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Red Dead
The logo of the Red Dead series, since 2010
Genre(s)	Action-adventure
Developer(s)	Rockstar San Diego Rockstar Studios
Publisher(s)	Rockstar Games
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2 PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox One
First release	Red Dead Revolver May 3, 2004
Latest release	Red Dead Redemption 2 October 26, 2018

Red Dead is a series of Western-themed action-adventure video games developed by Rockstar San Diego and Rockstar Studios, and published by Rockstar Games. The first game, titled Red Dead Revolver, was originally released for PlayStation 2 and Xbox in May 2004, based on an earlier Capcom project that was scrapped in 2002. The second game, Red Dead Redemption, was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in May 2010. The third entry in the series, Red Dead Redemption 2, was released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 26, 2018.

Games

Red Dead Revolver

Red Dead Revolver, set in the 1880s, follows bounty hunter Red Harlow, as he uncovers the plot that killed his parents and exacts revenge. Originally developed by Capcom, borrowing elements from their 1985 arcade title Gun.Smoke, which it was intended to be a spiritual successor to, the project was scrapped in 2002. Subsequently, Rockstar Games purchased the game and expanded on it. Changing the feel from that of an American Western to a Spaghetti Western allowed the developers to add more blood and over-the-top characters. The game reproduces a "grainy film" effect and uses music from various Spaghetti Western films, including those composed by Ennio Morricone.

Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead Redemption takes place in the year 1911, during the decline of the American Old West and the Mexican Revolution. A spiritual successor to Red Dead Revolver, the game follows John Marston, a former outlaw, while he sets out to hunt down his former gang members. Marston's wife and son are taken hostage by the government in ransom for his services as a bounty hunter. Having no other choice, he sets out to bring his three former gang members to justice.

• Undead Nightmare is a non-canon expansion that follows the exploits of John Marston, as he searches for a cure for an infectious zombie plague that has swept across the American Old West. A standalone disc, titled Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Collection, which does not require the original Red Dead Redemption game to be played, was released in North America on November 22, 2010.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 follows the story of Arthur Morgan, an outlaw and a member of the Van der Linde gang in 1899, in the waning years of the American Old West and extinction of the age of outlaws and gunslingers. Among returning characters are John Marston and Dutch Van der Linde. The game is a prequel to the 2010 title Red Dead Redemption and the third entry in the Red Dead series.

Common elements

Gameplay

In each game in the franchise, the player takes the role of an outlaw in the waning years of the American Old West. Both three titles are third-person shooters (although Red Dead Redemption 2 gives you the option to play in first-person) yet there are crucial differences between them. The first game in the series follows a sheerly linear storyline with fixed, limited locations. Red Dead Redemption however provides the player with an open world setting and gives them various options for exploration, random encounters and side-missions. Red Dead Redemption 2 however is the biggest and most immersive of the three, providing far more options and activities for the player than in its previous titles. Combat and gunplay are a fundamental part in the franchise; players can cover, blind-fire, free-aim and can get into physical altercations with enemies. Kinds of weapons are introduced in both three games, typically rifles and revolvers. Horses, stagecoaches and trains are the primary methods of transportation in both three games due to the period in which they are set.

Dead Eye

The trademark game mechanic of the series is the Dead Eye system. For a short period, it allows the player to aim at his targets in slow motion for better accuracy. After painting your targets, time goes back to normal as you then attack with a flurry of bullets in rapid succession. The Dead Eye system in Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2 has been refined, as it levels up as the game progresses, giving the player more options when using it.

Honor

Red Dead Redemption brings a new mechanic to the franchise that has been improved in Red Dead Redemption 2: a morality system where the player gains positive or negative "honor". Good deeds like saving townsfolk from danger will level up the player's honor, while malicious actions like harming innocents or committing theft will lower the player's honor. The player should take the concept of honor seriously, as it can influence how the world interacts with the character.

Setting

All three games have a similar Western setting, as they have canyons and towns that are pretty much alike. Red Dead Revolver's game setting is quite transient as Red usually moves from town to town throughout the game. Red Dead Redemption offers the player a more significant interaction with the environment, and its location is bigger than the previous game. It ranges from canyons to deserts, but the player is unable to reach to the outer limit due to the borders surrounding the area (mountains and deep ravines). There are several towns and settlements that the player can visit, each with their own citizens (of whom the player can interact with). Red Dead Redemption 2's world is greatly expanded compared to its predecessor's. It is far bigger, more immersive, lifelike and responsive, and also includes its map. Each game is set in the U.S. The first two games also include Mexico.

