Summary
While it is clear thatRed Dead Redemption 3would be a massively anticipated project, the potential title is faced with a difficult task in terms of what direction it decides to go in. The last two entries for the franchise extensively told the story of the Van Der Linde gang and the decline of the Old West, and going before or beyond this time period would have huge implications for a third game.
Of course, one of the main impacts of what settingRed Dead Redemption 3chooses to adopt will be which characters can be present in the game, with some beloved figures being discarded by default whichever way the project goes. Despite this, there is only one character that can unquestionably appear inRed Dead Redemption 3regardless of its setting: the Strange Man, who has featured in the last two titles.
Red Dead Redemption 3has not been confirmed to be in development.
Away from the gripping core narratives of theRed Dead Redemptionfranchise, the titles boast fantastic side content in the form of stranger missions, which usually focus on characters that range from comical to the supernatural. Many players regardRed Dead’s Strange Man as one of the most iconic stranger mission charactersacross the entire franchise, making his first appearance in 2010’sRed Dead Redemption.
The Strange Man appears as an eloquent and well-dressed person with an air of chilling confidence, appearing to John Marston several times throughout his story. The figure possesses a suspicious amount of knowledge surrounding John and his past transgressions, often questioning the protagonist about death and the victims that have been created bythe Van Der Linde gang’s outlaw way of life.
In his finalRDRappearance, the Strange Man appears to John in the exact spot where he would eventually be buried, with the figure not reacting whatsoever after John shoots him in the back. This suggests thatthe Strange Man is more than a mortal being, with popular theories labeling him as Death, or even the Devil.
Many were expecting the Strange Man to appear in similar detail forRed Dead Redemption 2. However, the game only possesses a single reference to him. Players can find apainted portrait of the Strange Man in an abandoned shack, with the background of the painting seemingly being the outskirts of John’s home that players saw in his first franchise appearance.
When considering thatRDR2is a prequel to the first game and that those events had not even occurred yet, it is clear that there is more to the Strange Man than meets the eye.
The Strange Man’s otherworldly existence makes him the perfect vessel for continued appearances in the franchise’s future, being able to appear in any time period without raising questions. It may be moredifficult forRed Dead Redemption 3to make references to past games, depending on its narrative and setting, yet the Strange Man will always stand as a thought-provoking and elusive recurring figure.
Red Dead Redemption 2
WHERE TO PLAY
America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed. After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him. From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age.
