Off the Shelf Media

Few game developers have managed to generate so many top-tier titles across multiple franchises and retained such a strong fanbase along the way. Although not always under the best light in terms of public perception, the counterculture game theory that launched the studio still stands today as a juggernaut of the industry.

This seemingly indie start has largely been maintained across their releases, making their most popular and loved games always feel unique. There is no pretending that Rockstar is not a massive studio, but their style always manages to feel against the grain of the other AAA counterparts. 

The schoolyard talk surrounding Red Dead Redemption before launch was a flurry of excitement and hopeful anticipation. Most people around me had never been exposed to the first game of the franchise: Red Dead Revolver.

While that title did not break any records, it certainly set the familiar Wild West foundation, and luckily managed to remain in the minds of the developers. Revolver maintains an awkward distance from the franchise as not necessarily canon to Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption II, making them more like spiritual successors than direct continuations, even if you may hear the occasional reference. 

While most were eagerly waiting for the release following the massive success of Grand Theft Auto IV just two years prior,  those who had been exposed to the previous title still had concerns that the ‘new’ setting of the Wild West would prove more difficult to bring to life in a game compared to the more recent city environments. It was a reasonable concern. Would the game focus more around mechanics like that of the Max Payne series, as Revolver had, or would it keep in line with the massive open environment of the GTA series? Not to mention, convincing the younger audience I was a part of at the time that horse riding could be as entertaining as car chases. 

While most were not surprised that Red Dead Redemption was a good game, I think everyone was amazed at just how incredible the game was. The lofty expectations they had created from their recent titles managed to be broken entirely on the release of RDR. While the PC port released in 2024 faced almost completely opposite results, more on that later, it still manages to be one of the best games ever made.

Gameplay: 2

Let’s get the negative out of the way first because there is not a lot of it. The most annoying part of the gameplay is trying to walk through a doorway directly behind you. Yeah, it might seem like a big deal, but most of the time it is avoidable. The animation for walking, well, pretty much every animation, strives for realism, which means that directing John Marston lacks a certain amount of ‘snapping’ that older games used for instantaneous movement. This means the character model does a small turn that requires a few steps, rather than pivoting on one foot to change direction, which is more common in later games. This animated arc requires a bit more room to maneuver, meaning the character will be off-center from the intended direction input. I know it is a very specific critique, but if you play the game enough, it will be the goofiest frustration you come across. Not worth losing a point, but I think a unique marker for games at the time, where they had advanced exponentially from the previous generation, but the last stepping stone before hyperrealism could functionally permeate into the market. 

Everything else about the gameplay feels perfect. The aiming auto assist is incredibly snappy but can be altered and disabled as well. Different weapons also have different practical ranges. You may be able to snap to a target, but if they are further away, you will have to move the tiny white dot reticle, usually up and to the right, to land a hit. This distinction makes the weapon variants feel unique and introduces a more dynamic experience if you tend to favor a rifle, pistol, shotgun, or throwable. They can be used in almost every scenario, but require a change in how you approach combat. It is a solid example of a combat system that is easy to use but hard to master.

Similar to the riding mechanic, the most common type of traveling in the game. The classic Rockstar signature sprint mechanic of repeatedly pushing a button to sprint, rather than toggling the function in one press, is applied to horses. While not as fast or flashy as the cars in GTA, this makes the system feel familiar and unique. Because your most used vehicle has stamina, it can take a bit of practice to perfect the timing to be in a sprint while not depleting your horse’s energy and getting bucked off. It also makes the horse combat feel more difficult compared to car shootouts, but it is more satisfying, and seeing your entire target lends itself to a more personal engagement; the threat is right there, not separated by steel and glass.

The riding also lacks most auto-steer functions except when following an NPC. While some might see it as a negative feature that makes it more difficult, I prefer it over the system used in Red Dead Redemption II. Specifically, not the function that allows you to enter the cinematic mode, but in normal riding. I find myself riding headfirst into trees and rocks far more often in that game, not because I somehow got worse at it, but because an amount of control in directing the horse was relinquished from the player in that game and given to some sort of system that tries to determine your intended path. There is nothing like that in RDR, and while the tradeoff might be a slightly more tedious time following characters during a mission, the payoff is a far better overall experience.

There is a fast travel mechanic, which I do not recommend for first-time players, that allows you to pay for stagecoaches in town or use a campsite in the wilderness to travel to any waypoint or major location for free. It always seemed odd to have a free and a paid version, but it does not detract from the experience, which is useful when hunting down challenges and side mission objectives. 

The game does lack a crafting mechanic, which, in all honesty, is a breath of fresh air compared to recent releases. While you may not find yourself bent over a campfire crafting 200 bullets, one at a time, you certainly will come across inventory items for missions or general trading. It is simple but works well to make the unique discoveries rewarding and prevent the more mundane from being a drag by taking too long. You will experience an animation for skinning animals, looting corpses,  and picking flowers, but their short length feels more immersive than pointless. It has a rustic feel, selling pelts for enough money to buy upgraded gear, ammo, or one-use items. These items can also play into special challenges, which might unlock new outfits or help you during quick time events, such as the hunting and foraging random encounters. 

This is an open world done right. While the catalog of random events seems small by the late game, they keep exploring the world from becoming dull and lifeless. You do not know when you will find a friendly campsite, telling tall tales of the West, or a group of bandits trying to lure you into their trap. They also allow you to sharpen your skills naturally. While no one will admit how many times they had their horse stolen or were tricked by a damsel in distress, every player has been there and made their quickdraw time a bit faster because of it. The shooting challenges also give you an excuse to practice the “Dead Eye” mechanic on a moving target without fear of raising your bounty on the innocent travelers. 

