Western fans have spent untold hours traversing the wild west in Rockstar Games’Red Dead Redemptionseries. They have brought the Dutch Van Der Linde gang to justice with John Marston, and tried to keep the gang together during its final days as Arthur Morgan. They have dueled outlaws, hunted big game, and even robbed a train or two. The series has become exceedingly more advanced, with some saying the open world ofRed Dead Redemption 2is one of the best in gaming, so fans are looking to the eventual third entry to see just where Rockstar takes things next.
Technically,Red Dead Redemption 3will serve as thefourth game in theRed Deadsaga. While most fans began withRed Dead Redemption, theRed Deadseries started in 2004 withRed Dead Revolver. The game was originally canceled in 2000, but Rockstar acquired the rights and released it to mixed reception. Now, the story has been retroactively considered a legend in theRed Dead Redemptionseries, but it should not stay that way.Red Dead Redemption 3has the opportunity to bring Red Harlow back into the franchise and showcase just how far the series has come.
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The Story of Red Harlow
Red Dead Revolvertold the storyof a bounty hunter in the 1880s. Red Harlow goes on a quest of revenge against those who murdered his parents. The story ofRed Dead Revolvertook place twelve years after the murder, as Red arrived in the town of Brimstone after killing a gang of outlaws. In Brimstone, Red began to unravel the story of his parents' murder and discovered who was responsible for it - including the Governor of the town.
Red Harlow has not played a big role since, asRed Dead Revolveris not consideredcanon in theRedemptionsaga. Instead, Red has made small appearances through mentions by NPCs at campfires, and players can control him in the online mode ofRed Dead Redemption. There is even a book in the universe that details his exploits, but even though he is considered a legend, he deserves to appear again.
WithoutRed Dead Revolverand Red Harlow, there may not have beenaRed Dead Redemptionseries.Revolvershowed there was an interest for old west stories in video games, yet a lot ofRed Deadfans have not touchedRed Dead Revolverand have no idea who Red Harlow is.Red Dead Redemption 3will surely be the biggestRed Deadgame to date, and it should reintroduce the world to Red and his story.
While Red Harlow’s journey has become a legend in theRedemptionsaga, there is nothing stopping Rockstar from changing its mind. It very well could decide that Red Harlow’s legend came from the true story of Red, which many people did not believe. The town of Brimstone could also make an appearance, asRed Dead Redemption3 will most likely expandthe map once again. The town was no doubt shaken by the events ofRed Dead Revolverand could be presented as such, either becoming a ghost town or restructured to cement the idea that Red was more than a story.
Rockstar should honor where the series began by bringing back its titular character. Red does not have to be the main focus, he could appear as a side character that assists the player. IfRed Dead Redemption 3continues the trend of going further back in time, it would make sense for it to possibly overlap with Red Harlow’s story in the 1880s. AsRed Dead Redemption 2took place in 1899, Red would most likely be alive during those events. Going further back would only putRedemptioncloser toRevolver, and it would make sense for Red to appear.
Red Harlow and his journeykickstarted theRed Dead Redemptionsaga, so he deserves to be revisited in some way. Allowing him to make an appearance inRed Dead Redemption 3could not only give him time to shine, but also reward those who have been with the series sinceRed Dead Revolver. While little is known about where Rockstar will takeRed Dead Redemption, it should consider reintroducing the old bounty hunter.
