Red Dead Redemption Expands Its Wild West Horizons with Thrilling PS4 and Switch Ports
Fans left disappointed as Red Dead Redemption's newly announced ports for PS4 and Switch fail to meet expectations for a remake or remaster Take-Two's contradictory stance adds to the frustration A missed opportunity for Rockstar Games
Highlights
Putting an end to years of rumors, Rockstar Games has officially confirmed the release of Red Dead Redemption on PS4 and Switch as a port, thereby leaving fans disappointed as they were anticipating a remastered version.
The release of The Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy -- The Definitive Edition was highly problematic, disappointing fans with its buggy and subpar rendition of the beloved trilogy. This directly contradicted Take-Two's earlier promises of improved visuals and features in remasters.
Despite the issues surrounding the trilogy release, the absence of an updated version of Red Dead Redemption on PS4 and Switch was a missed chance for devoted fans eagerly awaiting an enhanced edition.
After years of anticipation, Rockstar Games announced this week that a remaster of Red Dead Redemption would indeed be released on modern platforms. However, contrary to expectations, the game will not be receiving a full remake or remaster. Initial rumors of such a project circulated in 2021 but were quickly dismissed by Rockstar following the negative reception of the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy -- The Definitive Edition. Instead, the plan is to port the original Red Dead Redemption to PlayStation 4 and Switch, which has drawn comparisons to the flawed release of the GTA Definitive Edition.
The Grand Theft Auto Definitive Edition compilation, released in late 2021 for modern consoles and PC, was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews. Fans who had hoped for a polished and updated gaming experience were instead disappointed by a buggy and underwhelming product that was even worse in terms of visuals and performance compared to the original PS2 versions. This release contradicted comments made by Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick regarding the remaster strategy, and now history seems to be repeating itself with the underwhelming announcement of Red Dead Redemption.
Rockstar Games' Parent Company Take-Two is Contradicting Itself
Following the announcement of a remastered edition of Grand Theft Auto 5 for next-gen consoles, Take-Two Interactive CEO, Strauss Zelnick, discussed the company's approach to remakes and remasters. Zelnick stated that Take-Two aimed to update its games with improved visuals and features rather than opting for simple ports, emphasizing the need to make efficient use of resources for modern hardware. While this approach was successfully applied to Grand Theft Auto 5 re-releases and ports, the same cannot be said for other intellectual properties (IPs).
The release of the Grand Theft Auto Definitive Edition was anticipated to be a major achievement for Rockstar and Take-Two. It combined three highly adored and influential open-world games, revamping them for current hardware. However, the company unexpectedly removed the previous versions of these three PS2 classics from the market and required fans to purchase inferior renditions instead. This decision contradicts Take-Two's CEO's statement in 2021, effectively disappointing fans who have long awaited a remaster of Red Dead Redemption, which the company is now releasing solely as a basic port.
Regardless of Quality, Red Dead Redemption's Port is a Missed Opportunity
The quality of the PS4 and Switch Red Dead Redemption ports is uncertain. It is unclear if these releases will meet the standards set by the original or repeat the same mistakes as the Grand Theft Auto Definitive Edition. Even if the ports are of high quality, they are still a major disappointment for fans who have been eagerly anticipating an updated release of Red Dead Redemption on the latest consoles.
Take-Two and Rockstar's financial projections indicate a significant increase in earnings in the next two fiscal years. This suggests that the company may release Grand Theft Auto 6 in 2024. Consequently, it is evident that priority is being given to new games in their flagship franchise rather than investing resources in remasters or remakes of older games. Unfortunately, this trend is becoming increasingly associated with Take-Two and Rockstar, leaving fans with the impression that profit is more important than their expectations.
Red Dead Redemption is available now for PS3 and Xbox 360, and releases on August 17 for PS4 and Switch.
