Just across the river north of Annesburg lies an old ruin. It appears to be an old Viking tomb, and it’s not entirely empty. Lying inside just waiting for someone with sticky fingers are three different it
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson ( Boogie Nights , Punch-Drunk Love ) and featuring a towering Academy Award-winning performance from Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood 's emphasis on the struggles between the old ways of the West and the impending boom of the oil industry carries with it several ties to the time period that the Red Dead titles have explored, and likely will play into the themes of Red Dead Redemption 2 .
This may seem a little selfish, but I really want support for PS3 and Xbox 360 to end. It’s not that I don’t like the systems. I love them both and have cherished my time with both, but it is time for the industry to move. Continuing development on these old systems continues to hold back games like Call of Duty, Destiny, Battlefield, and Far Cry. Developers can’t properly take advantage of the extra power in these new consoles if they’re being tied down by PS3 and Xbox 360. Now, developers can make last-gen exclusive games like Assassin’s Creed: Rogue, but cross-gen development needs to stop in 2015.
Unsurprisingly, _ Red Dead Redemption 2 _ will feature an online multiplayer component. Not much is known about the online mode, other than a few leaked modes potentially at play, including Battle Royale, Feybreak island expansion Revive and Survive, and Money Grabs. Online retail product descriptions for the game indicate that „the game’s vast and atmospheric world will also provide the foundation for a brand new online multiplayer experience.” But let’s be honest. Just because a game has an online multiplayer experience, it doesn’t mean it is good. For instance, fan-favorite, iconic franchise _ Metal Gear Solid _ has dabbled in the realm of online multiplayer, but to no avail. An oversaturated market also makes it difficult for great single-player games to stand out as decent online multiplayer games. Obviously, Rockstar found the golden ticket with _ GTA Online _ , but can that success realistically be repeated with a 1900s-era western g
With Red Dead Redemption 2 's prior trailers featuring staggering cinematography on par with that of the striking images and scenes that There Will Be Blood features, Anderson’s film is a notable departure from the typical „Western.” However, there’s no denying that the film’s deep exploration of a volatile turn of the century in America is one that shares some similarities with the time period that the Red Dead titles have taken place in, along with featuring a brilliant (and terrifying) character in Day-Lewis’ role as Daniel Plainview.
Surprise, surprise Red Dead Redemption 2 got delayed. Smugness aside that sucks! I was hoping it was going to follow the trend of Fallout 4 by being in development for years without an official peep to then be revealed with a relatively quick date. Again it’s upsetting, but I at least know Rockstar is going to do their best so the wait will be worth it. However, I was really itching for a new game set in the Wild West, which got me thinking. How many are other Western games there? Obviously, there’s the first Red Dead Redemption and then the completely different Red Dead Revolver on PS2. Those feel like the obvious recommendations if you haven’t played them
Before diving fully into my gripes with something that only has just shy over a minute of game footage that’s been shown, let me explain what made the other two games so special. Both, Red Dead Revolver/Redemption were games that touched on a part of American mythos in the best of ways. Even other cultural mythos play into what makes these games so great, with many different backgrounds showcased. Each game is a unique tail of one man’s quest deeply personal to them. Not only exploring the characters presented fully, but also putting forth some of the best storytelling for video games of such a genre at each respective time. Each felt like a true American western tale.
Until Rockstar reveals more, though, I will keep being nervous over just what Red Dead Redemption 2 is. A lot of rumors are floating around that it’s a prequel. If it is, they could knock it out of the park, I just don’t want them relying on The Magnificent Seven to do it. Give us an American classic, something steeped in our own mythos, while keeping it fresh. Running and gunning is fun in games, but you can get that anywhere ( GTAV /any shooter ever). Let’s see a western tale more in truth with reality than Hollywood. There are so many other stories out there that get overlooked. If it is a prequel, the fall of John Marston’s gang could be done with style. How cool would it be to build up a bandit posse only to have it all ripped away (or in Marstons case, walking away)? Usually in games where the player must form a crew ( Mafia III /GTAV), it’s to set out on some serious mayhem and succeed. To have a game where the player forms their crew only to have it taken away would be the ultimate middle finger to that style of storytelling in gaming. Especially coming from Rockstar. Not only would it flip the script, but it would show Rockstar can even go against their own grain, while not borrowing from Hollywood.