The first thought that got here to thoughts when beginning Red Dead Redemption on PlayStation 5 is how nicely the 13-year previous recreation holds up visually. The second one was that there was nonetheless no approach in hell I might advocate 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 recreation that’s been accessible for years on Xbox One with out the Undead Nightmare DLC for nearly half that worth.
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 recreation, 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 bear in mind it is a PS3/Xbox 360-era world. Then the solar begins to go down behind the clouds and also you bear 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 exterior of some occasional stuttering throughout cutscenes. According to Digital Foundry’s evaluation, the PS4 port resolves to “full 4K decision” and even appears barely higher on PS5 than the backwards suitable model on Xbox Series X/S, particularly in the case of shadows. But the variations are principally restricted to trivia that few individuals are more likely to discover. “It’s the form of recreation that doesn’t actually need a serious overhaul to work nicely on fashionable methods—besides it is a very barebones effort,” wrote Oliver Mackenzie.
The port could be a house run if not for the $50 head scratcher. It’s not the kind of factor I often prefer to harp on, and if in case you have 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 needs to revisit the sport or is overwhelmed by the shocking bounty of nice new video games this 12 months, it’s probably an instantaneous deal breaker, and nothing throughout my time enjoying it satisfied me in any other case. Maybe the sport will come to PS Plus in a couple of months, or go on sale throughout the vacation. For now it’s only a dear journey down reminiscence lane with nothing new to supply.
