Red Dead Redemption is the closest game to play after Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar describes it as taking place in “the events immediately following the 2018 blockbuster, Red Dead Redemption 2,” and its current release includes the complete single-player game plus Undead Nightmare. It is the only recommendation here that continues the same fictional Western universe, so start there if continuity, characters and setting matter most.
No other title combines Rockstar-style presentation, a detailed Western setting and the same kind of story-led freedom in exactly the same way. The alternatives each reproduce a different part of the appeal: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is the realism and immersion choice, Fallout: New Vegas delivers reactive role-playing in a post-apocalyptic frontier, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger concentrates on Western gunfights, Weird West adds supernatural systems, and Desperados III turns the frontier into a stealth-and-tactics puzzle. Red Dead Revolver is the historical, more arcade-oriented option for exploring the series lineage.
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Red Dead Redemption - PlayStation 5 | $24.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Red Dead Redemption 2 PS4 Brand New Factory Sealed | $23.80 | Buy on Amazon |
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Red Dead Redemption II - Video Game Poster - Measures 16 x 24 inches | $12.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Red Dead Redemption | $33.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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What should I play after Red Dead Redemption 2?
Choose according to the part of Red Dead Redemption 2 you miss most. If you want the same universe and a direct continuation, play Red Dead Redemption. If you want a different world but comparable historical immersion, choose Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. For choices that change how a frontier story unfolds, choose Fallout: New Vegas. For immediate, highly focused shooting, choose Call of Juarez: Gunslinger. For an unpredictable supernatural take, choose Weird West. If planning, stealth and coordinated attacks are more important than free roaming, choose Desperados III. For an older, more arcade-like Rockstar Western, try Red Dead Revolver.
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The important qualification is that these are not interchangeable substitutes. A game can match RDR2’s setting, combat, realism, systemic reactivity or tactical freedom without matching all of them at once. The table below makes those trade-offs explicit.
#1 Best Overall
- When federal agents threaten his family, former outlaw John Marston is forced to hunt down the gang of criminals he once called friends.
- Experience Marston’s journey across the sprawling expanses of the American West and Mexico as he fights to bury his blood-stained past in the critically acclaimed predecessor to the 2018 blockbuster, Red Dead Redemption 2.
- Also included is Undead Nightmare, the iconic horror story that transforms the world of Red Dead Redemption into an apocalyptic fight for survival against a zombie horde.
Quick comparison: Western games like RDR2
| Game | Best match for | Western setting | World and exploration | Combat or tactics | Realism and tone | Availability noted in the source material |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Dead Redemption | Continuity, characters and the closest overall Western-world fit | Same fictional universe | Closest equivalent for a story-led Western world | Third-person Western action | Grounded frontier drama, with an optional supernatural story in Undead Nightmare | Current modern-platform release; includes single-player game and Undead Nightmare; no multiplayer content is listed on the release page |
| Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | Historical realism and immersion | Historical Europe rather than the American West | Exploration built around a deeply grounded historical setting | Realistic, deliberate fighting rather than a cowboy gunfight | Most realism-focused alternative in this group | Platform availability is not stated in the supplied material |
| Fallout: New Vegas | Reactive role-playing and meaningful player choice | Post-apocalyptic Western-flavored frontier | Frontier exploration shaped by role-playing decisions | Role-playing combat with consequences for how you approach situations | Speculative and post-apocalyptic rather than historical | Platform availability is not stated in the supplied material |
| Call of Juarez: Gunslinger | Focused Western shooting | Directly Western | More focused than an RDR2-style open world | Fast, concentrated first-person gunplay | Stylized Western action | Released in 2013 for PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Switch |
| Weird West | Supernatural Western systems and a bounty-hunter journey | Western frontier with supernatural elements | Systems-driven scenarios rather than a realistic Rockstar-style simulation | Action shaped by interacting systems and unusual threats | Deliberately strange and supernatural | PC, PlayStation and Xbox |
| Desperados III | Stealth, planning and tactical execution | Western | Not a free-roaming RDR2-style open world | Squad stealth and tactical planning | Mission-focused frontier strategy | Platform availability is not stated in the supplied material |
| Red Dead Revolver | Rockstar’s older Western lineage and arcade-style action | Western | Older, more linear and arcade-oriented structure | Arcade-leaning Western shooting | Less simulation-oriented than RDR2 | Platform availability is not stated in the supplied material |
1. Red Dead Redemption: the closest match to RDR2
If your question is “What is the closest game to RDR2?”, the answer is Red Dead Redemption. It shares the same fictional universe and follows immediately after the events of Red Dead Redemption 2. That continuity matters: you are not merely moving to another cowboy game with similar scenery, but returning to the world whose history RDR2 established.
Why it is the first recommendation
- Narrative continuity: Rockstar’s official description places its story after RDR2, making it the natural next chapter.
