The upcoming rerelease of Red Dead Redemption for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 might not be all it’s cracked up to be, but at least it’s not a remaster. Rockstar publicized the return of the classic open-world Western in an August 7, 2023, announcement. This was met with widespread criticism, primarily directed at its nature as a bare-bones rerelease instead of the rumored remake in the Red Dead Redemption 2 engine. RDR’s lack of a physical release and high price point were also subject to disapproval, along with the fact that it’s limited to two platforms—PS4 and Switch—without even including native PS5 support.
The lack of a Red Dead Redemption remaster is the latest in a long line of letdowns for fans of the game. There’s been no news of Red Dead Redemption 2 DLC forthcoming, even though the original Red Dead Redemption’s Undead Nightmare expansion was near-universally beloved (Undead Nightmare is included in the upcoming rerelease, however). Rockstar also announced in July 2022 that it no longer had any major content updates planned for RDR2’s Red Dead Online mode, sparking major backlash from those who had invested significant time in the game. But despite all that disappointment, a regular Red Dead Redemption port is preferable to a remaster.
Red Dead Redemption isn’t broken, so why fix it? It’s held up remarkably well in the 13 years since its 2010 release. It boasts an impactful, interesting story, with memorable characters, puzzling moral quandaries, and a sense of epic adventure. Even in 2023, it looks good, too. The characters’ movements may be a little stiff, but the environments are gorgeously rendered and exquisitely detailed. From a gameplay standpoint, it’s almost exactly the same as RDR2, with a large, open map, time-bending shootouts, and mesmerizing exploration.
Of course, RDR2 expanded on that map and introduced a couple of new features, most of which are specific to its story and setting like camp development and realistic character appearance dynamics. Those new features don’t have a place in the original Red Dead Redemption, though, which is near-perfect and fully complete as it is.
There’s also an expectation, which comes along with any true remake or remaster, for developers to add additional content, like new side quests or story arcs. It’s a nice thought, but it’s not required. Red Dead Redemption is expansive enough as-is, so adding more to it just risks creating unnecessary bloat. The simplest Red Dead Redemption side quests, be they plant gathering or shooting contests, have high story stakes and a refined atmosphere that makes even the most menial tasks feel worthwhile and important. Adding more side quests to its already varied and curated selection would only distract from what’s already there.
2023-08-20 21:00:05
Article from screenrant.com
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