Red Dead Redemption (PC) Review

Red Dead Redemption and it’s excellent Undead Nightmare DLC have finally…finally…been ported to PC after years of fan requests. It’s been an odd omission until now – all the recent GTA‘s and even Red Read Redemption II are already on Steam, so that this has been corrected at last is good news indeed. Even better news? The now 14 year old title still shows up most modern games in its execution of open world enjoyment, relatable and affecting characters, and simply fun gameplay and experiences. It’s a little aged in comparison to Rockstar’s own later work (GTA V and Red Dead‘s own sequel) but then it’s also awesome to see this little slice of history in 2024-vision, with features such as HDR and DLSS making it look and play better than ever.

We play as the enigmatic John Marston, who players of the sequel-cum-prequel will already know as a gang member who is trying to make amends for his crews actions in their troubled past. Arriving by train to New Austin at the turn of the century, the ways of the West – gunslinging cowboys and bandits included – are coming to an end as society and civilisation are gaining more of a foothold in America.

Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s all civil and governed by the rule of law. Far from it, and Marston skirts the line between righteous citizen and ruthless thug as only a Rockstar front man can. One minute he’s helping patrol a farm for rustlers and coyotes, the next he’s mowing down miners in search of heavy weaponry. Even back in 2010 I felt Marston was a much more well-rounded character than the likes of Niko Bellic, but in playing this again now I’m surprised by just how well-realised he is. Sure, there’s some over the top situations he finds himself in (helping grave robbers and widowed lovers who aren’t all there) but he never feels anything less than a real cowboy struggling with a new way of life.

While it might be a bit more sparse than later games, the open world of Red Dead Redemption is still a joy to explore. I’ve not delved too much into the secrets to be found so far this time out, but haven’t been able to help myself in stopping to complete challenges as I come across them. Riding across the wilderness is a slow but meditative affair, and while we can fast travel by using a campfire it’s never as satisfying as riding there and seeing what unfolds along the way.

Combat feels fluid, and was a real turning point for Rockstar’s games. Guns are weighty yet easy to use, and the Dead Eye feature – where Marston can slow time and paint targets before launching a volley of bullets in rapid succession – is just as satisfying as ever. NaturalMotion’s Euphoria engine is still in play here too, and man, I love the way that system works. Enemies react uniquely to hits, and it lends an air of authenticity to fights as they scramble for cover or try to limp away after a non-fatal shot.

Missions are a mixed bag early on, a symptom of older Rockstar titles and their slow opens. The aforementioned patrol of the farm amounts to walking around listening to Marston and Bonnie (the lady who saved his life at the start of the game) for a few minutes before we get to shoot one rustler and then back to the house to finish the mission. It’s all scene-setting stuff, and is well executed if a little less exciting than RDR gets to be. Later on things get far more interesting and exciting, with some iconic moments in gaming (such as the ride into Mexico) a welcome reward for players.

If you’ve played RDR before now, you’ll know all of this though. It’s one of Rockstar’s best works all told, and while the sequel ups the ante in every respect, this original game is still highly enjoyable and worth playing. Especially now on PC, as if you have a decent rig (or even a passable one) you can get this epic title playing the best it ever has. I’ve been playing on my 4050-powered laptop and have been enjoying the game at 4K, 120fps, HDR with DLSS and all the settings up to the maximum. Not only does it look much nicer than the 360 game I remember, but it feels super smooth to play and on a decent 4K set could quite comfortably challenge a lot of modern titles for technical prowess. It is still a 2010 game at heart of course, with certain foibles and hitches that come with the territory but even back then it was one of the most technically impressive games out there, so a nice up-spuff here just makes it shine that bit brighter.

I’ve been juggling RDR with a few other games for review this past week or so, and while the others are great too (more on them soon) I’d be lying if i said I wasn’t tempted to just keep playing this instead. It holds up incredibly well in every respect, from gameplay to setting, story, and plain, simple enjoyment. The sequel may have more modern impact, but this original masterpiece is still worth every moment of your time to experience. That it also includes the excellent Undead Nightmare DLC only sweetens the deal, with a zombified Marston trying to prevent the undead from destroying the new world. It’s one of the best DLC’s of that (or later) generations, and is worth the price of admission alone, albeit is far more enjoyable knowing the story of the main game.

One thing to note is that although this is a Steam release, you will need to sign up to Rockstar’s online account service and use their launcher to play. I’m fairly new to PC gaming in a more regular capacity and while I gather this idea isn’t generally well-received, it’s been a non-issue for me personally as once I’d linked my accounts the game boots from Steam (via the Rockstar launcher) no problem.

Conclusion

Red Dead Redemption is a bona-fide gaming classic that until now had missed the PC crowd baying for it to come to the platform. If you’ve yet to play it, this is simply the best way to play if you have even a passable PC or laptop, and puts a shine on a game that we can’t recommend enough.

This game was tested and reviewed on PC (via Steam). All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version. Game provided by the publisher.