The Bounty system also feels familiar to GTA, but with the added luxury of showing the wanted level diminish in real time. This means you can gauge how long before the marshals stop their pursuit, but be warned, if your bounty goes unpaid or unpardoned, someone will come to try and collect down the line. 

The negative moral impacts of these actions can be negated using the bandana from your inventory, but also the positive ones of helping the community, should you equip it. The rewards for reaching the maximum rank on the honor system, either good or bad, are not as impactful as the sequel, but still worth exploring. Another organic system of the game to prevent static playthrough. 

Story: 2

Missions have the highest direct sway on the honor system as well as increase your reputation, a separate meter that also comes with player rewards. The “Stranger” side missions have fixed locations and are often level-locked, but give a similar feel to random encounters, only with more weight in their moral choices. These side missions really blend the narrative of the game together. 

The main story certainly cements the player in a unique and expansive narrative, but the culmination of it, along with the side missions, makes the storytelling element of the game perfect. It feels unique and also like every single Western movie ever created blended together. If one were to accuse Rockstar of only creating immature, foul-mouthed, low-humor games, Red Dead Redemption is the absolute counterexample. While gameplay and story elements may touch those adjectives at certain moments, as a whole, it’s a dramatic tale worthy enough to be on the shelf of great American Mythos. 

The story takes place in 1910, fifteen years after what is commonly considered the end of the Wild West Period in American history. It intersects perfectly as a backdrop of the main mission, in which you are hunting down the former members of your outlaw posse. As you capture them at the behest of the federal government, you are symbolically showing the end of that cultural period as modern times begin to take over what was once wild. The blending of storylines that enforce that theme and those that represent the more wild elements is nothing short of incredible storytelling. The short chats between points of interest during missions are all that is required for an acceptable backstory. Encapsulating a time where men of action are represented as having few words and unshakable principles. 

John Marston himself embodies that lead role. Surrounded constantly by the immoral and those who seize every chance to get a leg up on those around them, he remains constant. You may choose a more villainous playthrough, throwing away the lives of anyone in your path, but you are never unfaithful to your wife. It might seem an odd moral hill to stand on, but it shows he does live by a code that is unwavering. 

Atmosphere: 2

Major sections of the map are locked behind the main mission story progression. It is a massive map, which takes the worry out of feeling like that invisible barrier is always there. Some side missions require all sections unlocked, which might feel out of place, but usually signal that it might be time to focus on the main story. The progression is largely fluid and offers different terrains and biomes you would expect to see from movies like  A Fist Full of Dollars, Jeremiah Johnson, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. 

The score and outfits are excellent as well. Each fight feels like a proper Western shootout with the soundtrack and, often, times piano of the saloon in the background. Some outfits offer perks but are largely cosmetic, with many of them feeling like callbacks to other classic Western movies as well. Wherever you may find yourself, you will never be out of place. The thematic dedication throughout the entire game keeps you planted in the entirely invented area of “New Austin.”

Value: 2

Now the tricky business. I initially bought this game at release for the Xbox 360 for $60. It was more than worth the price then. Since, however, I have entered the PC gaming space, and while most nostalgic games are easy to find at an incredibly low price, Red Dead Redemption was not. It was released for PC almost fifteen years after its initial launch. The Nintendo Switch had an official port of the game before the PC. When it finally did launch on Steam, it was and has been priced at $49.99.

With such a long amount of time since its initial launch, one would assume that the version for PC would be remastered in some way. Perhaps a graphics overhaul and minor tweaks to improve the quality of life mechanics. One would assume and be entirely wrong. The PC version is a direct port, which, to my knowledge from playing, is no different from the original release. 

That does feel steep. I assume because no one on PC has ever bought the game, assuming they only played games legally on PC their entire life, that it justified the price because it is the first experience. In reality, I do not think you would find anyone who matches that description, or such a small margin would be insignificant. In my view, $30 seems like a more reasonable price considering nothing was done to enhance the game after more than a decade. Even a graphics overhaul would justify it as a remastered title, but this is a direct port. 

My best interpretation is that the launch failure of the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy diminished the possible cost-benefit for trying to remaster the game, so they simply ported it to make sure it worked. Worked as well as the final 2010 version, which is not buggy, but it’s a big game, so there are some issues. That is my best guess. The reason I did not knock a point off is because the game is still as incredible as the first time I played it. It is disappointing, but really just another reminder that while their games are unique, Rockstar is still a major developer. 

Duration: 2

It is certainly a long game. I would say it would take around 20 hours for a new player to just focus on the main story. I would recommend giving the game at least 30 hours to go after some of the many challenges and side missions to really get a full perspective of the game. That being said it is certainly shorter than RDR2, for better or worse. 

Total Score: 10/10

It’s a perfect game. It delivered more than what was expected on release, and is so loved that it has been rereleased on the latest consoles. While the recent iteration on PC is pricey, Rockstar can say they have released a completed game in 2024. When you take that into consideration, how many other AAA games can say the same? It is not the best behavior, and I certainly do not expect it to become a trend, seeing as how the recent release flopped.

Rockstar manages to make countless references to so much Western Americana that it shows the absolute love and understanding they had not only for the game but for the genre.