Impressions of the PC version of Red Dead Redemption. 14 years have passed, and Rockstar's western is more alive than ever

Red Dead Redemption was released on PC after 14 years! The «console beta test» is officially over, and now all gamers can get acquainted with the project. Of course, after the second part, the original game no longer looks like something incredible that PC owners dreamed of in 2010. For some reason, Rockstar first ported RDR2 (this happened in 2019) and only after 5 years released the first part.

Many players hoped to get a full-fledged remaster with graphical improvements, but in the end, we got the classic «vanilla» version. And you know, after the story with Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition, I want to say thank you that the cult western was not handed over to another Grove Street Games.

We couldn't miss such an important release and thoroughly studied the PC version of Red Dead Redemption to tell you how the project works with a keyboard and mouse, how the graphics have changed, whether there are bugs and other problems — why it is worth replaying (or getting acquainted for the first time) the first RDR.

Red Dead Redemption still remains one of the most influential games in the action-adventure genre. The project entertains well and brings pleasure from the gameplay. We replayed the game on Switch a year ago and were satisfied with the quality of the port, which, by the way, added the Russian language. The first RDR still surprises with its open world, filled with various activities, unique characters, and detailed locations.

Rockstar projects can be compared to good wine: they get better and more unique over the years. In the era of one-button gameplay, sterile design, and ubiquitous agenda in stories, games like RDR are very much lacking. The game design in it amazes with its thoughtfulness and timeless elements. Against the backdrop of Ubisoft's open worlds, the American frontier from the distant 2010 looks more alive and complex. The Wild West of 1911 amazes with a system of random events, which consists of skirmishes with bandits, battles with wild animals, chases, as well as various requests for help. The developers have carefully worked out the balance between main missions and side quests, making the game less tedious, which many call the second part. RDR is quite quickly passed on «autopilot», additional activities do not distract from the story campaign.

With the new control system, playing the first RDR on PC is easier than on consoles. The Dead Eye system, which used to help Xbox and PS3 owners aim at specific body parts, is no longer particularly needed. The enemy AI was initially designed for the increased aiming timing with the analog stick, so during playthroughs on PC, you won't encounter particularly tough resistance in skirmishes with bandits. We recommend immediately choosing the «Hardcore» mode to maintain some challenge in battles. John Marston now truly feels like a professional shooter, accurately taking down entire gangs with precise headshots. There's no need to spend on fancy rifles; the «dirty work» can be done with a regular revolver.

Red Dead Redemption delights with animations brought to life by Euphoria technology. Instead of predefined animations, in-game characters react to the environment in real time. This makes every skirmish or fall unpredictable and spectacular. In later games, Euphoria's capabilities were cut back because the system is demanding on hardware. Additionally, generated animations could easily ruin a tense moment with a humorous character reaction. In the first Red Dead Redemption, the generation system works at full power, just like in GTA 4, so gunfights and interactions with objects look lively and natural.

If you haven't played Red Dead Redemption and haven't familiarized yourself with the plot on YouTube, now is the time to catch up. This story needs to be experienced at least once. RDR's script touches on deep themes of betrayal, redemption, and the fight for justice. The main character, John Marston, is a former criminal trying to start a new life and leave his past behind. However, the government forces him to return to violent methods by threatening his family's safety. Under the threat of losing everything dear to him, John sets out to find former members of his gang, including Bill Williamson and Dutch van der Linde, to hand them over to the law.

During his grand adventure, John will meet various allies and enemies, traveling through deserts, cities, swamps, border settlements, and even Mexico. Gradually, the hero realizes that the system he is forced to serve is no less corrupt and terrifying than his former life in the gang. And even when John completes his mission... well, we won't spoil it, you'll find out for yourself. The game's script emphasizes the brutal nature of change and the high cost of freedom.

In addition to the main story campaign, the PC port includes the Undead Nightmare expansion, which was previously sold separately. This expansion presents an alternate universe where the Wild West is overrun by zombies. It became popular due to its unusual genre concept, combining elements of horror and western. Undead Nightmare includes new missions, characters, weapons, and enemies, as well as unique quests related to hunting mythical creatures. The expansion was highly praised for its originality and innovations.

Unfortunately, you won't be able to play the multiplayer mode. It was successfully cut from the PC port. On the other hand, even the large-scale Red Dead Online isn't popular. So there's no point in talking about the traditional deathmatch from the Xbox 360 era that was in the first RDR.

As you might have guessed, despite various rumors and speculations, we received a standard PC port with minimal improvements. The developers didn't even enhance the texture resolution, causing character details in close-ups to suffer. Nevertheless, compared to the console versions, the port received the highest possible visual upgrades that were unavailable on the previous generation consoles. Thus, we have: the highest draw distance, soft shadows from a large number of objects, anti-aliasing and frame processing via DLAA (Deep Learning Anti-Aliasing), and some other perks. The interface was also updated, making it clearer. Although all this doesn't modernize the visuals fundamentally, the game world on maximum settings now looks decent, especially for a 14-year-old game.

The level of detail in the surrounding world is high even by modern standards. NPCs react to the player's actions: not only following scripts but also having certain behavior cycles, responding to events around them. Not every new open-world game can boast this. Detailed landscapes, diverse ecosystems, changing weather conditions, and dynamic lighting still impress and create a unique visual experience. Immersion in the era begins from the first minutes of gameplay.

In the PC version, the 30 FPS cap was also removed, allowing the game to run smoothly at 144 Hz. Playing through the story campaign has become much more enjoyable. Of course, due to such a high FPS, amusing glitches and errors occur. For instance, the horse mounting animation doesn't fully play out before the horse starts galloping forward. Enemies may begin moving at very high speeds, making it difficult to aim at them even with a mouse. Sometimes, shooting animations trigger so quickly that we couldn't figure out why the hero dies seemingly out of nowhere.

The PC optimization is commendable. Various scaling systems were added, but even without them, the game comfortably delivers maximum frame rates without drops and lags on the highest settings. Graphical bugs occasionally appear in cutscenes — characters disappear from view, John freezes with a funny expression, animations don't play during certain actions — but problematic moments are few and far between, and they don't hinder the gameplay.

What definitely hasn't aged in the game is the musical accompaniment. Composer Woody Jackson created a soundtrack that perfectly conveys the atmosphere of the Wild West. The use of guitar melodies, drum sounds, and other instruments makes every scene emotional and expressive. The music dynamically changes depending on the player's actions, whether it's a tense shootout or a peaceful ride against the backdrop of a spectacular sunset.

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Red Dead Redemption is not just a game; it's a true milestone in the industry. Thanks to its thoughtful gameplay, unforgettable story, and unique atmosphere, it hasn't aged over the years. Rockstar Games created an emotionally rich game that addresses deep themes and moral dilemmas. Such projects are rare nowadays.

At its time, Red Dead Redemption set new standards in storytelling and character development. For many major studios, this project became a prime example of how to create complex, multifaceted worlds and integrate emotional stories into them. Even today, RDR remains one of the best in the genre and deserves attention. For over ten years, the gaming community has been begging for a PC port of Red Dead Redemption — and now it's here. Isn't that a reason to traverse the «thorny path» with John Marston once again?