Red Dead Redemptioncontinues to be hailed as a strong RPG, allowing players to live out their outlaw fantasies. Rockstar’s western adventure brings Old West gunslinging front and center, which makes for some thrilling moments. After the last entry, there are questions about when Rockstar may announce a thirdRed Dead Redemption.

WithGTA 6set to be the next release from Rockstar, it’s uncertainwhen a potentialRDR3will be announced, if at all. However, it’s not impossible, which still brings hope for a brand-new chapter. Because of its outlaw-focused stories, the franchise puts gun mechanics front and center. Whether it be with a pistol or a shotgun, encounters with enemies can often lead to bullets flying. Despite this gun-centric gameplay,RDR2broadened melee for the series, andRDR3can take this combat option even further.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Tag Page Cover Art

Looking Beyond RDR2’s Melee Options

The majority of melee weapons offered inRDR2are bladed weapons, apart from options like the stone hatchet and fists. An array of hatchets, knives, and even a broken pirate sword round out the game’s melee options, which is still a significant lineup. However, there is still plenty of room to potentially make melee nearly as fun as shooting mechanics. The melee weapons offered make sense historically, but there are still other options that have yet to be featured. One of the biggestquestions surroundingRDR3is how it will change from its predecessor, and a fine-tuned melee system with more choices would be a strong start.

Possible Melee Options For RDR3

The various hatchets and knives offered inRDR2inflict more damage than the potential additions listed above, but the franchise’s lack of environment-based melee options is a missed opportunity. Not only would this make the surrounding environment ofRDR3feel more dynamic, it would also increase immersion for a lot of players who really want to feel attached to the game’s setting.RDR2already boasts an incredibly realistic world, and more environmental melee weapons would likely only take that realism to even greater heights.

InRDR2, bottles can be used to craft Molotov Cocktails.

RDR3 Faces High Expectations

AlthoughRDR3is likely years away at this point, the next game in the series is already in the midst of massive expectations.RDR2is still hailed by many as one of the strongest action-adventure games around, and with the impending launch ofGTA 6, the bar is probably only going to get higher. One of the best ways forRDR3to set itself apart from its predecessor is by making its environment even more fun to interact with. This is, of course, far easier said than done, but if there’s a developer that has what it takes to make melee options more diverse, it would likely be Rockstar.

Despite no official confirmation ofRDR3, it’s possible thatGTA 6’s features could offer insight into what players may expect from a third Wild West adventure.The expectations forGTA 6are already through the roof, especially when it comes to world immersion. As the game’s release window draws closer, it will be fascinating to see how much more Rockstar has been able to expand the realism of its worlds.

GTA 6currently has no official release date, but it is scheduled to launch sometime in fall 2025.

OnceGTA 6arrives, it’s possible that all eyes will then turn towhat’s next forRed Dead Redemption. It feels like there’s at least room for one more chapter in the franchise, so hopefully Rockstar will see that through. There’s no way to know what lies on the horizon forRDR3, but it’s exciting to predict what a third chapter could bring to the table.

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.