- Setting fidelity: It remains a Western rather than translating the formula to medieval Europe, a post-apocalyptic wasteland or a supernatural frontier.
- Single-player focus: The current release includes the complete single-player game and Undead Nightmare. The listed release page does not include multiplayer content, so buy it for its solo campaigns.
- Series context: Playing it after RDR2 lets you see how the later timeline and the older game fit together.
It still should not be presented as a duplicate of RDR2. It is an earlier work in the series, so its structure and presentation are not the same as a later blockbuster. The useful expectation is “the same universe and the nearest Western-world continuation,” not “RDR2 with identical systems.”
Who should choose it
Choose Red Dead Redemption if your priority is story, continuity, the established fictional frontier and a solo Western adventure. It is also the sensible first purchase for someone who has finished RDR2 and wants to understand the broader arc before trying genre experiments.
2. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II: the realism and immersion alternative
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is the recommendation for readers who describe RDR2 primarily as an immersive simulation of a lived-in historical world. It changes the location completely: this is not an American Western, but a historical setting away from the frontier. The attraction is the commitment to realism and immersion rather than cowboy identity.
Rank #2
- From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption
- The deepest and most complex world Rockstar Games has ever created
- Covers a huge range of 19th century American landscapes
- Play as Arthur Morgan, lead enforcer in the notorious Van der Linde gang
- Interact with every character in the world with more than just your gun;Engage in conversation with people you meet. Your actions influence Arthur's honour;Horses are a cowboy's best friend, both transport and personal companion;Bond with your horse as you ride together to unlock new abilities
What it matches
- Grounded atmosphere: It is the realism-focused choice in this list.
- Immersive role-playing: The appeal comes from inhabiting a historical world rather than moving through a purely fantastical setting.
- Exploration with context: Travel and discovery are tied to the period and its social environment, giving the world a different kind of authenticity.
What it does not match
You will not get RDR2’s American frontier, cowboy mythology or Western gunfights. The setting change is fundamental, not cosmetic. Pick it when realism matters more than the Old West, and avoid it if your main requirement is riding through a frontier with firearms and Western characters.
3. Fallout: New Vegas: the reactive frontier role-playing choice
Fallout: New Vegas is for players who remember RDR2 less for its historical detail and more for the feeling that the world reacts to their decisions. Its landscape is post-apocalyptic, but it carries a Western frontier flavor: isolated communities, competing interests and a harsh journey through contested territory.
Why role-players choose it
- Player choice: The game is associated with reactive role-playing, so decisions and allegiance can shape how situations unfold.
- Frontier tension: Its post-apocalyptic setting uses Western-coded spaces and conflicts without pretending to be a realistic Old West.
- Approach flexibility: It is a better fit than a linear shooter when you want to decide how your character responds to factions and problems.
The central trade-off
This is a role-playing recommendation, not a visual or historical replacement for RDR2. Its tone and world are speculative and post-apocalyptic. If your ideal follow-up is a reactive story in which choices matter, it is an excellent direction; if you want the same period, characters and grounded presentation, return to Red Dead Redemption instead.
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4. Call of Juarez: Gunslinger: the best choice for Western gunfights
When the question is “Which Western game has the best gunfights?”, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is the focused recommendation. The cited listing identifies it as a 2013 Western first-person shooter released for PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Switch.
Rank #3
- Printed on Highest Quality Poster Paper.
- Poster measures 16" x 24" inches
What makes it different
Its strength is concentration. Rather than asking you to spend long stretches travelling, managing a broad open world or following a large ensemble, it puts Western shooting at the center. That makes it suitable for a player who wants the immediate sensation of a gunslinger story and does not need RDR2’s full-life simulation.
- Choose it for: direct first-person Western action and a compact gunplay-first experience.
- Do not choose it for: a large, leisurely world, extensive exploration or the same character-driven scope as RDR2.
- Check before buying: the listed platforms and edition, because this is a 2013 release and platform support differs by generation.
5. Weird West: a supernatural, systems-driven frontier
Weird West answers the question “Is there a game like RDR2 with the same immersion and freedom?” with a deliberate twist: it offers a Western world shaped by supernatural elements and interacting systems, not a realistic Rockstar-style simulation. Its official site lists availability on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.
Why it stands out
- Supernatural Western identity: The frontier is not constrained to historical realism.
- Systems-driven play: The appeal is how game systems combine and produce unexpected situations.
- Bounty-hunter framing: Its journey uses a bounty-hunter premise that will feel familiar to Western fans while taking the story somewhere stranger.
Who will enjoy the change
Pick Weird West if you want experimentation, unusual threats and a world that behaves more like a set of interacting rules than a historical reconstruction. It is not the choice for someone seeking RDR2’s restrained realism. The supernatural premise is the point, so treat it as an alternate interpretation of the Western rather than a substitute for the same tone.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute6. Desperados III: Western stealth and tactical planning
Desperados III is the right answer when your favorite RDR2 moments involve watching patrols, setting up an approach and executing a plan. It uses a Western setting but is built around stealth and tactics instead of free-roaming exploration. The distinction is important: it is not an open-world cowboy sandbox.
