Summary
With well-written stories, it’s hard not to fall in love with some characters. This is true of Naughty Dog’sThe Last of Usfranchise, which has introduced the world to a host of characters worth laughing with and crying for. Rockstar has achieved the same with theRed Dead Redemptionseries, particularly John Marston, who is a complex character whose actions occasionally cause chaos in his life.
Looking forward, if a newRed Dead Redemptiongame were to be released, it would face the same problem thatThe Last of Ushas. Sticking with beloved characters can be a fan-pleasing move. However, moving on to the next chapter to explore other perspectives represents innovation and prevents stagnation.
MAJOR SPOILERS for The Last of Us and Red Dead Redemption franchises ahead.
The Last of Us and its Protagonist Problem
The Last of Usintroduces players to the weapons smuggler Joel, who is tasked with transporting Ellie to arebel group known as the Fireflies. Of course, it’s no easy journey when the zombie-like Infected roam the streets. On the surface, Joel isn’t a likable person: he’s selfish, vindictive, and not afraid to resort to brutality for the sake of survival. He could arguably be labeled as humanity’s greatest villain, as he prevents the cure for the pandemic from being formed.
This hasn’t stopped him from acquiring fans, however. Knowing his background and how he witnessed the death of his daughter makes Joel something more than just a brutal man with a gun. Instead, there are multiple ways to interpretJoel’s morality. The drastic actions he takes to save his loved ones have sparked debates among gamers that may never be resolved.
When the sequel rolled around,Naughty Dog decided to switch perspectivesand tell a story from Ellie’s point of view. This was a controversial move, as so many players had grown attached to Joel. Furthermore, there was a second protagonist, Abby, who divided players through her actions. Consequently, not all players managed to connect with her in the same way that they did with Joel and Ellie. The sequel is stuck in the shadow of the first game as it reaches out into uncharted territory.
The franchise will face the same problem yet again if athirdThe Last of Usgameever releases. There’s a chance that players will get another game about Ellie, or perspectives could shift once again. There’s already a good candidate, Abby, to serve as the next protagonist, but she may struggle to meet the bar set by Joel once again.
Did Naughty Dog Make the Right Move?
Ultimately, it’s debatable whetherThe Last of Us' experiment was a success. For some, shifting attention away from Joel was a bad move that alienated them. For others, it was a surprise that was shocking but nonetheless brave and should be commended.
ThefirstRed Dead Redemptiongame is centered on John Marstonwho is forced to hunt down his former gang members. He is quite the anti-hero, though he remains a sympathetic character due to his relatable struggle with morality and his intense desire to protect his family at all costs.
Red Dead Redemption 2serves as the prequel, and it has Arthur Morgan as the protagonist instead. This wasn’t as controversial a move for several reasons, one of them being the fact that John is a major supporting character inRDR2. That doesn’t mean that anyfutureRed Dead Redemptiongamesare out of the woods just yet, though.
The next game will have a tough choice to make regarding whether it will continue the story of the Marston family. This could be done through another prequel that explores John’s life in theVan der Linde gang. Alternatively, it could be a sequel that continues to focus on the Marston family through John’s son, Jack.
There’s also the option to take an entirely new direction with a different character, which wouldn’t be hard to do, as the Van der Linde gang is full of interesting folks with rich backstories, likeDutch or Sadie Adler. Though this seems like a great opportunity, it comes with the risk of raising the same controversy thatThe Last of Us Part 2faced, especially if the game does not feature the Marston family at the forefront.
Would Jack Marston Serve as a Good Protagonist?
John never wantedJack Marston to live the life of an outlaw, but it appears that this is the path that his son took. It would be interesting to see how the cycle of violence continues to perpetuate itself through Jack, and whether he can find his own form of redemption. However, Jack’s story is an overwhelmingly sad one, so it may be more suitable to go with a different character. Furthermore, Jack transforms into his father in many ways, which could make a sequel toRed Dead Redemptionfeel repetitive.
Both Naughty Dog and Rockstar have created timeless classics that have influenced the gaming medium as a whole. However, with greatness comes high expectations. Rockstar will have to make some hard choices when it comes to what character the nextRed Dead Redemptiongame focuses on, lest it lives in the shadow of its past protagonists forever.
Red Dead Redemption
WHERE TO PLAY
America, 1911. The Wild West is dying. When federal agents threaten his family, former outlaw John Marston is forced to pick up his guns again and hunt down the gang of criminals he once called friends. Experience an epic fight for survival across the sprawling expanses of the American West and Mexico, as John Marston struggles to bury his blood-stained past, one man at a time.Red Dead Redemption is a Western epic, set at the turn of the 20th century when the lawless and chaotic badlands began to give way to the expanding reach of government and the spread of the Industrial Age.
