Every Way GTA & Red Dead Redemption Are Connected
Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption series share various similarities and are even connected via what appears to be a shared timeline. Both franchises have a long-running history and their most recent releases have gone on to collect high praise. Many times games created by the same companies will look similar to each other. Developers also love planting little references in their world to other games they have worked on. However, in GTA and RDR, their connections suggest that Rockstar had more in mind. There are many hints and references to be found which give rise to the theory that the games take place in the same universe.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is set in America in 1899 and focuses on notorious outlaw Arthur Morgan as he attempts to prevent the collapse of the Van der Linde gang. Grand Theft Auto 5 is set in the modern United States, with Michael De Santa, Trevor Philips, and Franklin Clinton the protagonists. Both games take place in a fictionalized version of the U.S., and it looks as though they may also share a timeline.
Related: Red Dead Redemption 2 Needs A Next-Gen Upgrade After GTA 5
GTA and Red Dead Redemption have vast open-world maps filled with thought-out details. Red Dead Redemption 2 was particularly detailed, boasting an assortment of supernatural references and Easter eggs as well as unique encounters for players to discover as either Arthur Morgan or John Marston. RDR2 is also where the bulk of the connections between Red Dead and GTA were first uncovered, with Rockstar following this up by including a number of RDR2 Easter eggs in GTA Online. It’s unclear if these references and connections will lead to a substantive crossover in the future, but they do at least hint at the two franchises sharing a continuity.
Dutch Van Der Linde’s Pistol Can Be Found In GTA Online
GTA Online players were sent an email from vanderlinde@eyefind.
com to their in-game phones when Red Dead Redemption 2 came out. The email address is a reference to Arthur’s mentor and leader of RDR2‘s gang, Dutch van der Linde. The email sent players on a quest in search of lost treasure. At the end of the quest, the player receives a double-action revolver that can also be found in RDR2. The fact that the weapon exists in both games hints at the connection between them, and that GTA and Red Dead Redemption 2 take place in the same universe. The name of the email helps cement this theory as it hints at the possible ancestor of the notorious outlaw potentially living in Los Santos. Even if they don’t make a physical appearance, it could be that this reference will be expanded upon in GTA 6.
The Revolver Owned By RDR2’s Serial Killer Is Also In GTA Online
There are a lot of curious encounters with strange men in Red Dead Redemption but players will no doubt remember the side quest to track Edmund Lowry.
The disturbing man owns many weapons but a noticeable pistol belonging to him can be found in both Red Dead Online and GTA Online. The pistols are not the only weapons to be found in both games, however. A stone hatchet can be located in RDR2 while in GTA a similar weapon is found by handing in five bounty hunting targets. This could just be Rockstar reusing a questline and weapons, but this reference feels a bit more deliberate.
RDR Protagonist John Marston Is Referenced In GTA 5
Weapons are not the only objects to lend credibility to the theory that Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto coexist in the same universe. In Franklin’s house on a bookshelf in his bedroom lies a blue book called Red Dead by J. Marston. This could be a reference and connection to RDR’s Jack Marston existing in the GTA universe, as Jack was fond of writing in both the first Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2.
Related: What GTA 6 Can Learn From Red Dead Online
Throughout both Red Dead Redemption games, players are treated to quests and dialogue on how much John’s son Jack loves reading and writing. He even states that he wishes to become a writer. If this GTA Easter egg is anything to go off, Jack did become a writer in the end and published a book about his father’s redemption, which would mean that both franchises exist in the same continuity.
RDR2’s Time Traveler Hints At GTA 5’s Epsilon Program
In Red Dead Redemption 2, players can encounter a character called Francis during a side mission. Once they complete what he asks of them they can return to the cabin where they originally met. There, the player will be met by a woman carrying a child with the same birthmark and red hair as Francis. As either Arthur or John, players can find drawings covering the walls that suggest Francis is a time traveler who traveled back from the 1920s.
But this is more than just a neat Easter egg with a sci-fi twist — Francis actually connects GTA 5 with RDR2 through time travel, and it all relates to the Epsilon program. In GTA there is a cultist group, the Epsilon program, Michael can even join them and players can interact with them on their web pages. They worship Kraff, who is depicted as a bald man with a scar on his face similar to that of Francis. Going back to the images on the walls in Red Dead Redemption 2, one of them includes a bald man with a scar on his face. The cultists believe that any man with a scar on his face is a descendent of Kraff. It would appear as if Rockstar is hinting at Francis being involved somehow, especially given the color of his clothes match that of the cultists’ traditional garb.
