Red Dead Redemption 2 has me worried about GTA 6

Earlier this year, I replayed Red Dead Redemption 2 for the first time since it was released in 2018, and it has me concerned about GTA 6.

I’m going to be blunt to begin: Red Dead Redemption 2 is the best video game ever made, and I don’t think it’s even close.

That isn’t a dig at any other game, but rather a testament to how Rockstar is just on another level. Even six years after its release, RDR2 – a PS4 and Xbox One game – blows every current-gen title out of the water.

I had wanted to return to the world of Red Dead for a while, but admittedly, it was something I put off. Not because I didn’t want to replay it, but because I remembered just how special it is.

There’s just nothing else like it. The story is amplified by unparalleled immersion. It’s executed flawlessly – the characters, rich lore, and world are the best I’ve experienced. The tragic tale of Arthur Morgan is the greatest story in any game.

Rockstar Games

GTA 6 has to follow in the footsteps of the best game of all time.

While some game stories are short enough to be a movie or have enough content they’re comparable to a TV show’s season, RDR2 is an entire series. A masterful one at that.

And that’s without even discussing the gameplay, gorgeous open world, and all other minute details that propel Red Dead Redemption 2 into the upper echelon of gaming, even transcending the medium.

But that’s the problem. Being on par or surpassing RDR2 isn’t something we expect from any other studio except one: Rockstar. And they haven’t made it easy on themselves.

Ten years is a long time to go without a sequel. GTA 5 may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, especially without any story DLC, but Grand Theft Auto is still Rockstar’s flagship franchise.

RDR2 showed that Rockstar can raise the bar beyond anything else before it. And the world has been waiting to see what that evolution could look like when applied to GTA VI.

Combine that with the mounting pressure of going over ten years between GTA games, and every day that passes adds to the anticipation and our expectations.

Rockstar and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, seem to understand the daunting task.

“[Rockstar is] determined to set creative benchmarks for the series, industry, and entertainment,” Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said back in 2022.

If this was just about being better than GTA 5, we wouldn’t have much to worry about. But this is coming after RDR2.

GTA 6 will be bigger than any entertainment release. Bigger than any movie. Bigger than any TV show finale. Bigger than the Super Bowl. In fact, analytics predict it will make $3.2 billion in its first year alone.

There is no other developer like Rockstar. No other developer can make the most out of a console and unleash its full potential. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for.

Are expectations too high? Probably, yeah. Am I worried it won’t deliver? Of course. Everyone should have concerns… But have some, dare I say, goddamn faith, too. After RDR2, Rockstar deserves it.

Trust? Trust.