grand Theft Autogames always tackle pop culture and political issues of the time in a way that’s endearingly hilarious but also subtly poignant. On the other hand, theRed Dead Redemptionseries has done so in a much more mature manner, at least for the most part. One game is the pursuit and ultimate dissolution of the American Dream, and the other is the unrealistic and ironic realization of the American Dream. WithGrand Theft Autocoming off its most successful releases in history, there’s a slight possibility the franchise could shapeshift thanks toRed Dead Redemption 2.
The Wild West’s Steady Death
Red Dead Redemption 2was an exercise in encapsulating the culture and lifestyle shift of the Wild West at the turn of the century. If that’s not made immediately obvious by the marketing tagline “The Wild West is Dying,” then the rest of the game slowly but steadily hammers that theme into players. The life of Arthur Morgan, John Marston, and the rest of Dutch Van der Linde’s gang is rarely a peaceful one. The crew faces constant turmoil as they attempt to run from this inevitability, and it slowly but surely kills them.Especially in the context of the firstRed Dead Redemption, the slow death of the Van der Linde gang and the folly of Dutch’s ego hurts to experience as Arthur.
WhileRed Dead Redemption 2’s greatest praises come from its simulation of the classic American West, the narrative is easily the most impactful part of the experience. ConverselyGrand Theft Auto’s narrative often never has this impact on players because of its constant levity. Sure, games likeGrand Theft Auto 4have tried tackling this ludonarrative dissonance as much as possible, but never to the level ofRed Dead Redemption’s storytelling. It would be interesting to see a different perspective from Rockstar Games' simulation of American excess, a story that’s a more punishing satire of the United States' modern American Dream. Of course, things become much more complex when trying to adaptRed Dead Redemption’s narrative themes intoGrand Theft Auto.
GTA: The Satirization of American Excess
Lots of fans sincerely enjoyedGrand Theft Auto 4’s narrative, especially as the story progressed further into the usual crime-filled absurdity of the franchise. What’s interesting about Niko Bellic’s story is that the game tried it’s best to tell a mature story in a world where maturity is either subtle or overshadowed. Memes and jokes about the game always picked up on the fact thatNiko was always trying to be a better person, in the same gamewhere Niko could casually walk down the street with a rocket launcher. Of course that could’ve been the purpose of the narrative, but that impact never truly lands with the player. It’s whyGrand Theft Auto 5’s story largely emulates 80s movies in a modern setting, focusing on grand bank heists and caricatures of violence and crime.
Theoretically more interaction and relatability with the in-game world could potentially shiftGrand Theft Autoin a more directly mature direction. Because of the intentional gameplay loop inGrand Theft Autogames, very rarely are characters made likeable in the same regard asRed Dead Redemption. Where characters like Arthur Morgan and John Marston are endearing protagonists with motivations and emotional moments,characters like Trevor Phillips and Michael De Santaare caricatures of modern society that emphasize excess and naivety. Players aren’t meant to feel bad or fear for their lives when they visit the hospital after blowing themselves up. Sure the action set pieces and missions are fun, but at the end of the day, the same question would present itself: DoesGrand Theft Autoneed to borrow the same dramatic tone ofRed Dead Redemption2?
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There’s a possibility thatGrand Theft Autoin the far future could potentially adapt more serious overtones and leverage that with the gameplay, but it truthfully isn’t likely. The reason why these games are so overtly different is that they both accomplish a different type of game.The dynamic betweenGrand Theft AutoandRed Dead Redemptiongamesisn’t that it’s the ideal vs. the real, it’s more like emotional levity vs. emotional significance. Gameplay inGrand Theft Auto, at least as it’s typically known, isn’t conducive for that kind of character and world-building seen inRed Dead Redemption 2. Every interaction is haphazard, inconsequential, and that’s the point.
ForGrand Theft Auto 6to adopt a much more serious overall tone would be a significant detriment to the series in its current state.Concept development forGrand Theft Auto 6would have to significantly shift perspectivein order to do so, and while Rockstar Games would certainly be capable of doing so, it doesn’t mean thatGrand Theft Auto 6should. TheRed Deadoverall series could make that change and it would feel thematically appropriate given the lineage of the franchise thus far.Grand Theft Auto, however, would have a lot of explaining to do if such a dramatic change in tone was made to the series.
Grand Theft Auto 6is reportedly in development.
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