Red Dead Redemption 2 And GTA Have Similar UFOs
A UFO appears in both GTA 5 and RDR2, which means that there is the alien life in both of the games.
But does the alien life connection lend support to the games existing in one universe? There may be an answer to this question in a closer examination of the UFOs.
Related: Westerns To Play While Waiting For RDR3 To Release
The two crafts have a similar shape, light display, and color to them, which adds further weight to the idea that they are from the same alien race. It could even be that the appearances are by the same UFO in both games. Rockstar might have just decided to reuse a model for the UFO but the effort put into the detailing of both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 would suggest that this is not the case.
Madam Nazar Appears As A Fortune Telling Machine In GTA Online
RDR2 Online introduces character Madam Nazar. She is a travelling collector who when the player interacts with her seems to have psychic abilities. In GTA Online, a fortune teller machine called Nazar has a woman who looks almost exactly like the same character from Red Dead Online.
The link between the two characters is only furthered when the machine says she sees a strange man with a top hat, which seems like an obvious reference to the Strange Man from both Red Dead Redemption and its follow-up. Was Madam Nazar psychic and did she somehow gain enough fame to have a fortune-telling machine named after her? It could be, but it does confirm another connection between the worlds.
Red Dead Redemption And GTA Appear To Share A Universe
Some would reject the theory that Red Dead Redemption and GTA share a universe. One of the reasons for this is the fact that cities in GTA are modeled after real-life counterparts but have their names changed, with Liberty City being based on New York. However, there is dialogue in the GTA games that mention the real-life states and cities, which means that they do exist somewhere. This would mean that the universe can still be connected even if GTA‘s cities are not mentioned in RDR.
By all accounts, it would seem as if Rockstar’s two biggest franchises do in fact share a universe. Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto are interlinked and connect to each other through quests, characters, and many other details. It remains to be seen if these connections will be strengthened in GTA 6, but it would be interesting to see some kind of crossover further down the line.
Next: Red Dead Redemption 2 Makes GTA 5 Enhanced Feel Obsolete
10 Ways GTA And Red Dead Redemption Are Connected
Both GTA and Red Dead Redemption are some of Rockstar’s biggest franchises. GTA still continues to make money and Red Dead Redemption has made the case it is here to stay after the second game’s success. With both games having a lot in common with their open-world take on gameplay, some have theorized if the two series are actually connected.
RELATED: Open-World Games With The Best Storylines
Rockstar has noticed this and decided to have a bit of fun with this idea, including nods to GTA in Red Dead Redemption and vice versa.
These nods and easter eggs seem to indicate that the two may in fact actually be connected to one another.
Dutch Name Drops A GTA IV Character
After a bank heist gone terribly wrong, Arthur, Dutch, and some of the gang escape Saint Denis on a boat that then shipwrecks, stranding them on the island of Guarma. It’s not long before they are captured by the island’s overlords, Spanish imperialists. When questioned on their identities, Dutch identifies himself as Aiden O’ Malley.
Aiden O’ Malley was a minor character in GTA IV who the game’s protagonist, Niko Bellic, is tasked with killing in the Tunnel of Death mission. Perhaps GTA IV’s Aiden had an ancestor with the same name.
Sandy Shores Has Red Dead Redemption Locales As Street Names
Sandy Shores is a small town located in the deserts just outside of Los Santos. Memorizing street names is the last thing most GTA players would do but Red Dead Redemption fans will take note of Sandy Shores’ street names as they share them with locales from New Austin, an area in Red Dead Redemption.
There is a Cholla Springs avenue that is named after a region from New Austin as well as an Armadillo Avenue that is named after a town in the western game.
Red Dead Redemption’ Sasquatch Hunter Seemingly Has A Descendant In GTA
Ever since the GTA: San Andreas bigfoot myth, Rockstar has had fun with the myth of sasquatch in its games. In the Undead Nightmare DLC for the first Red Dead Redemption, John Marston is tasked with tracking down a group of them by a hunter with a fur hat and scar over his one eye.
