Cowboy games were often few and far between beforeRed Dead Redemption. Just like the wild west era of movie-making had passed, games focused on other, more action-packed areas of society such as warfare and modern urban street crime.
Related:Rockstar Has Been Slipping Us LGBT Representation For Years
However,Rockstartook the format that made theirGrand Theft Autogame so successful and applied it to the world of cowboys and the West. The result is a gritty look at a world of lawlessness, survival, and honor at all costs. It showed gamers just what could be possible when that era is given the spotlight. Here are a couple of other games fans of the series would enjoy.
Updated on July 20, 2025 by Peter Hunt Szpytek: This list was updated to include a video version of the list (featured below).
10Metal Gear Solid 3
Long before Red Dead Redemption developed an intricate system of survival mechanics, Metal Gear Solid 3 pioneered the idea of a man becoming one with nature and using it to his advantage.
Both games have completely different settings as Metal Gear Solid 3 focuses on warfare during the Cold War, but in terms of survival, the gameplay has a lot in common. The game’s subtitle, Snake Eater, refers to a military operation. But it also has a dual meaning as its main character can eat snakes for sustenance.
9Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Zelda is another game that might not seem like it has much of a connection to Red Dead Redemption. After all,Zelda is an all-ages fantasy adventurethat’s much different than Red Dead’s dark, gritty, and violent gameplay.
However, the aspect of surviving in the wilderness is very closely linked in both games. The weather plays a huge factor as well as hunger. In fact, Zelda has arguably a better system for cooking food with an assortment of ingredients, something that becomes a bit of a chore in Red Dead Redemption.
8Grand Theft Auto V
On the one hand, Grand Theft Auto has a completely different setting than Red Dead Redemption. One takes place in a modern urban setting while the other focuses on the wild west during the turn of the century.
Related:Best Video Game DLCs
However,both games are developed by Rockstarand more or less have very similar styles of gameplay. But besides the gameplay, they both share a lot of themes in common. Their stories and character arcs are all about surviving and making a path for oneself amidst a world of crime.
7The Gunstringer
The Gunstringer is a game that came out during Xbox’s Kinect era. It takes place in a wild west setting with cowboys and outlaws, but the game has a much more goofy and zany tone to it than Red Dead Redemption. Still, if one enjoys that setting and characters then the game is still a great time.
It’s basically a rail shooter that has the player utilize the Kinect to take down bad guys. It doesn’t have an intricate storyline or compelling characters, but it’s perfect for honing one’s marksmanship skills.
From a pure gameplay standpoint, Mafia isvery similar to Grand Theft Auto. It’s essentially about a man trying to make a name for himself in the world of organized crime by rising through the ranks. Its open-world gameplay style will be recognizable to fans of Rockstar games.
However, since the game takes place in the 1930s, its time period is much more closely linked to Red Dead Redemption’s world than Grand Theft Auto’s. It’s a period game that’s as much about the time it takes place in as much as the characters.
Red Dead Revolver might be a controversial addition to the list as it may or may not be a part of the Red Dead Redemption universe. It is most definitely a spiritual successor, though. In many ways, it was Rockstar’s trial run at making a full-fledged cowboy game.
Related:Best Weapons In Grand Theft Auto Online
Red Dead Redemption would be on the horizon and blow everything that Red Dead Revolver was out of the water. But its predecessor should be praised for being a first step in the right direction that fans can still enjoy.
4Desperados 3
Desperados 3 is a bit different from Red Dead Redemption. Instead of an action-adventure game, it focuses on tactical strategy as the player has to clear enemies using stealth and teamwork.
Obviously, both games share the cowboy’s setting of the wild west. While Red Dead Redemption focuses on the later part of that era, as the age of cowboy lawlessness is starting to phase out, Desperados 3 takes place decades earlier, when the wild west was still in full swing. It also serves as a prequel to the original Desperados game.
3Fallout: New Vegas
There are many things that can set theFalloutuniverse apart from Red Dead Redemption. First off, Fallout has a completely different setting as a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Also, Fallout is a first-person shooter that hasa lot more great weaponsand RPG elements than Red Dead Redemption.
However, the spirits of Red Dead Redemption and New Vegas are more or less the same. Both involve taming an untamable landscape of the West while helping people along the way. They are two completely different experiences that definitely give off similar vibes.
BeforeRed Dead Redemption’s great characterscame on the scene, Gun was the pinnacle of Old West and cowboy gaming. It was primarily an action-adventure game and didn’t have the same survival mechanics that Red Dead Redemption pioneered.
Related:Why Does Rockstar Hate Red Dead Redemption 2?
Still, the game takes place in the heart of the Wild West and was perfect for getting a gamer’s cowboy fix in. Plus, it didn’t hurt that the game had a compelling storyline and a cast of all-star veteran actors to provide voice-over work, including Thomas Jane, who played the Punisher at the time.
1Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger
After two successful games in the wild west, Call Of Juarez tried to switch things up by making the third game in the modern day. It was panned, and a reboot of sorts brought the fourth installment back to the Old West.
This game takes place towards the end of that era, similar to what Red Dead Redemption tries to encapsulate. It also features a wide assortment of notorious individuals from the old west, something that Red Dead Redemption avoided as a completely fictional world.
Next:Why Red Dead Redemption 2 Is The Least Replayable Rockstar Game
