10 Things Red Dead Redemption 2 Must Learn From GTA V

10. Have Multiple Playable Characters

As any who have finished Red Dead will know that game's last level comes to a close with you no longer playing as John Marston. Instead you're his son Jack - although the differences are only aesthetic, as well as the voice being different too. One of the best things Rockstar ever did to address the 'ludonarrative dissonance' problem present in GTA IV (that idea that the character you're playing as wouldn't do the actions you're making him do through direct control) was to split up the intentions of who we would be following. The same problem was present in Red Ded Redemption, as at no point did it feel like good ol' John Marston - who was spending his time helping out random citizens and wrangling cattle - would ever go on a mass killing spree before ending it by tying a young woman to the train tracks. You were free to do these things - as you are in all of Rockstar's games - but it didn't feel in-keeping with the character. Enter Trevor Philips, a completely insane, immoral nihilist who had no problem shooting any and everything in sight. He was perfect for those people who just drop into GTA to be as crazy as possible, whilst the likes of Michael and Franklin could handle the reaction-based dialogue for when things went a bit crazy. Red Dead should let us switch between a similar number of characters, potentially running the gamut from Sheriffs to outlaws, and everything in between. The original game's world had vast stretches of wilderness populated only by a few scattered towns and locales where a million smaller stories could easily have taken place - so why don't they?
Gaming Editor
Gaming Editor

WhatCulture's Head of Gaming.