Looking back from 2026, the themes of Red Dead Redemption 2 feel more poignant than ever. The central struggle of the Van der Linde gang against the relentless tide of modernity—progress that both liberates and destroys—is a conflict that resonates deeply. As a player, I remember vividly feeling that sense of encroaching change, not just in the main story, but in the quiet corners of the world. The game masterfully wove this theme into its very fabric, making us, as Arthur Morgan, witnesses to a world in painful, thrilling transition. Isn't that the core of any great period piece? Not just showing the past, but showing it ending?

One of the most brilliant ways Rockstar made us feel this was through side missions centered on emerging technology. These weren't just distractions; they were microcosms of the game's central theme. Take the unforgettable Marko Dragic. Remember first seeing him in Saint-Denis, desperately trying to prove his remote-controlled submarine wasn't a fraud?

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Helping him was a moment of pure wonder, a glimpse into a future the gang couldn't comprehend. Visiting his lab later and seeing his creation, a clanking, sparking robot, was equal parts awe and dread. The tragic conclusion—finding Marko killed by his own invention—was a powerful, if fictional, commentary on technology's double-edged sword. It asked us: is this progress, or are we creating our own destruction?

The theme of aerial technology was explored with Arturo Bullard and his hot air balloon. That mission, 'The Iniquities of History,' was a literal change in perspective. Scouting the prison from the skies, we gained a tactical advantage John Marston or Dutch could only dream of in their younger days. Yet, it ended in tragedy with Arturo's death, another reminder that new tools bring new dangers. Controlling the balloon, taking potshots at O'Driscolls from the air—it felt revolutionary, yet fragile. It perfectly captured the exhilarating and terrifying early days of human flight.

So, what could a future installment, let's dream of a Red Dead Redemption 3 set in the early 20th century, explore? The period after the fall of the Van der Linde gang and John Marston's story is ripe with technological upheaval. The franchise has a golden opportunity to dive deeper into inventions that reshaped society.

Here are a few avenues I'd love to see explored in side missions:

  • The Wireless World: Radio & Mass Media 🎙️

    The early 1900s saw the birth of radio. Imagine side missions involving a charismatic, perhaps slightly unhinged, inventor akin to Marko Dragic, trying to broadcast the human voice across the state. This wouldn't just be a cool gadget; it could tie into the theme of information and myth. How would the last remnants of the outlaw era react to news and stories spreading instantly, shattering their isolated world?

  • The End of the Trail: Automobiles & Aviation 🚗✈️

    While Red Dead Redemption touched on cars, a new game could make them central to the conflict. Missions could involve:

    • A stubborn rancher refusing to sell land for a new motorway.

    • A former gunslinger turned desperate car salesman.

    • Barnstorming pilots offering risky rides in rickety biplanes, echoing Arturo's balloon but with more speed and danger.

    The horse, the symbol of the old west, would no longer be just a tool, but a poignant relic.

  • Daily Life Revolutionized 💡

    Beyond transport and communication, technology seeped into everything. Missions could involve:

    • Electrification: Helping (or hindering) the wiring of a growing town, bringing light but also industrial disputes.

    • Early Cinema: Getting involved with a traveling film crew making silent westerns, a meta-commentary on how the myth of the west was being packaged and sold.

    • Forensic Science: Perhaps a mission strand where new fingerprinting or investigative techniques threaten to finally catch a legendary outlaw who's been in hiding.

The beauty of the Red Dead approach is that it doesn't need strict historical accuracy. It uses history as a playground for theme and character. Rockstar can take creative liberties, as they did with Marko's robot, to create memorable, entertaining stories that highlight the human reaction to change. These side missions should feel personal. They shouldn't just be about using a new machine, but about interacting with the people who build, fear, or are displaced by it.

Ultimately, the franchise's strength is using its historical setting to make us reflect on progress. From 2026, looking at the rapid AI integration, quantum computing, and bio-engineering of our own time, the questions Red Dead Redemption asks are timeless. What do we gain when we let go of the old ways? What do we lose? Can our humanity keep pace with our inventions? By continuing to explore the technological tipping point of the early 1900s, a future game wouldn't just be showing us the past. It would hold up a mirror to our own uncertain, accelerating future. The campfire stories may end, but the conversation about progress never does.