Summary
There is evidence within the files of the Nintendo Switch version ofRed Dead Redemptionthat suggests that it was originally going to be a remaster instead of just a port of the original game. Many fans had wanted to see the originalRed Dead Redemptionbe re-released on modern platforms for many years, so it was surprising when Rockstar Games revealed thatthe firstRed Dead Redemptionwould be coming only to the PS4 and Switch.
Fan expectations were tempered a bit when it was revealed this game would be an up-scaled port of the original, along withthe price of theRed Dead Redemptionportbeing higher than expected. The lack of a PC or next-gen console version did not help the situation either. Despite these complaints, the re-release managed to top the charts on both PS4 and Switch. The gameplay and graphics are mostly the same, though the newer ports do have some textures that are clearer than the original versions. Thanks to the efforts of some hackers, it seems the original scope of this port was for it to be a remaster.
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This report was made by Vadim M. on Twitter, who specializes in making in-depthGrand Theft Autovideos that investigate the rare and obscure sides of the series. They received images that theRed Dead Redemptionport had some internal data that initially called it “RDR Remaster.” Double Eleven Studios, the developer chosen to assist with the conversion process, apparently left some data in the Switch version that referred to an executable known as “rdrremaster.exe” as well.
According to Vadim, Rockstar may have ditched the idea of making “remasters” afterthe vitriolic backlash that theGrand Theft Autotrilogy remaster received, where all three games had suffered from bugs, glitches, and other problems. They theorize that withRed Dead Redemptionplaying it safe by being a port, a possibleGrand Theft Auto 4re-release would also play it safe by just being a conversion for the same platforms.
They note that it is only a few days after the digital release of the Switch and PS4 versions of the game, and that the leaked symbols could mean anything, and it’s too early to tell what the string actually means. They do note the string is referenced a few times internally, however. Whilethe performance ofRed Dead Redemptionon the new platformsis fine, some fans lament that Rockstar didn’t dedicate enough time and resources to make a proper remaster of the original game.
Red Dead Redemptionis available now for PS3, PS4, Switch, and Xbox 360.
