Red Dead Redemption 2 Writer “Binged on Victorian Novels” During Game’s Development

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The Grand Theft Auto series is known for its engaging stories, particularly since Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. However, Grand Theft Auto 5‘s narrative didn’t quite live up to expectations. Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser has drawn a comparison between GTA games and the novels of Charles Dickens, not in terms of literary merit, but in how they create and detail their game worlds.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Houser discussed how Grand Theft Auto games, like the works of classic authors such as Dickens, Tolstoy, and Zola, offer players a compelling reflection of real-world issues and society.

I was reading an interview with Dan Houser, and he was talking about how open-world games are a lot like classic novels. He said they’re not quite as good as Dickens, but they try to create that same feeling of a fully realized world, you know? Like when you read Dickens, Zola, or Tolstoy, you feel like you’re stepping into a complete society. That’s what game developers are aiming for – building a world that feels rich and detailed, even if it’s a warped or exaggerated version of our own.

Looking back, this whole concept really influenced how we made Red Dead Redemption 2. I actually went on a bit of a Victorian novel kick during development, trying to capture that same feeling of a fully realized world and believable characters. I read a ton of them, and one that really stuck with me was Middlemarch by George Eliot.

Houser explained that she immersed herself in Victorian novels as a way to unwind. She particularly enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Middlemarch during her daily commute, saying she ‘loved it’.

He explained that he wanted the writing to feel more like a novel. He believed this would bring a fresh approach to the storytelling, especially since the game’s visuals were going to be stunning. He felt the story needed to be strong enough to complement the artwork. They were focused on creating fully developed characters and capturing the atmosphere of the 19th century, where life and death were experienced differently than they are today.

It’s interesting to note that Dan Houser, the writer, has said he particularly liked the characters in his more dramatic games. In an interview last November, he mentioned that Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2 and Niko Bellic from Grand Theft Auto 4 were among his favorite protagonists.

According to Dan Houser, Arthur Morgan is his favorite protagonist. He explained that lead characters differ from supporting ones, and he believes Arthur is the most well-developed and effective. While he also admires Niko Bellic, he considers both characters equally ambitious and often finds it difficult to choose between them.

I was a huge fan of the games Dan Houser helped create at Rockstar, so it was sad to hear he left back in 2020. He actually explained in an interview that the games were just becoming too massive in scope for him to handle, and that’s why he decided to move on. It makes sense – those games were huge!

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2025-12-04 19:41