TheRed Dead Redemptionfranchise is now renowned for the depth of detail and level of substance that is provided in its core gameplay, as well as within its overarching narrative. Largely taking place during a time of immense cultural and societal shifts, it can be difficult to fully grasp the timeline in which the series is set due to the breakneck changes that were occurring at such a rapid pace during the period.
In all, the story of theRed Dead Redemptionfranchise spans the course of just over three decades, telling a multitude of different stories that are all linked either directly by their shared characters or more implicitly by the shared themes and lifestyles of those involved in them. While not strictly a part of theRedemptionduo of games, the franchise-launching title ofRed Dead Revolverwill also be outlined to give a more comprehensive and informed timeline of the wider franchise.
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Red Dead Revolveroriginally released in 2004for the PS2 era of consoles, marking the beginning of Rockstar’s foray into the Wild West setting and launching the now iconicRed Deadfranchise. While understandably more rudimentary in its gameplay when compared to its successors,Revolverdid lots in setting the tone, themes, and many core game mechanics that would be maintained throughout the franchise’s subsequent existence.
InRed Dead Revolver, players take control ofprotagonist Red Harlow, a bounty hunter hell-bent on enacting revenge against an array of nefarious figures for the murder of his parents.Revolveris set broadly in the 1880s, making it by far the earliest chronological entry to theRed Deadfranchise.
Due to this early setting,Revolvercan be said to embody the strictest Wild West themes that the franchise has portrayed, with the time in which the game is set lacking the impending interference and nuances of industrialization and the taming of the frontier. While the franchise would later go on to hold these values at the core of its narrative,Revolvertells a more intimate but decidedly one-dimensional tale of the earlier stages of the iconic Wild West.
For the next chronological entry to theRed Deadfranchise, fans need to look no further than the series' most recent installment,Red Dead Redemption 2. A hugely ambitious and successful title,Red Dead Redemption 2has a massive amount of substance to its single player story, and resultantly takes place across a wide catchment of time.
Taking control of beloved protagonist Arthur Morgan,Red Dead Redemption 2tells the tale of the infamous Van Der Linde Gang, acting as a prequel to the events of the originalRed Dead Redemption. The title begins in the year 1899, meaning a sizable chunk of time has passed between the title and the aforementionedRevolverand its vague 1880s setting.
The gulf in time between the two titles' settings is reflected in the locations that the game’s both portray. While the areas ofRevolverare limited to small-scale rudimentary wooden towns,Red Dead 2boasts sprawling and urbanized cities such as Saint Denis, complete with tram systems and impressive concrete buildings. Most of the title’s events then take place during the 1890s, with the epilogue of the game taking place in 1907. Spanning the course of 18 years, a huge portion of the widerRed Deadtimeline is showcased withinRed Dead Redemption 2, further reinforcing the sheer scale and narrative importance of the title.
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The first title to don theRedemptionmoniker, the originalRDRreleased in 2010 and first introduced fans to the iconicJohn Marston in its protagonist role. Set closely after the aforementioned epilogue of its subsequent prequel, most of the events inRed Dead Redemptiontake place in the year 1911.
Because of this,Red Dead Redemptionis the title that most grapples with the urbanization of the Old West and the frontier, with the way of life that the franchise has portrayed up until this point more and more becoming a thing of legend that is impractical in reality.The events ofRed Dead Redemptiondo well to hammer home this point, with the advent of motor vehicles, much more powerful weaponry, and increased governmental involvement helping contextualize why the way of the gunslinging outlaw was beginning to come to its inexorable end.
LikeRDR2,Red Dead Redemptionpossesses its own epilogue, in which the playertakes control of Jack Marston, John’s son who appears extensively as a child during the aforementioned events ofRed Dead Redemption 2. This epilogue takes place in 1914, marking the forward-most point in the overall chronology of the entireRed Deadfranchise and stretching its overarching narrative to the absolute limits of the Old West era of human history.
With three expansive installments that span a narrative of thirty years, the timeline oftheRed Dead Redemptionfranchiseis an understandably complex and layered one, especially given the nature ofRDR2existing as a prequel set between the events of its predecessor andRevolver. However, when considering the huge depth and transformative themes that the series holds at its very core, such a timeline is necessary in accurately portraying such a watershed period between two wildly different eras of culture and notions of society.
Red Dead Redemption 2is available on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
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