What We Want From Red Dead Redemption 2 (Special) @ Gaming Target

Written by Alex Roth on June 29, 2010

Special: Is there a sequel to Red Dead Redemption coming down the pipes? We can only hope, right?

It's lonely on this here dusty trail - Even the УLoneФ Ranger was rarely without Tonto, so why does John Marston have to eat beans by the campfire with no one but his horse? While missions assign a lot of temporary allies, a sidekick who stuck around for a little while (р la Fallout 3) would really have you changing up your tactics. In multiplayer you're constantly giving teammates cover as they advance on the enemy, and it makes for some truly authentic gameplay. Let's bring some of that fun to the single player.

A ranching man - Near-death experiences aside, there were times Red Dead made frontier life seem quite picturesque. Herding cows and breaking in broncos were breezy distractions; I would love to see them expanded on. How about a player-run ranch, a base of operations where you could keep horses and make some money with cattle? It would make for an excellent minigame (but no milking minigame please).

Like a waterlogged cowboy - Am I the only one who got flashes of Vice City when I found out, the hard way, that Marston can't swim? Although it makes more sense for a cowboy to be ignorant of the aquatic arts than a resident of Miami, a shootout or two from the cockpit of a canoe would be truly cinematic.

The world's most epic mustache - Red Dead has some of the finest mouth brooms, soup savers, and jaw bristles this side of the Mississippi. My favorite 'stache belonged to Andrew MacFarlane, a real walrus of a man. It's really more of a lip beard; I wish I could find a picture to post. It made Marston's nappy stubble look downright prepubescent, and I wished I could upgrade to a thicker chin warmer. With Rockstar, you never get to change the basic looks of your character - which I like, as it makes for a more cinematic game - but facial hair would be an especially appropriate accoutrement for the setting. Besides, if EA can do it with Medal of Honor, so can Rockstar. Some may be unaware Red Dead Redemption is Rockstar's second attempt at a western, and it really is more of a second try than a sequel. 2004's Red Dead Revolver had a similarly scarred protagonist but no sandbox game world. Selling around 1.5 million copies, it didn't exactly set the world on fire. Now having applied their winning open-world formula to a genre they're obviously dedicated to, they have a real sleeper hit on their hands. Red Dead Redemption sold 5 million in the month it's been available. It's great to see a gamble on ingenuity pay off. Rockstar must know by now the bigger they build 'em the longer we'll play 'em; let's hope for an even bigger, more complex sequel. Bookmark: Buy RDR2 here for $59.99 when it releases On one final speculative note, what will they call the thing? They went from Red Dead Revolver to Red Dead Redemption, so Red Dead Redemption 2 is unlikely. Red Read Retribution anyone? Post your thoughts on what you'd like to see in Rockstar's next western in the comments.
--> Bookmark: Buy RDR2 here for $59.99 when it releases

Rockstar San Diego's take on westerns is exciting, expansive, and, I believe, the dark horse candidate for game of the year. Given the longevity of Rockstar series like Max Payne and Grand Theft Auto, another installment seems likely. Let's hope the gears are churning and that lengthy development cycle has begun. For now, all we have is the fun of wild speculation... and some free DLC, Outlaws To The End, which was released last week.

Here's what I'm hoping to see in a sequel:

Crafting, crafting, and more crafting - Call me sick, but I really enjoyed the skinning in Red Dead, and the hunting in general. However, I was disappointed with how little could be done with the raw materials. Come on, let's use every part of the animal. I held onto a raccoon skin the whole game hoping a tailor could make me a Davy Crockett hat. There are already half a dozen outfits to unlock, so this seems like a natural progression. Buffaloes weren't around too long; somebody make me a coat before it's too late.

A ticket to the gun show - In a western, everybody loves to show off their Winchester or Colt. What better way to adapt the genre's unchecked love of firearms than letting the player customize their own? Rockstar, I know it must have been tough to limit yourself to weapons from the early 1900s. Custom gun building would add variety to the weapon load out. If you need some help designing a mini-game, check out Tuco's "purchase" in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

The world's most epic mustache - Red Dead has some of the finest mouth brooms, soup savers, and jaw bristles this side of the Mississippi. My favorite 'stache belonged to Andrew MacFarlane, a real walrus of a man. It's really more of a lip beard; I wish I could find a picture to post. It made Marston's nappy stubble look downright prepubescent, and I wished I could upgrade to a thicker chin warmer. With Rockstar, you never get to change the basic looks of your character - which I like, as it makes for a more cinematic game - but facial hair would be an especially appropriate accoutrement for the setting. Besides, if EA can do it with Medal of Honor, so can Rockstar.

Some may be unaware Red Dead Redemption is Rockstar's second attempt at a western, and it really is more of a second try than a sequel. 2004's Red Dead Revolver had a similarly scarred protagonist but no sandbox game world. Selling around 1.5 million copies, it didn't exactly set the world on fire. Now having applied their winning open-world formula to a genre they're obviously dedicated to, they have a real sleeper hit on their hands. Red Dead Redemption sold 5 million in the month it's been available. It's great to see a gamble on ingenuity pay off. Rockstar must know by now the bigger they build 'em the longer we'll play 'em; let's hope for an even bigger, more complex sequel.

Bookmark: Buy RDR2 here for $59.99 when it releases
On one final speculative note, what will they call the thing? They went from Red Dead Revolver to Red Dead Redemption, so Red Dead Redemption 2 is unlikely. Red Read Retribution anyone? Post your thoughts on what you'd like to see in Rockstar's next western in the comments.