10 Ways Red Dead Redemption 2 Will Be Infinitely Better Than GTA V

2. A Sympathetic Main Protagonist That You Can Root For

When you first meet John Marston, he seems like the typical no-nonsense cowboy. However, after his first encounter with Bill and his conversations with Bonnie, you see the very human and intelligent side of him that cares and just wants to see his wife and son again. It is with this clear goal that we can both sympathise with John's situation AND be more than willing to help him reunite with his family.

In GTA V, each protagonist isn't exactly lovable, with Michael being mostly unlikable. We're supposed to root for him to get his family back, but due to his mainly cynical nature, it's hard to really sympathize with his struggles being a father/husband.

Franklin isn't really sympathetic either, as he does whatever is asked of him with little remorse. Trevor is by far the most three-dimensional, with moments of both regret and glee after violent acts, but still doesn't really have any character traits that make him sympathetic (which obviously was the intention of the writers). This is why RDR's selection of a character working to better himself allowed for a far more likeable and engaging protagonist overall.

Once again, if Rockstar opts for a prequel, we can witness a pre-family John Marston that didn't exactly make many unselfish decisions. This would allow the player to see John's transition from hell-raiser to family man, thus giving his character the complete arc that he deserves.