Protagonists

Each protagonist in their respective games do have a particular thing in common: they are all gunslingers. Red Harlow and John Marston, while completely unrelated, share similar traits such as their facial scars, hats and their commitment to their family. Arthur Morgan and John used to run in the same gang of outlaws. Red Dead Redemption 2 shows the relationship between the two, and even features John as a playable character in its epilogues.

Characters

List indicator(s)

• This table shows the characters and the actors who have portrayed them throughout the franchise.
• A dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the game, or that the character's presence in the game has not yet been announced.
• A indicates an appearance in multiplayer only.

John Marston

The protagonist of Red Dead Redemption as well as an eventual playable character in Red Dead Redemption 2, John Marston is a former member of the broken Van der Linde gang who has sought to leave his life of crime as an outlaw behind to live safely with his wife and son Abigail and Jack. Blackmailed by the federal government as they kidnap his family, John Marston must bring wanted people, formerly members of his old gang, to justice, in order to save his wife and son.

The events of Red Dead Redemption 2 show a younger John and how he used to live with the Van der Linde gang. In the epilogues, he's seen leaving his broken gang behind as he attempts to lead a normal life with a younger Abigail and Jack. He eventually finds former allies, kills Micah Bell, pays off his loans with the money from his old gang and marries Abigail.

Dutch van der Linde

The leader of the Van der Linde gang as well as one of the major antagonists in Red Dead Redemption. Red Dead Redemption 2 shows him as a younger and charismatic leader of the Van der Linde gang, to which he considers its members as family. Throughout the game, he slowly grows more violent and paranoid as they keep facing numerous problems, until he finally betrays his allies and parts ways with them. In Red Dead Redemption, he is one of the dangerous fugitives John Marston has to hunt down.

Bill Williamson

Another former member of John's gang, Williamson is the first major antagonist met in the game, first encountered occupying a fort in New Austin.

Javier Escuella

Escuella is another member of the gang who is encountered in Mexico. Escuella is the only one of the three with the option to capture and hand him in alive.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2016)

Edgar Ross

The main antagonist of Red Dead Redemption, initially an ally of Marston, he later betrays him, kidnaps his wife Abigail and teenage son Jack and kills him near the end of the game. In return, Jack arrives at Ross' home three years later and kills him.

Arthur Morgan

The protagonist of Red Dead Redemption 2, which is a prequel to Red Dead Redemption, who is a important member of the Dutch van der Linde gang.

Reception

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2016)

The Red Dead series, particularly the second and third games, are critically acclaimed. Red Dead Redemption, averaging 95% on both review aggregate websites Metacritic and GameRankings, won numerous awards, including Game of the Year by GameSpy and GameSpot, and is considered to be one of the greatest games of all time. Reviewers praised the visuals, music, acting, open world gameplay and the story. A Game of the Year edition containing all additional content was released in October 2011.Red Dead Redemption 2, averaging 97% for both platforms on Metacritic, was also widely acclaimed by critics, who praised the same aspects as well as its significant level of detail. It received multiple excellent scores.

Sales

While not as best-selling as its sister franchise Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead is still a financial success. Red Dead Revolver sold 920,000 copies in North America as of July 2, 2010.Red Dead Redemption absolutely broke the records of its previous game, having shipped over 11 million copies by August 2011.Red Dead Redemption then shipped over 15 million copies by February 2017.Red Dead Redemption 2 however, marked the franchise's commercial achievement. In three days, the game generated $725 million in revenue, officially having the largest opening weekend in history of entertainment as well as being the second highest-selling entertainment launch, behind Grand Theft Auto V, another widely popular title from Rockstar Games. Two weeks after launch, the game already shipped over 17 million units, thus exceeding its predecessors' lifetime sales.

References

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Further reading

• Hester, Blake (October 17, 2018). "How the Red Dead franchise began". Polygon. Retrieved October 21, 2018.

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