TheRed Dead Redemptiongames don’t have their own equivalent ofThe Witcher’s Gwent, but that might not necessarily be a bad thing. Granted, theRed Dead Redemptiongames have had a remarkable impact for Rockstar and the industry in general. There’s a strong argument that they have surpassed Rockstar’s flagshipGrand Theft Autoseries in quality while also showing that the Western genre has plenty of potential in gaming. If there’s one thing that these games lack, it would be a game-defining minigame. However, the lack of such a thing doesn’t actually hurt the series very much.
While there is stilluncertainty surroundingRed Dead Redemption 3, the series has a strong formula that explains its successes so far. Each game follows a member of the Van Der Linde gang as they undertake an emotionally taxing quest. For Arthur, it was trying to keep the gang together, while John had to bring what was left of the gang to an end to save his family. The emphasis on story and character was important for both games, but the gameplay was not overlooked in the process. With its gunplay, horseback riding, and a litany of side content, theRed Dead Redemptiontitles thrived.
The Card Game Gwent is The Witcher’s Most Famous Minigame
Red Dead Redemption’s protagonists play cards, butThe Witcher’s Gwent card gameis a creation all its own. Unlike the games of chance that John and Arthur play, Gwent is a collectible card game more in line with the likes ofMarvel SNAP. In Gwent, players use their chosen deck and use their cards' values and effects to earn a higher score than their opponent. InThe Witcher 3, players have opportunities to play Gwent with plenty of different characters, and it was popular enough to get a standalone game.The Witcherfeatures epic quests, but Gwent is a big selling point for many.
A round of Gwent may be more distinctive thanplaying poker inRed Dead Redemption 2, but a signature minigame isn’t a necessity. In theRed Dead Redemptiongames, there are plenty of side activities to take part in for fun and profit, including:
These only comprise the gambling minigames in theRed Dead Redemptionseries. Players also have the opportunity to go hunting, watch a show, or engage in other endeavors.Red Dead Redemption’s open worlds give players a huge amount of activities to occupy their time outside the main story.
Red Dead Redemptionhas another key detail that should be considered. The fact thatRed Dead Redemptionis quite realisticin many ways also plays into its side games. While there are plenty of dramatic and dynamic action sequences, the games mostly try to stick to a fairly grounded version of their Wild West themes. This meant that the developers weren’t focused on creating a card game from scratch like Gwent. However,Red Dead Redemptioninstead focused on the kind of activities that one may expect in a cowboy-themed game helped it feel authentic, which played to the game’s strengths quite well.
Gwent is iconic for many fans ofThe Witcher, and whileRed Dead Redemptiondoesn’t have an equivalent, that’s not a point against it.Red Dead Redemption’s side contenthelped to elevate its games beyond what they would have been otherwise. Bringing in a collection of games for players to play, gambling and otherwise, helps the game world feel alive while also making sure that players have something to do almost everywhere they go. Gwent is a cool game, butRed Dead Redemptiondoesn’t need a signature minigame in its footsteps to succeed.