Fast forward to GTA V and Franklin can encounter a sasquatch hunter of his own after the player 100 percent completes the game. This hunter has a similar-looking fur hat with a scar over the same eye as the Red Dead one. The GTA hunter also says he hopes to make his great-grandfather proud. Could the Red Dead hunter be this guy’s great-grandfather?
UFOs In Both Games Look Similar To Each Other
Red Dead Redemption and GTA are the last games where people expect to find aliens, but both have UFO Easter eggs that you can find.
Veterans of both games will note, however, that the UFOs in both games have similar appearances to one other.
RELATED: Red Dead Redemption: Easter Eggs And Secrets You Might Have Missed The First Time Through
On top of both having the classic flying saucer appearance, both spaceships have similar light patterns, specifically toward both the top and bottom of the ships. It seems aliens have been examining Earth for quite a while now if GTA and Red Dead Redemption are anything to go by.
The Double Action Revolver Treasure Hunt In GTA: Online
Prior to Red Dead Redemption 2’s release, Rockstar released an update that provided players with a treasure hunt quest in GTA Online. Completing it rewards a golden double action revolver and a quest to get 50 headshots with the weapon. Completing that unlocks the weapon for use in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Sure enough, if you get the game, the revolver is there for Arthur to use and seemingly confirms that the weapon in GTA Online is the very same weapon that Arthur used during his days in the Van Der Linde gang.
Edmund Lowry’s Revolver Is In Both Series
Edmund Lowry was a serial killer in Red Dead Redemption 2 that players could track down in the game’s story mode as a side mission. A revolver belonging to him can be found in Red Dead Online and has a disturbing appearance. It is silver with «you’re next» written in what seems to be blood as well as tally marks on the weapon’s grip.
The same exact gun with the same exact look manages to turn up in GTA Online as well by tracking down and killing a serial killer in Blaine County who happened to have it on him. These games sure love their serial killers.
The Stone Hatchet Is In Both Games As Well
It is not just revolvers that show up in GTA and Red Dead Redemption, but hatchets as well. The Stone hatchet shows up in the online editions of both games as a melee weapon.
RELATED: Locations In GTA That Are Actually Scary
In Red Dead Redemption 2 it can be found at a Native American burial site, while in GTA Online, it can be found by turning in five bounty hunting targets.
It looks like the weapon managed to find its way to the San Andreas area at some point in time.
The Kraff Descendant Shows Up In Red Dead Redemption 2
Kraff is a deity associated with the Epsilon program in GTA V and is seemingly capable of mystical and mysterious powers. In that series, they have descendants marked with a birthmark over their right eye.
Meanwhile, in Red Dead Redemption 2, players can meet Francis Sinclair, who lives in a cabin a bit to the north of Strawberry. Not only does he seem completely out of place by his accent and mannerisms, but he also has a birthmark over his right eye. It is very possible that Francis Sinclair may in fact be the Kraff Descendant.
Madam Nazar Shows Up In GTA As A Fortune Telling Machine
Madam Nazar is a traveling collector in Red Dead Online who introduces the player to the collector trade route. She is a strange woman who also seems to be a psychic of sorts.
In GTA Online, a fortune telling machine called Nazar has a woman who looks identical to Madam Nazar from Red Dead and also makes references to that series.
Notably, she references the strange man from the first Red Dead Redemption by saying she sees a strange man with a top hat.
A Book Called Red Dead Shows Up In GTA V
An easy-to-miss Easter egg is a book called Red Dead, which can be found on a book shelf at Franklin’s house in GTA V. Looking at the shelf will reveal the book and that it was written by one J. Marston. Now, this probably isn’t Red Dead Redemption’s John Marston who wrote this, but rather his son Jack, who was being pushed towards a more honest and studious lifestyle.
That didn’t happen, obviously, but hopefully, he was able to find the redemption his father found and went on to write this book about not only the Van Der Linde gang’s exploits, but also getting back at the government for betraying his father.
Next: Secrets In GTA V You Still Haven’t Found
Analysis of the names of the cult game series — which means GTA, Half-Life, CoD and others
In early February of this year, the publisher Take-Two reported that shipments of GTA 5 exceeded 120 million copies.
This made Rockstar Games one of the most popular games in the history of the industry. But today we will not talk about phenomenal sales — watch our last video on this topic.
