The Case for a Red Dead Revolver Remake Before RDR3

Summary

Red Dead Revolver, the game that started it all for the beloved Red Dead series, could be a bolder and better option for a remake or remaster than its sequel, Red Dead Redemption.
Although Red Dead Revolver lacks connective tissue to its successors and feels more like a prototype, its self-contained plot and era-appropriate design make it a perfect candidate for a redemption arc.
Red Dead Revolver's larger-than-life boss fights and its difficult gameplay mechanics that resemble the challenges of the Soulsborne genre could be an enticing hook for both fans of the Red Dead Redemption games and a wider audience.

Since before Red Dead Redemption 2' s release, there has been no shortage of clamor for a remake or remaster of Red Dead Redemption. However, Red Dead Revolver, the game that started it all by shaping Rockstar's love for stories set in the Wild West, could prove a bolder and better option. A relic from a time when the studio was churning out games much quicker, Red Dead Revolver - with some modern renovations and a visual touch-up - would be an endearing time capsule for fans.

In 2004, Rockstar was already well on its way to being one of gaming's most well-regarded studios and publishers. A year removed from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and with San Andreas close on the horizon, many consider this a golden era for Rockstar. A month after Rockstar North released its controversial yet favorably reviewed Manhunt, Rockstar San Diego would drop Red Dead Revolver, a gun-slinging Western revenge tale that leaned on the genre's cliches and set the stage for two of the most revered titles in the medium.

A Relic From Rockstar's Past

Playing Red Dead Revolver in 2024 is a tall order. The most recent console that can run the game through backwards compatibility is the PlayStation 4, and even then, there are some archaic systems at play that could put fans off from trying it out. The fidelity and animations were impressive for its time, but do not hold up all that well contemporarily, and the stage-based pacing with its narrative strung along through playable vignettes comes across as jarring for those used to the Red Dead Redemption games' open-world design.

Red Dead Revolver: To Be or Not To Be Canon

The other aspect working against Red Dead Revolver' s revisiting is a lack of connective tissue between its two successors. Red Harlow's tumultuous journey was all but retconned for Red Dead Redemption, with the game's most notable mention being some campfire gossip in Red Dead Redemption 2. With no returning characters, few revisited locales, and scant mention of Red Dead Revolver's protagonist, it is understandable why the game has been lost in the annals of history and feels more like a prototype than the first entry in the series. That could be perceived as a knock against its case for a remake, but a self-contained plot and era-appropriate design make it a perfect candidate for a redemption arc.

The Time is Right for a Red Dead Resurgence

In a time when remakes and remasters are in no short supply, from those offering things as minor as resolution changes and quality-of-life features to top-to-bottom modern recreations, a new take on Revolver would feel natural. Two decades from its initial release, Red Dead Revolver would have to fall under the category of the latter to iron out its antiquated kinks. Bringing the combat and Dead Eye mechanic up to its Red Dead Redemption 2 level of refinement and modernizing Red Dead Revolver' s tense quick-draw duel minigame would go a long way in bringing the game up to the modern standard.

A Red Dead Revolver remake would set its target audience as fans of the Red Dead Redemption games, but could also reach a wider draw with its looser grip on reality. Some of the larger-than-life boss fights, including a snake-oil chugging teleporter, two buffalo-mounted mercenaries, and the infamous Pig Josh could have incredible potential. With their HP bars and poise breaks, brutal difficulty, and unforgiving mechanics, it almost feels more like a precursor to the Soulsborne genre than Red Dead Redemption's more grounded sensibilities, and that could be an enticing hook.

A Matter of Time and Resources For Rockstar

Given Red Dead Revolvers more honed-in scope and Red Dead Redemption's notoriously difficult-to-manage codebase, remaking the former could be a much simpler proposition. In a perfect world, both games would get a proper remake before the next entry in the Red Dead saga, or at the very least, a remastering, but Red Dead Revolver absolutely deserves a shot at renewed relevance.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image