The first thought that got here to thoughts when beginning Red Dead Redemption on PlayStation 5 is how effectively the 13-year previous sport holds up visually. The second one was that there was nonetheless no means in hell I may suggest it to anybody for a “next-gen” price ticket of $50. The graphics are clear and crisp, however in any other case it’s the identical sport that’s been obtainable for years on Xbox One with out the Undead Nightmare DLC for nearly half that value.
The cinematic scenes and character interactions nonetheless draw you in, and the performances remind you why Rockstar Games’ open-world Western was a worthy GOTY contender (Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Mass Effect 2 additionally got here out in 2010). It nonetheless looks like an previous sport, particularly with the unique interface, often clunky motion, and less-than-snappy controls. Look out throughout sprawling prairies or cactus-filled desserts and also you’ll instantly keep in mind this can be a PS3/Xbox 360-era world. Then the solar begins to go down behind the clouds and also you keep in mind how particular it was on the time and instantly really feel pulled again into its drama.
I spent a few hours with the sport on PS5, a clip of which you’ll see above, and didn’t run into any actual points. It’s locked to a disappointing 30fps, however retains a constant efficiency outdoors of some occasional stuttering throughout cutscenes. According to Digital Foundry’s evaluation, the PS4 port resolves to “full 4K resolution” and even appears to be like barely higher on PS5 than the backwards suitable model on Xbox Series X/S, particularly with regards to shadows. But the variations are principally restricted to trivialities that few persons are more likely to discover. “It’s the kind of game that doesn’t really need a major overhaul to work well on modern systems—but even so this is a very barebones effort,” wrote Oliver Mackenzie.
The port can be a house run if not for the $50 head scratcher. It’s not the kind of factor I often wish to harp on, and when you’ve got the cash to spare, and by no means performed Red Dead Redemption earlier than, and solely have a PS4 or PS5, go for it! But for anybody who simply desires to revisit the sport or is overwhelmed by the stunning bounty of nice new video games this yr, it’s probably an immediate deal breaker, and nothing throughout my time taking part in it satisfied me in any other case. Maybe the sport will come to PS Plus in just a few months, or go on sale through the vacation. For now it’s only a expensive journey down reminiscence lane with nothing new to supply.
Discussion about this post