It’s nothing special to groundbreaking to write home on. There isn't any new story additions, but I do think it’s a great game to pick up if you want to roam what is left of the untamed west while you still can.
My love for the West and Westerns has never been hidden. From my youth of playing cowboys as a kid to being a grown adult and watching and renting ‘The Rounders’ with Glenn Ford and Henry Fonda. While I am fully aware that I would have hated living in the West and most likely would be dead if I was transported to it now, I see wax poetically about it from time to time. Something else that I wax poetic on is the world and storytelling of ‘Red Dead Redemption’ from Rockstar Games. It was the first real Triple-A title I played on my Xbox 360 in high school. It was one of the first games that I ever fell in love with. Fast forward over 10 years from my first time playing 10, and 14 years from its release and Rockstar has finally released the PC version of the game to the excitement of its fans. However, to quote the late Gene Autry, ‘the West ain’t what it used to be’ in some ways.
I feel like now that we’re all 14 years removed from launch, we can openly discuss the narrative here, BUT if for some reason you haven’t played the game, this is your warning to leave and go play.
We all by now know the tale of John Marston and his trials and tribulations to just live a normal life with his family, but government agents are sent to have him ‘do their dirty work.’ It’s a tale that gets somewhat easier and also harder to take every time I play this game. The fact he is willing to do whatever it takes and go to extreme lengths to try and return to normal. From gang shootouts, to treasure hunting, to helping fight in a revolution in a different country. He’s just trying to break free from the past, but he and his family learn that the past isn’t going away sadly.
I will leave the narrative part there for now. For more, you can look at my PS5 Port Review of ‘Red Dead Redemption’ here, as well as the ‘preview’ review for ‘Read Dead Redemption 2’ from our lovely editor Nathan Stevens here.
Now, looking at this specific iteration, we have a few things to discuss.
First, the port is just that. It is a port and nothing more. Which is honestly fine. Feels a bit odd, but we finally have what we wanted. However, it is very solid and well-configured. The only major ‘issues’ I have faced were just some frame freezes and the occasional hiccups.
I had to adjust the graphics a few times on my machine to get things at an optimal setting. Running 3440 by 1440 at uncapped frames turns out isn’t ideal at times. So some fine-tuning was required to get the game at a good visual setting.
Now, look, this is still a game from 2010, but as you’ll see from some of the images that I have taken here, it’s still a visually pleasing game. The vastness of the map feels more staggering with this PC port. Maybe it’s due to some higher resolutions or draw distances. Or maybe it’s just because I play it on a monitor that is closer to my face than a TV.
Red Dead Redemption will always hold a special place in my heart and mind. To me, it was what storytelling could be for games. It also showed me that Westerns could be more than just what Dad watched.
The PC Port is fine. It’s nothing special to groundbreaking to write home on. There isn’t any new story additions, but I do think it’s a great game to pick up if you want to roam what is left of the untamed west while you still can.
