Because of one little thing, Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption series will always tower over its Grand Theft Auto series. Both titles have become immensely popular over the years, bringing similar yet different experiences to the open-world genre. Although both franchises are unique and have strengths of their own, these two franchises have a clear winner. The reason for this is the obvious difference between the two series, where one excels in one area than the other.

It is difficult not to compare these two titles, which are giants in their own right. Both games feature criminal characters with questionable morals running from the law, but at the end of the day, they are vastly different experiences. It is not just that they occur in different periods but more about the level their open worlds are on. This aspect may influence the future, like GTA 6 possibly borrowing key features from other Rockstar games and other popular open-world adventure titles.

Red Dead Redemption Lets You Go Inside Everywhere

The Details of Red Dead Redemption Are Incomparable To GTA

The details included in the open worlds of Red Dead Redemption dominate over Grand Theft Auto, and a strong example of this is that a player can enter every building in a Red Dead game. The fully open worlds allow players to enter every building to further explore every town they come across. Players can enter stores, banks, saloons, barns, churches, and even random houses, making the physical setting a big part of the game. Some of the best open worlds in recent years come from the Red Dead series, leaving its distinct mark on the open-world genre.

With this small aspect, the settings feel much more alive, alongside other elements like NPCs having their own full daily routines. The details, especially in Red Dead Redemption 2, go above and beyond to create a realistic and immersive experience. Even six years after its release, details are still being discovered about the game that the team at Rockstar Games meticulously added for immersion. With both obvious and hidden details in Red Dead Redemption, it is clear that one Rockstar Games series is more exceptional than the other.

Grand Theft Auto Settings Are More Of A Facade

Some Locations Are Not Accessible In Grand Theft Auto

The Grand Theft Auto series does an excellent job creating the illusion of full and lively cities, but the settings are simply a trick to create that immersion. Compared to the Red Dead Redemption games, the places in GTA where the player can interact with are quite limited. Empty spaces and smaller areas of content are easier to create but can contribute towards making the game feel bigger and more detailed than it actually is. This is used to create the areas of the existing GTA games where players may not think twice about the actual level of detail.

The settings that are limited in this way can be immersive in their own way, for example, with vast amounts of outdoor space to explore. For GTA, this is achieved via side activities, allowing players to drive around a city and even complete ongoing content being added to GTA Online. However, by adding more places the player can visit, games in the GTA series can already feel more in-depth.

Open worlds can be challenging to pull off, even for large-scale games made by big studios. The amount of time and effort it takes to create these fully immersive worlds with incredible detail is often worth it for players and always becomes a game's strength. With Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar Games has proved that it is capable of creating fully fleshed-out worlds with endless places to explore, even in areas a player may have been before. All this, however, may transfer over to titles by the studio and possibly a game that fans have high hopes for.

GTA 6 Could Still Be Revolutionary

Rockstar Games Has The Opportunity To Change Everything

Rockstar Games has learned a lot from the marvel that is Red Dead Redemption 2, so the Grand Theft Auto 6 will take after it in many ways. Players may see the reflection of advanced attention to detail being applied to the highly anticipated game, where Leonida could become fully immersive and explorable. There is no doubt that GTA 6 is the most anticipated title in the series to date, so there are high expectations that the details seen in RDR2 show what is in store for GTA 6.

Although GTA 6 will take place in a fictional place, Rockstar Games might push as far as it can to create an entire region inspired by Florida. They can create spaces like shops, clubs, theaters, restaurants, homes, and even detailed outdoor locations like beaches and parks. The developers are sure to pack many details into the dense game that makes players feel like they are exploring a real-life place, which hopefully includes more building locations that can be entered compared to the previous titles.

By simply making every building accessible and unique in the Red Dead Redemption series, Rockstar Games shows that it stands above its own Grand Theft Auto games. Even if the reason is not simple, it is still a single fact that separates the two significantly. Open worlds come with this high expectation of detail, especially with Rockstar's track record as of recently. With GTA 6 around the corner, there is the opportunity for it to catch up and maybe become even bigger than its predecessors.