Highlights
- Red Dead Redemption 3 may end the overall plot, leading to dropping key narrative elements.
- Multiple protagonists in Red Dead Redemption highlight varied storytelling perspectives skillfully.
- Hats play a significant symbolic role in character development and story transitions in the game.
With the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6, Rockstar Games has its hands full for the next few years as it tries to reassert its place at the top of the open-world genre. This doesn’t mean that chatter about a possible Red Dead Redemption 3 has gone away entirely, though, as the sequel to John Marston’s epic story has been one of the most revered titles of the last 15 years.
Symbolism is everywhere in Red Dead Redemption, with subtle nods and references being caught by eagle-eyed fans. It’s a smart way to keep conversations going long after release, and one poetic inclusion in Red Dead Redemption 2 could be the perfect catalyst for an ideal protagonist in the rumored third title.
Red Dead Redemption 3 May Have to Break a Vital Storytelling Tradition
Red Dead Redemption 3 may be the end of the franchise’s overarching plot, meaning that a key narrative device would have to be dropped.
Red Dead Redemption is a Protagonist Merry-Go-Round
For a series as synonymous with strong personalities and heartfelt stories, Red Dead Redemption is surprisingly non-commital to having a consistent main character. The first game focuses on John Marston and his desire to outrun the past, with an epilogue that puts his son, Jack, in the forefront, but the 2018 game has players assume the role of new character, Arthur Morgan, before a final two chapters as John once again. Any other franchise would struggle to make them all feel equally memorable, yet Rockstar Games does so with ease.
Red Dead Redemption 2
takes place in 1899, 12 years before the events of the first game in 1911.
Red Dead Redemption 2 has the added challenge of introducing and developing the Van Der Linde Gang, consisting of over two dozen members, with some being more beloved than others. Hosea is one of the best, being a relatable, but criminally-seasoned character who has a checkered past and a golden heart. He would be primed for his own story in a possible Red Dead Redemption 3, largely because he’s one of the few characters that is welcoming the evolving world instead of running from it.
Hats are Significant in Red Dead Redemption
Arthur’s appearance can be modified according to the players’ preferences, but one of the things that can’t be changed during the main story is Arthur Morgan’s hat. It’s an essential part of not just what he looks like, but who he is, and when he passes it to John Marston at the close of his life, it serves as a symbolic showing of the end of his story, and the beginning of John’s journey to the light. It’s a subtle, but beautiful inclusion in the story that elevates character development in Red Dead Redemption 2 to new heights.
Hosea’s Story is Nearing an End in Red Dead Redemption 2
Hosea Matthews is a character that is rarely seen with a hat, at least during moments of strong emotion or tension. It might just be an aesthetic decision by Rockstar, but throughout the story Hosea’s old age and disinterest in the outlaw way of life makes moments when he wears a hat feel begrudging. He’s the group’s father figure, and has led a life of crime and misdemeanors, but during the game’s story he shows remorse for his actions, demonstrating a renewed advocacy for non-violence. Like his fellow gang members, he’s a relic of a fading time, however his age allows him to have lived and experienced the height of the wild west.
To feature a game around him during the mid 1800s could shine a light into a different time for America, but also give an account of Hosea’s life, with his gradual disassociation from the gang being illustrated by Hosea wearing his hat less and less as time goes on. Seeing his chance meeting with Dutch, his marriage to Bessie Matthews, and even the events of Red Dead Redemption 2 through his eyes instead of Arthur’s could be the unique, but still somewhat familiar angle that Red Dead Redemption 3 needs.
It might just be an aesthetic decision by Rockstar, but throughout the story Hosea’s old age and disinterest in the outlaw way of life makes moments when he wears a hat feel begrudging.
Red Dead Redemption 2
$20 $60 Save $40
RDR2 is a Western-themed action/adventure game by Rockstar. It’s a prequel to Red Dead Redemption and stars Arthur Morgan, an outlaw who adventures across the land avoiding and fighting other outlaws, the government, and anyone else looking to cause trouble.
- Released
- October 26, 2018
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Engine
- RAGE
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- How Long To Beat
- 50 Hours
- Metascore
- 97
