Summary
Now that the rumors of aRed Dead Redemptionrevival of some sort have been aired out, the actual product has proven to be much less exciting than the leaks had claimed. Indeed,Red Dead Redemptiongetting a remaster or remake would have been exceptional and upheld it to the same standards or higher as its sequel, though it is instead receivingports onto the Switch and PS4. It is disappointing that it is not being exhumed for something equal toThe Last of Us Part 1, especially since the reception to both titles mirror each other as stark opposites.
Red Dead Redemptionis already available on current-gen Xbox consolesdue to backward compatibility with the new PS4 port essentially achieving that same function on PS5, but it can already be presumed that the Switch port won’t be anything wildly impressive in terms of its technical performance. Having Rockstar’s seminal Western epic be more accessible is great, though it is an underwhelming update when fans surely would’ve preferred a dedicated remaster or remake, whereasThe Last of Us Part 1arguably never did.
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Nobody Needed a Remake of The Last of Us
The Last of Us Part 1’s premise as a remake was divisivesince there wasn’t a ton of demand from fans for a remake of the original.The Last of Usholds up incredibly well in terms of gameplay and while its graphics certainly weren’t up to par with its sequel, fans were quick to dismiss the idea of having to pay more money for the same game they may have already purchased twice before, once on PS3 and once on PS4. There were gameplay changes made that were relatively subtle compared to what a dedicated remake suggests, but it still helped to scratch an itch that PS5 players had and helped make it more immersively coherent with the sequel, even in its title alone with the added ‘Part 1’ to help distinguish it.
The Last of Us Part 1andThe Last of Us Part 2can now be played back-to-back with full immersion as if they were released in the same console generation, and that’s still wonderful even if most fans never expressed any desire for that opportunity. The real issue was still that it would cost fans again for the same game, butRed Dead Redemptionfans don’t seem to share that disdain when it comes to having a remake.
Red Dead Redemptionisn’t in such a poor condition that it’s desperate for a remaster or remake, but seeing how phenomenal its sequel looks on even a base PS4 it would be incredible for both to be packaged with the same graphical fidelity. Many fans believed that aRed Dead Redemptionremaster could accompanya current-gen update forRed Dead Redemption 2, and while the latter could still come to fruition it seems as though the original installment will not get the attention that fans believe it deserves.Red Dead Redemptionwill soon be available on PS4 alongside its sequel, but the distinction between how both play and look will only be made that much more drastic when compared side-by-side on the same console.
RemakingRed Dead Redemptionin its entirety to match the standard set by its sequel would obviously be no small challenge and would take quite a lot of development time, though fans probably would have been content with waiting that long if it meant the product they were getting met their hopes and expectations.The Last of Usdemonstrated that it is possible to re-render an original game and give it the same hyperrealism as its graphically superior sequel, and it’s unfortunate that Rockstar neglected to do the same.
Red Dead Redemptionis available now for PS3 and Xbox 360 with PS4 and Switch versions coming August 17.
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