Gameplay In each game in the franchise, the player takes the role of an outlaw in the waning years of the American Old West. All three titles are third-person (although
Red Dead Redemption 2 also gives the option to play in first-person), yet there are crucial differences between them. The first game in the series follows a 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 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. A large number of weapons are introduced in all three games, typically rifles and revolvers. Horses, stagecoaches and trains are the primary methods of transportation in all 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, which bridges the gap between the protagonist's exceptional shooting prowess and the limitations of the human player's speed and coordination. For a short period, it allows the player to aim at targets in slow motion for better accuracy. After painting their targets, time goes back to normal as the player then attacks 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 be considerate of the honor system, as it can influence how the world interacts with the character.
Setting All games in the series take place during the days of the Wild West.
Red Dead Revolver takes place at an unidentified point in time during the 1880s, while
Redemption is set primarily in 1911 (with the epilogue taking place in 1914), and
Redemption 2 is set in 1899 (with the epilogue set in 1907). While
Revolver's aesthetics and atmosphere are reminiscent of the films set during the Wild West, the other two games depict the final two decades of this time period, as new factories, machines, motor vehicles, and modern technology appear all throughout the United States, marking the modernization of society. In
Redemption and
Redemption 2, the map undergoes several changes between the two different time periods, such as new houses being built, and NPCs sporting new looks.
Red Dead Revolvers setting is quite transient, as Red moves from town to town throughout the game. The most prominent location is the town of Brimstone, which acts as a hub between several missions. The game takes place in the United States, in an unidentified region of mostly desert, although some levels also feature a forest or mountain setting.
Red Dead Redemption offers the player a more significant interaction with the environment, and its location is bigger than in 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 (with whom the player can interact). The map spans two fictional U.S. states, New Austin (which is mostly desert) and West Elizabeth (which features lush forests and a mountain area), as well as the Mexican state of Nuevo Paraiso (which is also mainly a desert area).
Red Dead Redemption 2’s world is greatly expanded compared to its predecessor's, and is far more immersive, lifelike and responsive. Both New Austin and West Elizabeth from
Red Dead Redemption make a return, although they have been expanded with new regions and towns, while three new states have been added: Ambarino (which is mostly a mountain wilderness), New Hanover (a wide valley that incorporates multiple small settlements, including the town of Valentine), and Lemoyne (composed of
bayous and plantations, and the location of the small town of Rhodes and the large industrial city of Saint Denis).
Characters The following list contains only main and supporting characters from the
Red Dead franchise, who play a significant role in the narrative of the game(s) they appear in.
Note: A gray cell indicates that the character does not appear in that medium. == Reception ==