History VideoGame / RedDeadRedemption

''Red Dead Redemption'' is a WideOpenSandbox NonLinearSequel to ''VideoGame/RedDeadRevolver'', developed by the good folks at Creator/RockstarGames, released on May 18, 2010, in North America and on May 21, 2010, in Europe and Australia for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and UsefulNotes/XBox360.

Eight years later, ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'', a {{prequel}} focusing on John's old gang, released October 26th, 2018, for UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 and UsefulNotes/XboxOne. The first trailer can be seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NZsaBLRuXU&t=2s here.]] Rockstar also released a [=PC=] version for its launcher a year later, on November 5th, 2019 and its Steam version on December 5th.

On August 7, 2023, it was announced that ports of the game with ''Undead Nightmare'' and without the online multiplayer will be coming to the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and UsefulNotes/PlayStation4.[[note]]There is no Xbox One version as the Xbox 360 game can be played via backwards compatibility on later Xbox consoles.[[/note]] Digital versions of these ports became available ten days after the announcement on August 17, while physical copies were released on October 13.

** The entirety of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQctDnfQ9tI "The Gates of El Presidio"]]. It starts out with a {{squick}}y yet SugarWiki/{{funny|Moments}} [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment sex scene with Reyes and a girl]] before moving on to a tense cart ride to El Presidio with [[ExplodingBarrels TNT]] acting as a TimeBomb set to go off on both the cart and the gates. Then it's a serious battle with the guards as you search for Javier Escuella. [[spoiler:Once you find him, there will be a tense conversation before Javier attempts to escape. If you capture him, the scene will be a bit emotional; but if you kill him, the mood goes to [[TearJerker downright depressing and heartbreaking]] (especially if you've played ''[=RDR2=]''). After some moments of sadness, the mood switches back to tense when Reyes' voice warns you that army reinforcements are arriving, and you'll have to fire a cannon to destroy them. Afterward, you'll head back down to the jail cell, and the mood will shift once more to heartbreaking and sad, marking a BittersweetEnding to the mission.]]

* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: Of sorts, and it's not explicit, but the final newspaper details what happened to those who survived the events of the game. [[spoiler:Marshal Johnson retired as far away from Armadillo as possible, Landon Ricketts died peacefully in his sleep, Irish accidentally shoots himself (while on the outhouse, no less), Seth actually found some treasure and became rich beyond his wildest dreams, Bonnie (according to NPC chatter) got married, and Abraham Reyes becomes the tyrant he didn't exactly try hard to avoid becoming.]]
** Another reveals that [[spoiler:after returning to the university, Professor [=MacDougal=] "went native", biting a chunk out of his rival, then climbed a building, stripped naked, and demanded fine food and wine.]]

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Very, very cynical. Most people are objectively bad, the good ones are still deeply flawed, and while the outgoing world of cowboys and frontier anarchy is dark and dangerous, the incoming world of technology and federalism isn't any better.

%%** Marshal Johnson.

%%* KnightTemplar: Agent Ross.

%%* SawedOffShotgun: One of the shotguns you can get in the game.

%%* ShiftingSandLand: Large portions of New Austin and Nuevo Paraiso.
%%* ShipTease: Some between John and Bonnie, though [[spoiler:only Bonnie end up [[UnrequitedLove affected]] by it.]]

** Averted in the double barrel shotgun, which has a lower spread and is very good for hunting birds.

** There's also one newspaper ad that lauds [[ValuesDissonance tobacco's medicinal properties]].

* TheStoner: [=MacDougal=] is strung out on cocaine.

%%* TookALevelInBadass: [[spoiler:Jack in the epilogue.]]

* TwilightOfTheOldWest: The game is set in 1911, when the Wild West as people knew it is all but dead. The starting area of New Austin is the last holdout of the Old West where bandits and other rogues run free, and it's made abundantly clear that this status quo won't last much longer.

%%* TwilightOfTheOldWest: Set in 1911.

