It's hard to believe that Red Dead Redemption is thirteen years old. Rockstar's open-world western was released in 2010 to the adulation of gamers everywhere. Given that time frame, some may think the title has aged. While a few aspects definitely show wear and tear (especially compared to its superior sequel), these flaws aren't what sticks with people.
Rather, Red Dead Redemption boasts a number of elements that are timeless. Not only does it have poignant themes about the story and characters, but it sports several gameplay mechanics which have become tried-and-true elements of the industry. Thanks to these strengths, fans won't be forgetting this hit anytime soon.
7 Family
Protagonist John Marston has a clear motivation throughout this Western adventure: get back to his family. Above anything, he wants to ensure their safety and live a quiet life as a dependable husband and father. That's why he does so many dirty deeds and hunts down his former gang members. It's also why audiences can sympathize with his plight.
Animals have a natural instinct to protect their offspring. Humans take that further by prioritizing the family unit. They rely on each other for love, safety, and security. Moreover, it's how they leave behind something meaningful, namely the next generation. John's plight speaks to that fundamental need and will continue to do so for all of human existence.
6 Change
Another constant about the human animal is advancement. Civilization moves forward; untamed areas become inhabited; the foreign becomes familiar; technology grows more complex; laws are enforced. Most people can adapt to these shifting circumstances. Conveyor belt workers, for instance, can find other jobs after machines take their positions. Those who refuse to change with the times usually meet unfortunate ends. It happened to pirates in the 1700s, and a similar fate befell Old West outlaws in the 1800s.
Red Dead Redemption presents the end of gunslingers as people knew them. Their lifestyle of robbing, shooting, and running is simply not sustainable. As such, even the most formidable gangs fall by the wayside. Marston's old crew is just one example of that. Sure, it's incredibly emotional, but it nevertheless rings true with society.
5 Dead Eye
During combat, players can periodically slow down time. This gives them ample opportunity to pick their targets and dispatch them all at once with a series of successive shots. That temporal manipulation is called "Dead Eye," but it's not limited to Red Dead Redemption. In fact, it was a key aspect of the game's predecessor, Red Dead Revolver, but even that inclusion isn't exclusive.
Several games have included slow motion in one form or another. Some are blatant homages, such as Tenessee "Kid" Cooper's gunslinger ability in the fourth Sly Cooper title. Alternatively, the mechanic could be more downplayed. Numerous shooter games include an option to slow down time, usually during dashes or jumps. Red Dead just offers another version of this gameplay. However, the series' popularity ensures that said gameplay isn't going away anytime soon.
4 Gambling
Among the activities players can engage in are gambling games. They can put their in-game cash on the line in Poker, Blackjack, and Horseshoe Tosses. These are still around today, both in video games and in real life. By definition, that makes them timeless.
Granted, Red Dead can't take too much credit for that. These were popular pastimes in countless settings and periods, the Old West included. The developers simply recognized that enduring presence and threw them into the world. That way, players could have the same entertainment options as folks from that era. While not exactly original, it certainly is authentic.
3 Voice Acting
Given its spaghetti western influence, some might expect Red Dead to get big-name screen stars. Instead, various character actors from the stage and TV comprise its cast, and they fit their roles like a glove. That especially goes for Rob Wiethoff as Marston and Benjamin Byron Davis as Dutch van der Linde. They brilliantly sell the tale's inherent pathos while sounding at-home in the setting.
These talents were highlighted when the game was first released, and they remain no less so now. Rockstar even brought most of them back for Red Dead Redemption 2, which came nearly a decade later. They've still got it, so why replace them?
2 Horse Physics
Horses are prevalent in games, especially as mounts in open-world titles. Each developer and engine handles them a little differently, but the animals have never felt as realistic as in Red Dead Redemption. Everything from muscle movements to speed to maneuverability feels so close to actual equestrians that it's uncanny.
That similarity becomes more apparent when compared to other games. Players have also ridden around Assassin's Creed, Ghost of Tsushima, Skyrim, multiple Zelda entries, and countless other games. More often than not, though, the horses here come off as motorcycles with hooves, never having the right weight or traction. The closest was The Witcher 3, but even that couldn't quite match the mounts in Red Dead. Sure, they require a bit of a learning curve, but so do real horses.
1 Open World Format
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Rockstar revolutionized the open-world sandbox with Grand Theft Auto 3. For better or worse, most titles within the genre have stuck to that template. Players navigate a massive, interconnected environment with minimal loading screens, and they do so using a minimap or compass in the corner of the screen, complete with little icons indicating story missions. Between these narrative events are several side activities--enemy camps to raid, treasures to find, and minigames to play. It's all well-tread territory.
Players perform the same song and dance in the latter Jak & Daxter games, Saints Row, Assassin's Creed, Horizon, Far Cry, and countless others. Red Dead Redemption is yet another in that lineup. Some might lament Rockstar playing it so safe, but the formula is undeniably easy to understand and simplifies a potentially overwhelming world. That makes it consistently accessible to gamers the world over.