Considering the crazy success of GTA 5 and the series as a whole, there is no doubt that most gamers and even non-gamers have heard of Grand Theft Auto. The same can be said about the Call of Duty shooters, known in the common people as «Kolda». Yes, and «Halfa», aka Half-Life, is now on the lips in light of the release of Valve’s VR-exclusive. nine0003
However, knowing the name is one thing, but understanding its meaning is quite another. Perhaps you have never thought about the meaning behind the phrases Grand Theft Auto or Half-Life. What Fallout or DOOM hide.
This is the text version of the video, which can be viewed below or at this link.
Animal Crossing
Let’s start with what’s relevant in recent days — with the new part of Animal Crossing from Nintendo! The original game in Japanese was called Animal Forest — that is, «a forest of animals», with which one of the game mechanics was associated.
However, when transferred to the West, the series received an adapted name of Animal Crossing. The most obvious meaning is that this phrase means a place on the road where animals often cross. There are such road signs in all countries, in our country they are called «Beware of wild animals.» True, in the game itself, it is not animals that enter the world of people, but a person enters the world of humanoid animals. nine0003
In addition to the obvious concept, you can find other meanings that depend on the play on words. True, this is already the lot of fans who are able to write a 150-page essay comparing the game to a virtual drug.
Half-Life
This Monday saw the release of Half-Life: Alyx, the prequel to Half-Life 2, in which lucky owners of VR devices take on the role of Alyx Vance. That explains the name after the colon, but what is the point of Half-Life? Maybe this is a reference to the half heart in games, indicating a character’s reduced health? nine0003
In fact, everything here is also simple.
The term means the concept of the half-life of substances — the period during which the amount of something is halved. Half-life is commonly used in nuclear physics to describe how quickly the nuclei of atoms decay through radioactive decay. The phrase is also used in other areas, such as medicine, where you can find data on the half-life of drugs and other chemicals in the human body.
In simple terms, half-life is when you had four apples, but two expired and only a couple of edible apples remained. After the same period of time, only one apple remains, then half, and so on. nine0003
This name was chosen by Valve to convey the sci-fi nature of the game with a more serious meaning than a simple shooting gallery.
By the way, the very name of the Valve studio is translated as a simple «valve».
DOOM
id Software released DOOM Eternal last week. The second word in the title of the game translates as «eternal», which is consistent with the nature of the series. Well, DOOM translates as «Rock» or «Death». Since the original game came out at 1993, in those days, getting a trademark for a game with a similar name was not difficult.
Considering that in the series the protagonist defies demons and other forces of hell, the title DOOM effectively describes the style of the game and the essence of the process.
Note that just like the Shazoo title, in DOOM two adjacent «O’s» make a «U» sound. Not DO-OM, but DUM, not SHAZO-O, but SHAZ-U.
GTA
And now it’s time for GTA. This is an abbreviation for the colloquial American phrase Grand Theft Auto, which means banal car theft. Since the gameplay of the GTA series has always revolved around stealing cars. It is logical to ask a question — why use three words for a regular auto theft?
The fact is that the phrase «grand theft» in American English means the theft of someone else’s property worth more than a certain amount. For example, in California grand theft starts at $950 for cash and property, and $250 for farm and crop theft.
If you translate the last GTA into Russian, it turns out «Hijackers 5», and the network component is called «Hijackers Online». Well, it’s a good thing they didn’t.
Call of Duty
Call of Duty is another series with an obvious title.
It can literally be translated as «sense of duty». Since the entire series revolves around military operations, such a phrase is more than justified. Yes, and the first part of Call of Duty introduced the Second World War, during which the American army used posters with similar wording in order to promote and recruit young people to the front. nine0003
Looking deeper into the series, most of the titles are equally accessible. Modern Warfare is dedicated to military operations in the modern period of time. Black Ops is centered around covert operations, the existence of which is usually not officially recognized.
Red Dead Redemption
How about a western? Late last year, Red Dead Redemption 2 was released on PC, but the name of the series goes back to 2004, when the original Red Dead Revolver was released. If Redemption and Revolver are translated as redemption and revolver, then the combination of Red Dead includes nuances.
Red translates as «red» from English. That was the name of the protagonist of the first game of the series — Red Harlow. His father was a gold miner and his mother’s name was Shooting Star. And on his mother’s side, Red comes from a tribe of Native Americans who call themselves «Red Wolf». nine0003
The second word refers to Dead Eye’s aiming mechanic. Thus, the phrase Red Dead as such does not have any deep meaning — just a good set of words associated with the title.
