RDR2 is still Rockstar’s best attempt at satirizing the American Dream

Red Dead Redemption 2 launched seven years ago this month, and it’s still Rockstar’s most successful satire. Sure, Rockstar hasn’t done anything new since 2018, so it’s not like Red Dead has any fresh competition. But with Grand Theft Auto 6 just over the horizon, I’m reminded just how well Red Dead 2 handles its critiques of American society. It has something to say about the emptiness of American ideals and how dangerous they can be in the hands of the wrong people, and it’s not afraid to say it.