You’ve done your rootin’, your tootin’, and probably a fair bit of shootin’. But what should come next after finishing Red Dead Redemption 2? It can be a tough ask to fill the six-shooter shaped hole in your heart and wrangle up another slice of Western magic, but it’s time to get back on that horse. We’ve brought you some of the best TV shows, movies, and games to play after completing RDR2.
What Films to Watch After Red Dead Redemption 2
Deadwood
Those who walked miles in the shoes and chaps of sometimes do-gooder Arthur Morgan through the plains of the Old West will feel right at home in Deadwood. With shades of Saint Denis and Valentine and the specter of emergent civilization at every turn of this TV show littered with turn-of-the-century historical figures, this is probably the most accessible way to get your rough-and-ready Western fill. It helps, too, that it’s got a who’s-who of actors who would go on to achieve fame elsewhere.
It’s a little wonder it found such critical acclaim in its three seasons on the air at HBO. Anchored by the wonderfully sweary Al Swearengen, and backed up by an ensemble cast of lawmen, parasite brothel owners, and much more in-between, this isn’t just a Western masquerading as a serial TV show, it’s a fascinating insight into what happens when a large group of law-swerving citizens come face-to-face with the ever-looming threat of society. Sound familiar?
The Magnificent Seven
John Wayne may have dominated the silver screen when it came to Westerns in the ‘60s and ‘70s, but he never quite reached the heights of The Magnificent Seven. Tasked with protecting a Mexican village, seven gunslingers find themselves going toe-to-toe with some nasty bandits. Like Red Dead Redemption 2, it leans heavily on the idea of camaraderie and brotherhood in the harshest of environments so, if the action with Dutch is something you want to come back to, be sure to check this out.
Including some of the best shootouts in movie history, The Magnificent Seven is, simply put, an iconic portrayal of the Western, one that has been mined and will continue to be mined for years to come. An absolutely unmissable classic.
No Country for Old Men
While not the most old-school of Westerns on this list, this Coen Brothers classic lets the camera – and a mostly-silent villain – do much of the talking. The genre has always been about the sun-soaked panoramic landscapes and an entrenched way of thinking in terms of machismo-fuelled duels, and this is no different.
This being a Coen Brothers production, though, there are several twists and turns along the way, as well as one of the most hotly-debated endings in movie history. If you liked the visceral, boots-on-the-ground nature of Red Dead Redemption 2, then No Country for Old Men should be first on your watchlist, no questions asked.
Justified
Yes, this is the second time Timothy Olyphant has appeared on this list as a quick talking, even faster-shooting lawman, but Justified couldn’t be more different than Deadwood. From the show’s opening moments, with sheriff Raylan Givens waltzing into a swanky Florida joint to shoot a crime lord, right through to the battles with Boyd Crowder and beyond, this is a show (and leading man) that oozes the kind of charisma that the likes of John Marston and Arthur Morgan could only dream about having. And once it clears the Case of the Week schtick from its docket in season one, it turns into one most fast-paced, frenetic dramas on television.
What Games to Play After Red Dead Redemption 2
Stranger’s Wrath
The Oddworld series has a knack of bringing us the weird and the wonderful but, sometimes, such as in the oft-overlooked cult classic Stranger’s Wrath, it can lay down a marker for all games to follow in relation to a particular genre
The game, a shooter featuring the titular Stranger who has to go and rustle up some bounties so he can get life-saving surgery, has all the hallmarks of a great Western (a gruff protagonist, larger-than-life villains, and dusty settlements) but each has its own unique Oddworld twist. For example, instead of shooting bullets, you’re shooting status-sapping critters. While the final third of the game is a little janky in terms of execution, this is one Western world you won’t want to leave anytime soon – and it’s available to play this very moment on PlayStation Now.
Borderlands 2: Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate’s Booty
Groan-inducing tittering at the name aside, this slice of Borderlands 2 DLC is as close to a Western on steroids as you’re going to get. From the incessantly in-your-face Shade to the large, open areas that surround Oasis, this is a perfectly-pitched hostile environment for you to shoot first and ask questions later.
What makes it so endearing is the hybrid mix of Western and pirate themes. This hotchpotch, which could have been in danger of turning into a mess under hands far less skilled than those of Gearbox, turns a genre that could easily turn stale into a fresh outing for Borderlands 2, an outing that included one the most memorable locations in a game filled to the brim with them. Now, where’s that treasure?
Red Dead Redemption
Ok, this one is a little cheaty but, to see how far Red Dead Redemption 2 has come, you need to go back and appreciate how we got here. Whisper it, but the original may not hold up anywhere near as well as it did in 2010, but it’s still a treat roaming around the jagged hills and cozy homesteads of the original Red Dead Redemption. That’s without mentioning the balls-to-the-wall craziness of the game’s Undead Nightmare DLC.
Plus, if you haven’t played it – what in the hell are you waiting for? Not only does it boast one of the finest stories to ever grace the medium (for the love of god, avoid all spoilers), but it’ll also make you appreciate the sequel’s slightly smarmy, cocksure John Marston just that much more.
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