While the Grand Theft Auto franchise usually gets most of the praise and attention, Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption series is just as worthy of the praise, containing two of the most critically-acclaimed video games of all time. Released back in 2010, Red Dead Redemption was an immediate critical and commercial hit, offering the best gameplay Rockstar had to offer at the time in an extremely unique setting. And though it took eight years for the sequel, the wait was more than worth it, with Red Dead Redemption 2 being an improvement on its predecessor in almost every way.
Over the last year or so, a handful of rumors have started to crop up online, all pointing to the existence of some kind of Red Dead Redemption remake or remaster. The most recent Red Dead Redemption remake rumors occurred just a few weeks ago, when a South Korean rating board listed a new game simply titled Red Dead Redemption, leading many to believe that a remaster or remake is on the way. This was soon followed by industry veteran Colin Moriarty confirming the leak, saying that a Red Dead remake announcement was imminent. But while this news is very exciting for fans, a Red Dead Redemption remake wouldn't hold a candle to Red Dead Redemption 2.
A Red Dead Redemption Remake Might Not Hold a Candle to Red Dead Redemption 2
The first Red Dead Redemption was a phenomenal game for the time. In a year that saw such incredible games as Super Mario Galaxy 2, God of War 3, Mass Effect 2, and Call of Duty: Black Ops release, Red Dead Redemption was still the highlight for many. With its unique Wild West backdrop immediately setting it apart from the rest, Red Dead Redemption's surprisingly deep story, compelling characters, and fun gunplay all came together to give the game an easy home run. But Rockstar's game design has moved on quite a bit since 2010.
With each new video game release, Rockstar makes a plethora of sweeping changes based on the prior game's reception. For instance, following the mixed reception of Red Dead's online component, Rockstar ensured that Grand Theft Auto 5's was a fully-fledged experience, resulting in the decade-long success that is GTA Online. With eight years coming between Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2, it's only natural that the sequel is better, and that's true for just about every aspect of the game.
While fans might still prefer the original Red Dead to its sequel, there's no denying that the vast majority of game mechanics and systems in Red Dead 2 are simply better. Red Dead Redemption 2 features more compelling side quests, a more realistic and grandiose open-world, better gunplay, better horse riding, more customization options, fully fleshed-out characters, and an even more complex and enthralling story oozing with Spaghetti Western charm. Put simply, Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the best games ever made, and while a Red Dead Redemption remake has some strong nostalgia working for it, it probably won't hold a candle to Red Dead Redemption 2.
The only way that a new version of Red Dead Redemption would be able to hold a candle to Red Dead 2 is if it was built front the ground up in the Red Dead 2 engine, but even then its open world and quest design would remain less interesting. Rockstar's a busy studio as well, presumably with most of its resources currently dedicated to Grand Theft Auto 6, so making a fully-fledged Red Dead Redemption remake unlikely. A remaster is the more believable scenario, and if that is the approach taken, the sequel will surely remain the superior game.
Red Dead Redemption is available now on PS3 and Xbox 360.