** As is usually the case when sequels take place near the first game's map, ''II'' almost completely redesigned this game's off-map areas. Here the Flat Iron lake is much larger, it's shorelines are entirely different, and New Austin is overlooked by unclimbable cliffs[[note]]''II'' opted to add in a bit of realism and changes the cliffs to hills that are [[InsurmountableWaistHighFence supposedly]] too steep to climb[[/note]].

* DoNotGoGentle: Zombie Overrun is DoNotGoGentle TheGame! You are told that you are going to die and instructed to take as many Zombies as you can with you.

** The original release made Marston automatically holster his weapon after a few seconds when not in combat, which would quickly become a problem during hunting, lassoing and random encounters. Not only was this removed from ''Undead Nightmare'', the 2023 rerelease would later follow suit and remove the auto-holstering from the main game as well.

* DeadCharacterWalking: A gameplay quirk can lead to this happening if you headshot an NPC who's in the back of a wagon, as they'll then [[DyingWalk calmly get up and walk out of the wagon]] and only truly die when they touch the ground.

''Red Dead Redemption'' is a WideOpenSandbox spiritual sequel to ''VideoGame/RedDeadRevolver'', developed by the good folks at Creator/RockstarGames, released on May 18, 2010, in North America and on May 21, 2010, in Europe and Australia for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and UsefulNotes/XBox360.

* ArtifactTitle: SpiritualSuccessor to ''VideoGame/RedDeadRevolver,'' which was named for the main character, Red Harlow. This game has a completely different story with different characters, none of whom are named Red.

* TheSevenWesternPlots: A {{Deconstructed|Trope}} revenge story, as [[BoxedCrook John Marston]] is enlisted to help bring in his former gang that left him for dead. John makes it clear that he wouldn't even go after the Van der Linde gang if [[LawfulEvil Edgar Ross]] wasn't forcing him to, planning to [[CallToAgriculture go back to his family and farm once it's all over]]. [[spoiler: After he succeeds, Ross double-crosses him, leading an army to capture him and successfully kills him. His son Jack swears revenge, which turns him into everything John [[GiveHimANormalLife didn't want him to become]]: an outlaw with little to live for, and to add insult to injury even though he does kill Ross, ultimately history will remember [[WrittenByTheWinners Ross as a hero who tamed the West and brought criminals to justice and John as an outlaw who couldn't escape justice]].]]

On August 7, 2023, it was announced that ports of the game with ''Undead Nightmare'' and without the online multiplayer will be coming to the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and UsefulNotes/PlayStation4.[[note]]There is no Xbox One version as the Xbox 360 game can be played via backwards compatibility on later Xbox consoles.[[/note]] Digital versions of these ports became available ten days after the announcement on August 17, while physical copies will be released on October 13.

In practice, this leads to a game that plays pretty much like ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' [[RecycledInSpace in the Wild West]], but you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who'd think of that as a negative. In Marston's quest to capture his old friends and save his family, he rides over miles of sprawling deserts and plains and takes on missions that advance him closer to his goal, and takes part in many, many {{sidequest}}s -- or, if the player so desires, just wanders around doing [[WideOpenSandbox whatever he wants in the Wild West]].

* AdvertisedExtra: Zig-zagged with SmallRoleBigImpact ; the three bounty targets appear in three missions at most (Javier only in one) but they are the driving point of the game. They (particularly Dutch) get much bigger roles in the sequel

'''John:''' ''(grabs the whiskey bottle out of his hands and drinks it)'' And it makes me violently angry. Shall we go look for that gun, sir?''

'''John:''' I'm your old friend amnesia! ''(pistol whips Irish)'' And I swear to you, if you ever forget my name or your debt to me I'll make sure you reach Heaven before these two ladies![[note]]The two ladies are ''nuns''.[[/note]]

-->'''Irish:''' [in Mexico} They call me "El Rato", "The Cat", because of my wits and abilities!\\

'''Prostitute:''' ''([[BilingualBonus In Spanish]])'' It's hot in here! I want to take my clothes off!\\

-->'''John:''' You're dead! Muerto!

