Red Dead Redemption 2: 5 Western Tropes Rockstar Must Avoid

Red Dead's greatest strength is NOT following the crowd.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Arthur Morgan
Rockstar

Red Dead Redemption 2 is easily one of the most hotly anticipated games, not only of this year, but of the entire generation so far. A sequel to one of the most critically acclaimed games ever made, RDR2 is looking more and more like a monumental event, with every new photo and trailer drip fed to us by Rockstar.

Gaming's standout Western franchise, Red Dead has been a series that has, if nothing else, put a far grittier and adult spin on a usually-upbeat and lighthearted western genre. This is due in so small part to Red Dead's almost self-aware subversion, and a desertion of the tropes and clichés of the genre. RDR took every opportunity to surprise players and shatter their expectations as formed by Hollywood's rich history of western films and shows.

However, as many western tropes as Red Dead puts its unique spin on, there are some that feel so eye-rollingly derivative or ill-suited to the gaming medium, that even Rockstar would struggle to make them an experience worth playing.

5. Crowbarring In Historical Figures

Red Dead Redemption 2 Arthur Morgan
Rockstar

It seemed, at least in the 20th century, that if a Western wasn’t about a famous person or event of the Wild West, it was about someone who had something to do with a famous person or event of the Wild West.

A trope that thankfully died out in film, but seemingly didn’t get the memo out to video games, every single period-set game (looking at you, Assassin’s Creed) seems obliged to feature every notable person from that era.

Set in Ancient Egypt? Have Julius Caesar and Cleopatra as quest-givers. American Revolution? Go have fun with George Washington and Benjamin Franklin.

Western films have all but snuffed out this trope, apparently finding no point in rehashing stories of the likes ofBilly the Kid, the Earps, or Jesse James. However, if there’s any trope that would go hand-in-hand with both games and westerns, this is one we’ll be glad to see absent in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Contributor
Contributor

Writer, film fan, lover of Spider-Man, defender of Max Payne 3 and STILL not quite over Steve Irwin. See me try to be funny on twitter @NokesyPokesy