Red Dead Redemption PC review

If you’re looking for a remaster that Sony PlayStation games keep pushing out every quarter then this is not that and if you’re looking for an overhaul like Capcom’s Resident Evil series, then this is not that either. Red Dead Redemption on PC is just a port with PC-specific enhancements including support for native 4K resolution at up to 144hz along with monitor support for both Ultrawide (21:9) and Super Ultrawide (32:9), HDR10, and full keyboard and mouse functionality. There’s also support for NVIDIA DLSS 3.7 and AMD FSR 3.0 upscaling technologies along with NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation which we’ll come to shortly.

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Even after 14 years, this game manages to pull me in with its witty dialogues and interesting characters. Good writing in any form of media is eternal and RDR’s characters and dialogues stand the test of time. You play as John Marston who is tasked by the federal agents to hunt down his former gang members (from RDR 2). John’s family is held hostage so he has little say in the matter. As simple as it sounds, in typical Rockstar flavour, there’s a long list of unpredictable characters ranging from lunatic grave robbers to snake oil selling scammers and drunk arms dealers that add depth and enjoyable action to the story. In short, there’s no shortage of fun here. The game also tackles some of the themes of change and life very well. It’s in the later stage of the story but it’s what makes Red Dead Redemption truly a beautiful game.

You also get the Undead Nightmare DLC which has its own side story and new weapons and outfits. There’s a ton of content here for sure and we understand why Rockstar is releasing this game at full price.

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Don’t expect the same level of nuance and detail from the game world like Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar doubled down on that game and improved the existing formula in every way possible. So for folks coming from RDR2, this game might feel a bit faster with less stuff to do and take care of. For instance, your horse and your hair don’t require regular visits to the bath or the barber. Guns don’t require the same care as your five-year-old and the overall open-world bloat is reduced considerably. This is something I found refreshing. In 2024, where every open-world game is filled with unnecessary side content, Red Dead Redemption’s attempt from 2010 feels very straightforward and values my time.

Shooting, riding and movement are pretty much the same. There are no improvements to animations as such or textures. You duck in and out of cover to shoot enemies or slow down time and feed bullets like Clint Eastwood.

Besides the gunslinging action, you also have side activities like Poker, Blackjack, Five Finger Fillet, horse taming, duelling, bounty hunting and more. Safe to say, I took longer to finish the game and write this review because I was busy losing money in Poker inside Red Dead Redemption! That said, the random world encounters ain't as shocking as RDR2 but they still add a well-earned depth to the game, something you might fail to find even in games released in 2024. I am looking at you Star Wars Outlaws.

In terms of visual fidelity, the game hasn’t changed much because textures and lighting are still the same. Maybe after the GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition Rockstar didn’t want to mess with people’s nostalgia. However, RDR 1 was never a bad-looking game. Sure, in the face of current-gen open-world games, RDR 1 looks dated but we never felt like it was ancient. The game runs solid on even handhelds. The frame rate has been capped at 144Hz and we played it on our Nvidia RTX 4080 Super at 1440p resolution at Ultra settings and got around 130FPS without Frame Generation. By turning on Nvidia Frame Generation the game jumped from 130FPS to a whopping 240FPS average. We got these numbers by turning off VSync because the game engine will only run up to 144FPS. That said, it's not a very demanding title and even on lower end GPUs like Nvidia RTX 4060 or 4050, this game should run absolutely fine.

Even on our Lenovo Legion Go handheld PC, the game ran at a smooth 80FPS with Medium settings and AMD FSR 3.0 enabled. The game is very well ported. We did not get a single stutter or frame drop on any of our devices.

Audio, on the other hand, can be a bit sharp on the highs and sound compressed. It’s not as wide sounding as a videogame audio should be but the music is still one of the best from that era. It gets your blood pumping every time you’re on a horseback chase but also allows you to soak in the dry wilderness with slow rhythmic tunes. Oh and check out the Red Dead Redemption Orignal soundtrack on Apple Music or other platforms of your choice (click here), it’s well mastered and Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie by William Elliott Whitmore sounds incredible on a good hi-fi system!

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Red Dead Redemption on PC is a must-play for fans of its sequel. It offers a compelling story, engaging gameplay, and a well-optimized port. While the graphics are dated, the game's timeless qualities and solid performance make it a worthwhile experience. Don't miss out on this classic Western adventure.

It’s coming at a full price and some people might be irked by paying full price for a decade-old game but it’s still better than half the new open-world games that came out this year. And if at all you’re feeling the pinch, plonk it on your wishlist and wait for a discount.