Even though Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption games were groundbreaking, they were not wholly original, as the game borrowed various elements from similar, western-themed games, such as Neversoft’s Gun. But even though both games contain parallels, RDR2 was specifically able to improve upon Gun’s shortcoming for a more well-rounded and immersive gameplay experience.
Neversoft released Gun in 2005 on four different console systems. The game follows Colton “Cole” White, who learns that his dad isn’t his biological father right before his death, and with a couple of hints to help him out, he sets out on a journey to discover his real paternity. He meets a series of characters along the way, some friends and some foes, which makes for a dramatic and twisting plot.
Red Dead Redemption games follow a different trajectory. The first game, released only a few years after Gun, explores the adventures of John Marston as he hunts down his old gang while being blackmailed by the government. RDR2 acts as a prequel by looking at the events that led to the fracturing of the Van der Linde gang, mainly from the perspective of a new playable character, Arthur Morgan.
What Do Red Dead Redemption & Gun Have In Common?
Even though their stories are wildly different, the Red Dead Redemption franchise borrows several elements from Gun. Perhaps the most apparent similarity is the games’ open world environments, letting players explore apart from the main story campaign. But RDR2, in particular, took this a step further by making its environment even bigger and more interactive, making it one of the largest open world games on the market. Even more, the Red Dead Redemption games can take upwards of 50-60 hours to play, depending on how long players explore the free environments. Critics of Gun have complained about how short the main story is, and coupled with the smaller open world, although it’s a much lesser commitment to complete, these days Gun may leave players itching for more
Aside from its open world and cowboy themes, Red Dead Redemption also borrows several interactive elements from Gun. For instance, in Gun, players can hunt down all sorts of animals, including free-roaming horses. The RDR franchise not only allows players to hunt an even wider assortment of animals, but players can watch Arthur or John then skin the animal right there in the open. The animal’s remains can be used for resources or sold for a profit, adding a much more realistic element to the game. Gun, on the other hand, allowed players to purchase a pickaxe and mine gold from various deposits dotted around the landscape.
Both games allow players to utilize the same sorts of weapons, like shotguns and revolvers. Even more, the RDR games definitely took inspiration for its Dead Eye feature from Gun’s Quickdraw gauge, which slows down time and allows players to more easily hit their target. The main difference is Gun’s slow-down mechanism changes the camera from third to first-person perspective, whereas RDR2 allows players to control this at their discretion. There are various other elements, such as mission structure and bounty missions, that the Red Dead Redemption games borrowed from Gun, and in some ways, even improved upon it to make a more immersive gameplay experience.
