Red Dead Redemption has fallen into the same trap as The Last of Us

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Some narrative-driven games run into a potential problem when the story tries to evolve when they focus heavily on one main character and because of the audience's strong emotional ties to that character. Red Dead Redemption and The last of us The games may seem very different, but at the same time, they have similarities. The last of us He faced this problem with Joel and Ellie. Both characters became iconic and when the story tried to shift its focus inward The Last of Us Part 2some fans felt conflicted and even resisted because they were emotionally invested in the original duo.




about Red Dead Redemptionthis series is largely synonymous with the stories of John Marston and Arthur Morgan. Their deeply personal and complex arcs are what make the games so compelling. However, this same dynamic creates the same dilemma if the developers want to move the story forward at some point or introduce new main characters.

Red Dead Redemption PC port

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Red Dead Redemption is finally out for PC

The original Red Dead Redemption and its Undead Nightmare version are both coming to PC in the near future.

The transition to the views of the new character becomes alien

While moving from the main characters along a trap like this is a whole new direction, even introducing different points of view can become difficult. in The Last of Us Part 2the game spends a significant amount of time trying to get players to understand and empathize with Abby, whose motivations directly conflict with those of Ellie, the show's main protagonist. It was a bold move and Red Dead Redemption It faces a similar issue.


even if Red Dead Redemption 2 Giving players a new hero in Arthur Morgan, the game still tightly ties its narrative to John Marston. In the end, the players come back to life, and most of the prequels are designed to set up the events of the main game. This approach, while it may help desensitize the audience to more significant changes in the storyline moving forward, is not a surefire solution.

Expanding the world beyond established characters

Another pitfall that is common to both The last of us and Red Dead Redemption They are trying to create a new storyline that doesn't revolve around established characters. in The last of usthe world is full of potential, but Joel and Ellie's relationship has become the heart of the story, making any attempt to move beyond them risky. Likewise, Red Dead Redemption A sprawling open-world western setting offers the potential for countless stories, yet the narrative still pulls towards the Van der Linde gang and John Marston's legacy.


To expand these worlds without alienating fans, both series need to introduce new protagonists or perspectives that feel organic to their worlds. However, this risks breaking the players' emotional connection with the main characters.

Getting out of it requires a similar approach to The Witcher Franchise

The Witcher 3 It effectively ended Geralt's story, while still leaving the door open for the series to continue, but it took three games to do so. If the franchise had opted for a major change like this The Witcher 2was completely alienating its fans because of the strong connection viewers had with Geralt. One way to successfully transition to new characters is to give an existing protagonist a definitive and satisfying conclusion while developing the storyline and world in other ways.


While Red Dead Redemption Either way, the arcs of Jon and Arthur are covered, the series can still draw inspiration from it. the witcher In terms of how it deviates from the themes established by those characters. For example, it could introduce entirely new characters or focus on secondary characters like Sadie Adler or Jack Marston, while maintaining the emotional depth and thematic focus of the original games. However, focusing too much on creating emotional connections with the main characters, rather than an overarching storyline, is a trap that's hard to completely break free of.

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