While Rockstar Games has narrowed its efforts over the last decade, with its last major release beingRed Dead Redemption 2in 2018, there is room for the studio to begin branching out as it did in itsBullyandRockstar Games Presents: Table Tennisera. Taking the RAGE engine used to realistically simulate the wilderness ofRed Dead Redemption 2and applying it to a different biome has phenomenal potential, and one locale that Rockstar could explore with its industry-leading realism in design is the hostile wilderness of Southern Africa.
It has now been five years since the original release ofRed Dead Redemption 2, the same time frame between its 2018 release and the release of Rockstar’s last title,Grand Theft Auto 5. While there have been no official announcements, a late 2022leak of a developer-build alpha forGrand Theft Auto 6gave fans an early look at what its next game will be. SinceGTA 5, Rockstar has slowed its pace of new games considerably and fans have come to accept the studio’s philosophy of quality over quantity. Rockstar’s in-house RAGE engine has now delivered some genre-defining games, and many are hopeful that as the studio iterates and perfects its engine, the amount of fresh content it delivers eventually ramps up.
RELATED:Red Dead Redemption 2 Player Notices Incredible Hunting Camp Detail
Rockstar Should Branch Out and Explore New Lands
One of themost impressive aspects of 2018’sRed Dead Redemption 2was how it simulated the wilderness of the American Wild West. The realistic behavior of animals as they reacted to the player and other wildlife took the immersion of hunting and trapping game to another level, one that has kept players coming back to the title. The plodding pace of tracking down, killing, skinning, and bringing in the pelt of a legendary beast can best be described as a meditative experience, and the potential to expand on that gameplay loop is profound.
Taking the breathtaking fidelity ofRed Dead Redemption 2to different biomes is something fans have been dreaming of since the game’s release. There are endless avenues that Rockstar could explore with its RAGE engine, already having delved into the ecosystems of winter tundras, desert plains, gloomy bayous, alpine forests, and even briefly touching on tropical islands in the expansive and eclectic map ofRed Dead Redemption 2.If Rockstar wanted to go abroad with anoffshoot title forRed Dead Redemption, there are a number of lands it could explore, and with its advanced simulation of wildlife, maybe the most enticing choice would be the African Savanna.
Trading out the grizzly bears and mountain lions for rhinos and actual lions presents a great opportunity for Rockstar to flex the chops of its RAGE engine while exploring a setting far outside its typical purview. While both settings present danger for the player, an African safari gone awry could lean more into the survival elements ofRed Dead Redemption 2, maybe even bordering on survival horror, which Rockstar flirted with for theUndead Nightmare DLC forRed Dead Redemption.During its tenure, Rockstar has not strayed too far from portraying Western culture, and creating a game set in Sub-Saharan Africa could be a perfect chance to go outside its wheelhouse.
Whatever Rockstarchooses to do afterGrand Theft Auto 6, it is certain to push the boundaries of the medium and showcase the absolute best that gaming has to offer. While it remains on its cycle of five or more years between releases, there is nothing wrong with wanting more from the studio. ARed Dead Redemptionspin-off set in Africa could be the out-of-left-field announcement that would herald the return of Rockstar’s old method of annual releases and genre experiments, which would be a dream for fans of the studio.
Red Dead Redemption 2is available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
MORE:Red Dead Redemption 3’s Protagonist Might Want to Take Some Cues from God of War’s Kratos
