Summary
- Red Dead Redemption should receive a remaster similar to The Last of Us for improved presentation and modern standards.
- The Last of Us has seen multiple remakes and remasters, justifying their existence due to technological advancements and popularity.
- Rockstar could use a Red Dead Redemption remaster as a way to bridge the gap while fans wait for a potential third installment.
Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption was a pivotal title for the studio and for gaming as a whole. In 2010, Red Dead Redemption captivated critics and audiences alike with its depiction of the American Wild West in its declining days via a deeply engrossing narrative and complicated, realistic characters. Naughty Dog's The Last of Us made a similar impact in 2013 with its take on a post-apocalyptic USA, delving into many of the same themes of morality, revenge, and regret that RDR also tackled. Both were highly lauded prestige gaming experiences, now renowned for their contributions to the medium, along with subsequent sequels that expanded and improved on their aspects.
As remakes and remasters of beloved titles have become increasingly common, expectations of high-profile ones like the above two have risen as well. The Last of Us itself has seen multiple remakes and remasters of Parts 1 and 2, and with them, both entries now have the same high-quality level of presentation that brings their experiences up to current standards. As popular as Red Dead Redemption remains, and although it has oft-been requested by fans, Rockstar has yet to give it the full remaster treatment, having only released ports for some newer gen consoles, and this is something the studio should rectify by following TLOU's lead.
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's PC port has reportedly been completed, although not officially confirmed.
Red Dead Redemption Should Receive the Same Remaster Treatment as The Last of Us
The Last of Us' Remasters Make Them the Complete Package
The Last of Us in particular stands out as a somewhat unorthodox situation, given that the number of The Last of Us remasters/remakes actually outstrips that of the original titles. This arguably veers towards excessive. However, seven years and two console generations separated the release of Part 1 and Part 2. The advancements in technological capabilities along with the franchise's growth in popularity made the numerous re-releases seem more palatable and justifiable.
Notably, The Last Of Us Part 1 came at the very end of the PS3 era, and to showcase the next generation's hardware, received an early PS4 remaster in 2014, followed by a full remake in 2022. TLOU Part 2 was released in 2020, with its remaster dropping in January of this year. As these versions sit now, they provide a definitive way to experience The Last of U s' story and gameplay seamlessly, with minimalized original generational and visual differences and various quality-of-life improvements to stability and visuals.
Red Dead Redemption Would Benefit Greatly From a Remaster Like The Last of Us
Red Dead Redemption received ports for Switch and PS4 last year. However, as it wasn't a full remaster/remake and did not contain any additional or bonus content (though it did include the Undead Nightmare DLC), this was disappointing to fans who had been requesting a true remaster and were possibly expecting one prior to the announcement of it being a port for the respective platforms instead. RDR remains an experience that, while still heavily engaging, is in some ways dated, especially compared to RDR2, and the fact it has not yet received a proper remaster seems a big missed opportunity.
With RDR and TLOU being two of the most highly regarded third-person games, and the latter receiving an extensive remaster/remake treatment, it would behoove the former to do the same. Rockstar has a history of lengthy development cycles, with the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 nearly a decade in the making. A theoretical Red Dead Redemption 3, therefore, is likely even further out. Given this and the consistent calls for it, one way Rockstar could mitigate the wait would be indeed to offer a remaster of the first RDR a la The Last of Us. This would put it on par with the performance and production values of RDR2 and give fans the best modern version with an equal level of fidelity to enjoy.
Red Dead Redemption
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 79 /100 Critics Rec: 73%
- Released
- May 18, 2010
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar San Diego
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
WHERE TO PLAY
America, 1911. The Wild West is dying. When federal agents threaten his family, former outlaw John Marston is forced to pick up his guns again and hunt down the gang of criminals he once called friends. Experience an epic fight for survival across the sprawling expanses of the American West and Mexico, as John Marston struggles to bury his blood-stained past, one man at a time.
Red Dead Redemption is a Western epic, set at the turn of the 20th century when the lawless and chaotic badlands began to give way to the expanding reach of government and the spread of the Industrial Age.
- Franchise
- Red Dead Redemption
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Android, iOS
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Adventure
- Metascore
- 95
