After 64 million units sold to the tune of $1.38 billion in revenue to date, it's safe to say that Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the biggest games of all time. And while the Van der Linde gang’s story seems to be nicely bookended, fans still have plenty of questions about the series and would love to see it continue in some fashion. Even if there’s a lengthy wait for it, it’s unlikely Rockstar will be able to resist going for the hat trick with its beloved cowboy series.
Anyone who’s played the epilogue of the original Red Dead Redemption can attest that there’s not a lot of room to move the story forward, leaving another prequel as the series' only viable option for a threequel. After seeing the Van der Linde gang at its peak in the early chapters of Red Dead Redemption 2, fans have been dying to learn more about the gang’s earliest days and origins. There’s one protagonist that can tell that story better than any other.
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Red Dead Redemption 3 Can Focus on Hosea Learning His Craft as the Gang's Con Man
A Younger Hosea Story Can Round Out the Red Dead Trilogy Perfectly
Hosea makes the most sense as a protagonist for Red Dead Redemption 3. One of the most likable supporting characters in the Red Dead series, Hosea first appears as the gang’s wise voice of reason, and is said to have been something of a father figure to Dutch, Arthur, and John in the gang’s formative years. Seeing Hosea as an old school Wild West outlaw in his prime, discovering a bright-eyed young Dutch and taking him under his wing, would be one of the most interesting things Rockstar could do with the series right now. Giving Hosea main character status is also the perfect opportunity for some exciting new gameplay mechanics.
One of the coolest aspects of the second game was that every member of the Van der Linde gang had a well-defined role to play in their operations: Dutch was the charismatic leader, Arthur was the lead enforcer and debt collector, Charles was the hunter, and John, Javier, Bill, and Micah were the primary gunmen. Hosea’s unique set of skills made him an excellent conman and grifter. In Red Dead Redemption 2, he’d slowed down considerably with age and his primary skill wasn’t with a pistol anymore; it was with his words and charm.
Players Can Learn How to Be a Con Man With Hosea With Dialouge Tree Gameplay
Obviously, a prequel starring a younger Hosea would have him be competent with firearms, to keep with the gunplay fans love, but bumping Hosea to a starring role could open the door for the series to expand its gameplay to a more conversational tone. A Telltale game-inspired dialogue tree gameplay might seem out of place in a series like this, but it would fit Hosea’s role as a con man perfectly, and leans into the writing, which has always been one of Red Dead’s main strengths.
Players can control a Hosea nearing the end of his physical prime, rapidly coming to the realization he’s reaching an age where his shooting skills are starting to fade. As a result of his imminent aging, he resolves to stay in the criminal life by putting his natural charisma to good use, becoming the gang’s resident conman. Players can learn the art of the con alongside Hosea until he eventually becomes the character fans recognize from Red Dead Redemption 2.
There’s plenty more Rockstar could do with the concept. The story can touch on his late wife, him meeting Arthur and John, and most importantly, show him and Dutch founding the gang. It would obviously break from the tradition of having the protagonist die, as Hosea dies in Saint Denis in the events of Red Dead Redemption 2. But maybe ending the trilogy on a bittersweet note is what it needs; the newly formed band of outlaws hopefully looks on to the future while the player knows full well that the Van Der Linde gang's story ends in blood and tears.
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
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.
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Engine
- RAGE
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- How Long To Beat
- 50 Hours
- Metascore
- 97