Rank #4
- 1235936
How the experience differs
- Mission structure: Progress is organized around tactical scenarios rather than continuous travel across a single open frontier.
- Stealth first: Success depends on observation, timing and avoiding or manipulating detection.
- Planning over reflexes: The satisfaction comes from a clean solution, not from winning every encounter through rapid shooting.
Choose it if you want to think like a posse leader or scout. Skip it if the essential part of RDR2 for you is simply wandering, hunting or travelling through a seamless world. The setting matches; the structure does not.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.7. Red Dead Revolver: the older, arcade-oriented predecessor
Red Dead Revolver is for readers curious about the earlier roots of Rockstar’s Western games. It is an older predecessor with a more arcade-oriented identity. That makes it valuable as series history and as a compact action experience, but it is not the closest mechanical match for RDR2.
When it makes sense
- Series curiosity: You want to see an earlier interpretation of the Western world before RDR2’s large-scale approach.
- Arcade action: You prefer a more direct, less simulation-focused structure.
- Historical perspective: You are comfortable with older design and are playing for lineage rather than modern open-world detail.
Start with Red Dead Redemption if you want continuity. Choose Red Dead Revolver only when the older, more arcade-like style is itself part of the appeal.
Which game matches the part of RDR2 you miss?
| If you miss… | Play | Reason | Accept this trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| The same story universe | Red Dead Redemption | It follows immediately after RDR2 in the same fictional continuity. | It is an earlier game, not a system-for-system remake of RDR2. |
| A realistic, immersive world | Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | It is the realism-focused alternative. | The setting is historical Europe, not the American West. |
| Choices that reshape a frontier story | Fallout: New Vegas | It emphasizes reactive role-playing in a Western-flavored post-apocalypse. | The world is speculative and post-apocalyptic. |
| Western gunfights | Call of Juarez: Gunslinger | It is a focused Western first-person shooter. | It is more concentrated than an RDR2-style open world. |
| Unexpected systems and strange encounters | Weird West | It combines a bounty-hunter journey with supernatural systems. | It abandons realistic Western simulation. |
| Stealth and planning | Desperados III | Its Western missions center on tactical execution. | It is not free roaming. |
| Older Rockstar Western history | Red Dead Revolver | It is the older, more arcade-oriented predecessor. | It does not aim for RDR2’s scale or realism. |
Are there any open-world cowboy games exactly like RDR2?
No. The researched alternatives match selected qualities rather than the full combination of Rockstar presentation, detailed open-world design and Western storytelling. Red Dead Redemption comes closest because it shares the fictional universe and immediate narrative continuity. The others deliberately move at least one major axis: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II changes the period and geography, Fallout: New Vegas changes the genre into post-apocalyptic role-playing, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger narrows the experience to shooting, Weird West introduces the supernatural, and Desperados III replaces free roaming with tactical missions.
That is not a weakness in the recommendations; it is the useful answer. Decide which part of RDR2 you want to preserve, then accept the one difference that makes each alternative distinctive.
How to choose before you buy
- Set your priority. Pick continuity, realism, role-playing reactivity, gunplay, supernatural systems, stealth or series history.
- Decide whether the setting must be the American West. If yes, begin with Red Dead Redemption, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, Weird West, Desperados III or Red Dead Revolver. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and Fallout: New Vegas are setting changes.
- Decide whether you need free roaming. Desperados III is explicitly not a free-roaming RDR2-style world, while Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is a focused shooter. Treat both as specialist choices rather than open-world replacements.
- Check the platform and edition. The confirmed availability in the supplied material is PC, PlayStation and Xbox for Weird West, and PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Switch for the 2013 release of Call of Juarez: Gunslinger. Rockstar’s current release page confirms a modern-platform version of Red Dead Redemption; its listed package contains the single-player game and Undead Nightmare but no multiplayer content.
- Buy for the right expectation. None of these games reproduces every aspect of RDR2. A correct match for your preferred quality will be more satisfying than a misleading promise of an identical experience.
Final ranking by player type
- For the closest overall follow-up: Red Dead Redemption.
- For realism and immersion: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.
- For reactive choices: Fallout: New Vegas.
- For Western gunfights: Call of Juarez: Gunslinger.
- For supernatural experimentation: Weird West.
- For stealth and tactical planning: Desperados III.
- For an older arcade-style predecessor: Red Dead Revolver.
Start with Red Dead Redemption unless you already know that continuity is not your priority. It is the strongest answer to “What should I play after Red Dead Redemption 2?” because it preserves the universe, setting and narrative relationship that no other game here can provide.
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