\

* GenreBusting
* GhostTown: Tumbleweed.

* TheHermit: Seth, [[spoiler:at least with living people.]]
* [[spoiler:TheHeroDies]]: [[spoiler:John himself at the end.]]

* TheImmodestOrgasm: ''[[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments VIVA MEXICOOOOOO!]]''

** throwing knives. The player can equip throwing knives, target a flying bird in Dead Eye that's at least 50 yards away while on horseback at full speed, and manage to hit the bird with the knife. Opponents armed with Throwing Knives routinely hit the player from distances over 50 yards.

* InCaseYouForgotWhoWroteIt: At least on the cover.
* [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity+1 Gun]]: Averted in the case of the Rare Guns; many of them are not stupendously overpowered and instead have a unique perk. For example, the Mauser Pistol is fully-automatic.

* ItWillNeverCatchOn: John isn't impressed by the bureau's automobile:

* IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure: John's wife and son.

* [[SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou John Marston Is About to Shoot You]]: Though it looks like he's aiming to blow your foot off with that shotgun.

** [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV GTA 5]] subverts it with Jack Marston's autobiography, albeit this is an easy to miss Easter Egg and whether or not it's canon is debatable.]]

* KickTheDog : Not counting all the other VideoGameCrueltyPotential moments, the player can actually kick dogs for the hell of it using the same button one could use to shove people. Players doing the last activity, will quickly find out that TheDogBitesBack.

* KnightInSourArmor: Marshal Johnson.

* KnightTemplar: Agent Ross.

* MacGuffin: In a slightly darker example, your family.

*** When the person suggests the name, they [[BreakingtheFourthWall wink at the screen]].
* MilkingTheGiantCow: West Dickens.

* MolotovCocktail: Fire Bottles.
* MolotovTruck: You use this in one mission.

* MummiesAtTheDinnerTable: The end of a few Stranger quest chains.

* NotInThisForYourRevolution: The entire section taking place in Mexico.
* NotSoDifferentRemark: "You're just like me, John! You can't change who you are!"

* RearingHorse: Able to be performed on command.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Edgar Ross gives one of these to John ''every time he sees him''.

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler: "The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed"]].

* RetiredOutlaw: Marston.
* TheRevolutionWillNotBeVilified: Abraham Reyes preaches this.

* RiddleForTheAges: The identity of the Strange Man in the "I Know You" sidequest.

* {{Satan}}: One of the theories about the identity of The Mysterious Stranger.

* SawedOffShotgun: One of the shotguns you can get in the game.
* SayMyName: '''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis JOHN! MARSTON!]]''' REMEMBER MI NOMBRE!

* SequelEscalation: ''VideoGame/RedDeadRevolver'' was like ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'' in the Old West. This is like ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'' in the Old West. Or in Western terms, it takes ''Videogame/RedDeadRevolver'''s Creator/SergioLeone tendencies and adds a generous bit of [[Creator/SamPeckinpah "Bloody Sam" Peckinpah]].

* ShiftingSandLand: Large portions of New Austin and Nuevo Paraiso.
* ShipTease: Some between John and Bonnie, though [[spoiler:only Bonnie end up [[UnrequitedLove affected]] by it.]]
* TheSheriff: Leigh Johnson, Town Marshal of Armadillo

--->''(play as Marston and shoot a horse)''

** [[spoiler: The duel in the end between Ross and Jack is reminiscent of the final duel in Film/TheQuickAndTheDead.]]

** Might not fully qualify, but the Flowers for a Lady side mission, [[spoiler:with a man keeping his wife's corpse, talking to it, and refusing to recognize that she's died,]] seemed like a Shout Out to Film/{{Psycho}}.
** The [[Film/AustinPowers "Austin Overpowered"]] achievement/trophy. Funny when you even realize Rockstar actually released two Austin Powers games.

** The scene where John meets De Santa is very similar to a scene in House of a 1000 Corpses where a character did a similar phsych-out that De Santa does.

