Like HBO's Westworld? You can Thank Red Dead Redemption

Have you noticed something about the promising HBO series Westworld? It seems vaguely familiar to many of us gamers, right? That's because it is. The gritty new science fiction is, quite literally, a show about creating a video game in real life, in the likeness of the indomitable Red Dead Redemption.

The new show's executive producers Lisa Joy Nolan and Jonathan Nolan (Inception, Interstellar) credit many of themes to video games. During the 2016 New York Comic Con, the show staff explained that they even played many games for research into the genre's familiar dealings with artificial intelligence, or non-playable characters (NPCs). Westworld's premise involves an intricate wild west theme park populated by semi-sentient robots. Wealthy "guests" pay to visit interact with the "hosts" for days or even weeks, exploring a wide variety of scripted adventures. Certain interactions, communication events and individuals trigger more events and interactions, à la many video games (more specifically, à la Red Dead Redemption).

What further draws the similarity between games and the simulated western world is the guest's ability to do anything - drinking, sex and even murder are all within the realms of possibility. But this is real life, which is what has cultivated the mere two episodes of Westworld with a wonderfully macabre story. These robotic hosts roam Westworld with predetermined outcomes to nearly every aspect of their "lives," just like the rough and rumblin' NPCs of the 2011 western masterpiece. While playing as Red Dead Redemption's John Marston, bandits will occasionally roll into town with villainous intent, prompting you the player, or guest, to act.

Jonathan and Lisa Joy Nolan went so far as to play games as research, including another of Red Dead Redemption's creator's works, Grand Theft Auto V. The game is famous for the players freedom to explore violent possibilities, just as Red Dead Redemption is. If you've seen the show's two available episodes, you can tell that the Nolan's embraced this characteristic, one that was previously only found in video games.

If you've found yourself enthralled with HBO's Westworld as quickly as we have, then you have the open world simulations of video games to thank. An effortful work like Red Dead Redemption is so apparent in the show's thematic elements. In case you're a gamer who hasn't seen Westworld, certainly give it try and keep an eye out for the similarities.