This is definitely not how Rockstar imagined it. The Switch and PS4 remake of the western epic is getting harsh criticism from fans
The prairies have been in an uproar since yesterday: some self-proclaimed gunslinger named Rockstar
has actually announced some sort of remaster of Red Dead Redemption and from Armadillo to Saint Denis, there’s only this one topic of conversation. And guess what? Reactions to the return of the legendary western game are very emotionally charged and largely negative
We asked around the saloons for you and summarise what the gringos out there are saying about the new old Red Dead Redemption.
Criticism abounds …
When an announcement trailer gets a measly 30,000 likes and a whopping 62,000 dislikes not even 24 hours after its premiere with around 500,000 views, it should quickly become clear that something is amiss here. The first trailer for the Red Dead Remaster comes up with this inglorious statistic:
🚨 Red Dead Redemption Trailer on Rockstar Games YouTube
– 499,225 views
– 29,399 likes
– 𝟲𝟮,𝟰𝟬𝟮 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀🟧 RedDeadRedemption pic.twitter.com/pq1aoTHcYj
– PlayStation Game Size (@PlaystationSize) August 8, 2023
Other places on X (which used to be called Twitter) are also met with derision and gloating, mostly rooted in bitter disappointment after years of waiting. Or as gaming YouTuber DomTheBomb sums it up in a meme:
Me waking up to see the Red Dead Redemption News… pic.twitter.com/gaDSoYD2BC
– DomTheBomb (@DomTheBombYT) August 7, 2023
You almost get scared to drop by Reddit. And indeed: Here, too, a storm of mostly negative emotions rages.
What is being criticised? That’s easy! Let’s quickly summarize what fans are criticizing:
- A 13 year old game is being sold for a whopping US$50/Euro.
- There are no major graphical improvements aside from a changed colour palette.
- The frame rate is still only 30 FPS on the PS4/PS5.
- No multiplayer features have been added.
- Once again the PC is ignored as a platform.
Reddit is overflowing with passionate fans expressing their anger and sadness. Highly voted statements sound something like this:
Rockstar is just a joke at this point. The amount of I don’t give a fucks is immeasurable…
If anyone asks why there are bootlegs, just refer them to this.
Only the new Rockstar manages to release something that is inferior to what we already have (on the Xbox), make it $10 more expensive, and remove the WONDERFUL multiplayer experience.
If you want to get your own idea of the situation, you can use these two Reddit threads as a starting point:
In the end … you did matter
by u/Wide_Abroad1182 in nextfuckinglevel
☻
Do not buy Red Dead Redemption
by u/dtv20 in reddeadredemption
☻
.. praise very little
But there are also positive voices! Above all, owners of the Nintendo Switch are delighted that they will also be able to enjoy the game’s fantastic gameplay in a few days’ time. In the aforementioned Reddit threads, you can find statements like:
Playing on the go, playing in bed, playing while my wife watches TV – I’m willing to pay $50 for that freedom.
I would imagine there are people who have a Switch and never played the game when it came out… I would say they should catch up because RDR is a great game.
So you see: The issue is currently dividing opinion. It remains to be seen if and how Rockstar will respond to the loud fan criticism.
What is your opinion of the Red Dead Redemption remaster? Are you joining the chorus of negative criticism or are you more positive about the remaster? Do you own a Nintendo Switch and are you planning to get the game for it? We’re looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the subject, so post them in the comments!
