Red Dead Redemption 2 might technically be a sequel, but its story precedes the events of the first game. Players will travel back to 1899, twelve years before the events in Red Dead Redemption. The prequel focuses on the outlaw Dutch van der Linde and his notorious gang. One of those members is John Marston, the protagonist of the original game.
RDR2 will apparently reveal much more about John’s past and his relationship with Dutch. But, will that story be integral to the game? And if so, how much more about John do fans really need to know?
No Need to Explain
In the first game, John sports signature scares. The just-released trailer spotlights a younger John with freshly stitched wounds on his face. It seems fans are going to learn he got them. But, why do fans need that?
John Marston’s scars are part of what makes him stand out as a character. They tell an inherent story without actually having to tell us how he got them. By seeing them, we know that John has survived violent encounters and come through bloodied but stronger. He’ll wear his past on his face for the rest of his life.
There is very little emotional depth to gain from seeing the exact circumstances of him getting these scars. This is part of the prequel problem: information we didn’t need the first time around will now be revealed and positioned as if it is critical. It feels like a simple case of filling in the blanks instead of genuine character development.
And when it comes to character development, that why a new protagonist — Arthur Morgan — is needed.
A New Lead and New Story
All prequels have a difficult challenge to overcome: how do you tell a story that informs what came before but also doesn’t take away the allure of that previous tale? In truth, any prequel should stand on its own merits and not feel beholden to another story. Red Dead Redemption 2 looks to have that element woven into its narrative.
You’ll play as Arthur Morgan, another member of Dutch’s gang. So, by not playing as John himself, it will help to isolate his story from this new narrative. We don’t really know how integral or consistent John’s role in Dutch’s gang was, so it would be very easy to keep him out of sight or in the background. Because any time he is at the forefront of the story, our attention and emotion are going to immediately shift from Arthur to John. This should be Arthur Morgan’s tale. If RDR2 wants us to care about him the same way we care about John, we can’t be distracted by too much John Marston.
So, the game needs to keep John at a distance. It will be fun to see him pop up at certain moments to give us little snippets of backstory and character development. However, if he starts to take center stage too often, we could lose some of what makes his character so alluring. Hopefully, John Marston’s past won’t be strip-mined for every teeny bit of backstory. If the game wants to use him properly, he should be peppered in to add just the right amount of occasional flavor to the story.
All that aside, the original Red Dead Redemption is proof that the people behind these games know how to make the player a part of a compelling plot. They know exactly what kind of story they want to tell when it comes to both Arthur and John. Here’s hoping they strike a good balance and provide us with an experience that’s as riveting and shocking as the first game.
Red Dead Redemption 2 will hit PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 26.
