"Red Dead 2 was the best thing I worked on," says Rockstar's Dan Houser

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game of uncompromising vision. It's slow-paced and isn't scared of forcing you to sit with the world and let it go by, asking you to spend time doing mudane tasks and soak everything in. You either get it or you don't, but it always feels like Rockstar didn't care either way - it was the game the studio wanted to make, and it'd find its audience.

Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser says it's the best thing he worked on at the company. "Red Dead 2, I think, was the best thing that I worked on, the best single realization of open-world storytelling, thematic consistency, and understanding how the games are assembled to take you on an emotional journey," he said in an interview at LA Comic Con.

As of August this year, Red Dead Redemption 2 had sold over 77 million copies, making it one of the best selling games of all time, but still less than half what GTA 5 has sold (over 215 million). Still, not bad for a period drama about sad cowboys watching their way of life die in front of their eyes.

Dan Houser was the main creative force behind Red Dead Redemption 2, designing the story, characters before his resignation in 2020. He's since gone on to make his own company, Absurd Ventures, where he works with Lazlow and other former Rockstar developers on various projects, from novels to audio dramas and video games.

Earlier this year, I reviewed the company's first audio drama, A Better Paradise, calling it "a fascinating look inside the twisted mind of Dan Houser". I also sat down with Lazlow to talk about the Rockstar days and the vision for the new company.