* TakeUpMySword: [[spoiler: A surprising game-ender instead of opener.]]

* TookALevelInBadass: [[spoiler:Jack in the epilogue.]]
* TortureAlwaysWorks: [[spoiler:Subverted. Not on De Santa, it doesn't.]]

* TrainJob: "The Great Mexican Train Robbery."

* TwilightOfTheOldWest: Set in 1911.

* WantedPoster: Bounties often appear on these.

* YouKilledMyFather: [[spoiler:Jack to Ross in "Remember My Family".]]

** The [[Film/AustinPowers "Austin Overpowered"]] achievement/trophy.

* DownerEnding: Some characters get happy endings (Sheriff Marshal, Seth, probably Bonnie). But on the whole, downer-tastic.

** On the other hand, the European Spanish translation, used in both Switch/[=PS4=] and Xbox 360/[=PS3=]versions, only use profanities when needed, outside the characters speaking with the post-2000s variation of the European dialect, rather than the older variation expected for the time period of the game.

** The Latin American Spanish translation used in the Switch/[[=PS4=]] versions is pretty notorious for using the Mexican dialect, rather than using a neutral accent, partly due to the Wild West setting of the game. And just like the one from ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'', the translation is full-chock of Mexican slang and profanities, some of them used by characters who either doesn't swear or just use mild swearing, being the biggest offender Bonnie [=McFarlane=], who swears like a sailor when angry in the Latin American translation, while in the original English the strongest insult she use is "damn". More egregiously, many of the swearing is pretty anachronic and out-of-place, as all the dialogue is translated using the modern variation of the Mexican dialect, rather than the period-correct variation of it.
** On the other hand, the European Spanish translation, used in both Switch/[[=PS4=]] and Xbox 360/[[=PS3=]]versions, only use profanities when needed, outside the characters speaking with the post-2000s variation of the European dialect, rather than the older variation expected for the time period of the game.

On August 7, 2023, it was announced that ports of the game with ''Undead Nightmare'' and without the multiplayer will be coming to the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and UsefulNotes/PlayStation4.[[note]]There is no Xbox One version as the Xbox 360 game can be played via backwards compatibility on later Xbox consoles.[[/note]] Digital versions of these ports will be available later in the month on the 17th, while physical copies will be released on October 13.

** All of the trains in the game run on wood, which would've been replaced by coal or even oil many years before the game takes place.

On August 7, 2023, it was announced that ports of the game with ''Undead Nightmare'' and without the multiplayer will be coming to the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and UsefulNotes/PlayStation4.[[note]]There is no Xbox One version as the Xbox 360 game can be played via backwards compatibility on later Xbox consoles.[[/note]]. Digital versions of these ports will be available later in the month on the 17th, while physical copies will be released on October 13.

On August 7, 2023, it was announced that ports of the game with ''Undead Nightmare'' and without the multiplayer will be coming to the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and UsefulNotes/PlayStation4.[[note]]There is no Xbox One version as the Xbox 360 game can be played via backwards compatibility on later Xbox consoles.[[/note]]. Digition version of these ports will be available later in the month on the 17th, while physical copies will be released on October 13.

** Although it ''is'' open to interpretation. Some people see [[spoiler:Jack Marston]]'s ultimate fate as a DownerEnding, as he falls [[spoiler:directly into the lifestyle his father fought hard to protect him from. On the flip side, the game is also an examination of the victory of civilization over the frontier spirit, and given how badly civilization treats John Marston, one may feel that his work was to an unworthy goal. In this light, Jack's decision to follow in his father's footsteps is basically a HopeSpot for the frontier.]] Also while on this point, an EasterEgg in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' implies that [[spoiler:Jack did eventually settle down and become a writer sometime after the events of ''Red Dead Redemption'', possibly making it a particularly bittersweet EarnYourHappyEnding.]]

** [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV GTA 5]] subverts it with Jack Marston's autobiography, albeit this is an easy to miss Easter Egg.]]