Deus Ex
Many people should know the meaning of the name Deus Ex. From Latin, this phrase literally translates as «God from», referring us to the expression Deus ex machina — «God from the machine.» In ancient theater, the expression denoted a god who suddenly appears at the end of the production using various mechanisms and helps the heroes. For example, the performer of the role could be raised on a platform or lowered with a crane.
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Simply put, this phrase does not mean that a god can be created using an abstract machine, but that he literally appeared on the stage thanks to winches, elevators and other devices.
Fallout
We recently made a video about Fallout and the history of real bomb shelters, so it’s not difficult to guess the meaning. The word Fallout itself literally translates to «fallout,» but the term gained currency in the 50s and 60s, when America was terrified of a potential nuclear war and subsequent fallout. nine0003
Since the Fallout series was inspired by the style and themes of the Cold War, the choice of name should not have taken the developers by surprise.
It’s not just that the developers have relied on large-scale underground shelters that can save people’s lives after the fall of atomic bombs that spread radioactive fallout.
Pokemon
And we will finish this educational program with the no less iconic Pokemon series. The name consists of two words — Poket and Monster, which translates as «Pocket Monster», because creatures with amazing abilities are placed in spherical containers called Pokeball — a pocket ball. nine0003
These are just the tip of the iceberg of video game titles. If you want to know what this or that title means, write to us in the comments.
Header illustration: Lino Thomas
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Valve designer: The company is working on a lot of games, including Half-Life
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Overview Red Santa Redemption 2
Good evening, PG users.
I would like to share my opinion about RDR 2 and warn about buying the game.
In the whole game they put 10 out of 10 (hello suitcases) and users too (except for elite PCs). However, we all know what consolers are shield beetles and love these games (that’s why consolers give the game 10/10). However, let’s look at the game deeper than the 10/10 emission by looking only at the vids on it. I’ll immediately note that I played the game, naturally with a friend (because I wanted to see whether to buy it or not, and believing that I played with him is up to you, the fact is that I played it). After 30 (plus, minus 2-3 hours) I would like to comment on the game. nine0003
1) Graphics. From GTA 5 at maximum speed on the computer is not much different, but a little better. In the same Witcher 3, Horizen, Assassin Origins and Odyssey, Spider, watch dogs 1.2 graphics are a cut above. The geometry in rdr 2 is terrible, like stretched sprites, the detailing of faces is not bad, but it is worse than the same Witcher 3.
The model has become better than NPCs from watch dogs, NPCs have become better looking than in GTA 5, but they are worse than the games that I have listed. Textures 8 by 8 (exaggerating, but they are terrible). The lighting says hello from 2010. Animal models look worse than far cry 3 animals. NPCs have hair and gg… it seems to be 2018 in the yard, and the quality of the hair is like from a paste gene, they look like plasticine, which they bathed in a puddle of manure. The character animations have finally caught up with AC 3 (but fell a little short), the skinning animations look ridiculous and twitchy. The draw distance is impressive, but there is nothing to draw there, since the world is empty. nine0003
Well, what is it, rockstar. 2018 is in the yard, and you only switched to 2010.
2) Plot. Simple as two fingers, you are Arthur, here is your gang, you rob, then you take revenge. It does not carry any semantic load, there is no interest, so all the missions that I went through were in the spirit of ride, go and kill.
A lot of empty chatter, gg and nps, which do not carry any meaning, are still boring and you want to sleep.
3) Gameplay. A lot of driving, a lot. I would not write it here if it were interesting, but all these trips spoil the empty and same-type world. Rubbing the horse in general infuriated (but this is IMHO). Pumping the camp makes sense only to quickly move later. The weapon shoots disgustingly, worse than in the same max payne 3, but already better than in GTA 5. The mini-games are not interesting, because the NPCs are dumb (it is more interesting to play poker in the same HD). At first, there was not enough money, but then they became dofiga and no longer knew what to do with. Horses are almost indistinguishable from each other, except perhaps in shortness. Weapon upgrades are terrible, there are few modules, but the colors are awesome, I understand that this is the wild west of the end of 19century, but it was possible to neglect game conventions and add more modules. Hunting does not give any pleasure, as it is poorly implemented.
