Rockstar is best known for its Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption franchises. Both series drop players in a huge open world in a fictionalized America packed with details, Easter eggs, strange encounters, and even references which hint that the games might share a reality.
However, Rockstar’s last game, Red Dead Redemption 2, shows some of the reasons why Rockstar may need to embark upon a new IP. Even if a new series is developed that’s still within the same open-world format players have come to expect from the developer, there are some good reasons for Rockstar to leave GTA and Red Dead behind that Red Dead Redemption 2 brings into focus.
Red Dead Redemption 2 takes on the Western genre no holds barred. The game manages to have a tight, compelling character-driven story within a world that’s still clearly deeply invested in a single genre. As well as making occasional references to its own place in Old West mythology through likes the references to Arthurian legend in Red Dead 2, the game is also filled with weird and wonderful encounters from alien spaceships to sentient robots that remind players that Rockstar is interested in playing with genre, pushing it to its limits, and creating worlds which feel real.
Though it’s made most obvious in Red Dead 2, Grand Theft Auto does similar work with Americana, tackling gangster films, over the top Fast and Furious-style action movies, and Hollywood itself in its fast-paced satirical world. Both series resemble genre films, exploring the genres themselves as much as the characters in them. Though rumors about Grand Theft Auto 6 have gained traction in the last week thanks to a leaked email supposedly about GTA 6, the developer has also talked in the past about difficulties taking on GTA’s brand on satire in the modern political climate without alienating fans.
The real question is whether or not Rockstar has anything left to say about Westerns as a genre after Red Dead Redemption 2, or Hollywood crime movies and Americana after five Grand Theft Auto games. While the studio could likely find more to say, the deep investment both series have in exploring and satirizing their respective genres begs the question of whether or not a Rockstar game tackling a new genre might be a richer vein for the developer.
Rockstar has branched out before, with games like Bully and L.A. Noire. Red Dead Redemption 2 was a monumental feat in terms of both scale and depth of world design, one that will be hard to top. However, by throwing itself into a whole new genre in terms of setting, story, and visuals if not gameplay, Rockstar could pioneer an entirely new IP to spiritually succeed its fan-favorite franchises. This would allow it to deliver the same open-world gameplay and satirical edge but with a story that’s not held back by past installments or bogged down by expectations.
It’s unlikely, however, that Rockstar will be willing to turn away from Red Dead Redemption or Grand Theft Auto quite yet. That may prove to be a bigger risk in the long-term if Grand Theft Auto 6 is unable to live up to fan expectations or if Red Dead Redemption 3 struggles to live up to the second game. For now, the studio can afford to put all its eggs in two baskets, but diversifying to explore others genres using its trademark style could ensure that it continues to be a top player even after those franchises eventually lose steam.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
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