Red Dead Redemption 3 vs GTA 6: Which one should Rockstar release first?

Rockstar Games, at this point, have very little competition in the AAA space, especially when it comes to open-world games, the genre made popular by GTA. The publisher is one of the rare AAA studios that has unquestionably delivered high-quality releases each time since the early 2000s, which is a massive feat.

Their rise to fame and critical acclaim began with the GTA franchise, specifically with the third entry in GTA 3. The game birthed an industry juggernaut that would be an open-world genre, destroy sales records, and garner universal critical acclaim.

Over the next few years, Rockstar Games didn't just live up to expectations with positively received sequels to GTA but also diversified their catalog with other games. The most notable of which came in 2010 when they revived a somewhat fledgling franchise in Red Dead and delivered the cultural phenomenon that was Red Dead Redemption.

Red Dead tonal shift

While GTA has always had a massive fan base, many critics have often criticized the franchise for sacrificing sincerity in favor of satire and comedy. Their point being that GTA often fails to tell an emotional or compelling story, and the game relies heavily on poking fun and satirizing modern society.

Yet that wouldn't be true, as Rockstar has shown that the GTA franchise can have incredible amounts of heart and sincerity - especially with 2008's GTA 4. Many believed the reason for that shift in tone to be Rockstar embracing the flipside of storytelling and adopting it as a means to tell an emotional journey.

This was best reflected in 2010's Red Dead Redemption, which was both a critical success and commercial. The game quickly became one of Rockstar's most successful and critically acclaimed titles, given that it showcased their ability to tell emotional stories.

The original's success warranted a sequel, which was released in 2018 and became one of Rockstar's most successful titles. The game was heralded as one of Rockstar's finest and a true achievement in storytelling.

The year is now 2021, and GTA 6 looks more like a fabled myth than reality. While at the same time, games have gotten so incredibly huge that it is extremely challenging to be working on two massive projects simultaneously.

Thus, if players are given the option, would GTA 6 be more appealing or Red Dead Redemption 3?

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Should Rockstar's focus be Red Dead Redemption 3 over GTA 6?

It doesn't take clairvoyance to figure out which is the most highly demanded game in the zeitgeist at the moment - GTA 6. From casual gamers to die-hard fans, there is absolutely nothing that people would love more than a GTA game right about now.

The truth is, the game could have been in the early stages of development during the development cycle of Red Dead Redemption 2. Yet even an announcement is likely way off in the distance, much less a release date. AAA games are now bigger than ever before, with each title taking upwards of anywhere between 3-5 years to make.

Factoring in Rockstar's recent controversies with the crunch and departure of key personnel such as creative genius and co-founder Dan Houser, development is likely to have slowed down considerably.

Typically, there has been a little more than three years of a gap between each title, but it seems like that gap might widen this time. As much as fans want sequels to GTA and Red Dead Redemption, the truth is that the games are too big to have a quick turnaround.

Most recently, the sequel to God of War was slated for release in 2021, which caught everyone by surprise, as a game of that magnitude couldn't possibly have had such a quick turnaround. To no one's surprise, the game was recently pushed to 2022, which is the right move by Sony and Santa Monica. Quality should always precedence.

A Red Dead overload

Given that Red Dead Redemption 2 was released three years ago, and fans have been spoiled for content with Red Dead Online, a sequel could flood the market with too much Red Dead Redemption. Gamers enjoy variety from their favorite publishers, which is why Ubisoft eventually moved away from the annual release structure for Assassin's Creed.

GTA Online has been going incredibly strong, and it would be in Rockstar's best interest to continue that run. Yet, there hasn't been a new GTA game in eight years and one console generation. The drought may continue for a couple of years as GTA 5 is due for another remaster on next-gen consoles.

At this rate, fans have to make peace with the fact that GTA is too big a project for Rockstar to rush into development. Doing so might butcher a beloved series. A long time in development helps studios deliver their games as they were meant to be played, which is ideal for both fans and publishers.