Death, taxes, underwhelming re-releases of all-time basic Rockstar titles – some issues in life appear inevitable. Final 12 months, it fulfilled many gamers’ long-standing needs by releasing Pink Useless Redemption for “trendy” platforms (learn: PS4 and Nintendo Change). Many had already made their peace with the dearth of a remake, no matter rumors through the years, however even by trendy requirements, it felt lazy.
Low-resolution maps and belongings for the UI, locked to 30 frames per second, no new high quality of life adjustments or bug fixes, lacking multiplayer content material – and most insulting, it retails for $50, even right now. No, it’s not on the stage of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Version by way of total visuals and polish; it wasn’t the very best deal both, given all the pieces on supply. The truth that it obtained any constructive reception is only as a result of high quality of the sport (which nonetheless suffered from long-standing bugs and points).
“It’s tempting for PC gamers, particularly those that need to successfully expertise the continuation of the story from Pink Useless Redemption 2, however are the additional bells and whistles price it?”
Quick ahead a 12 months or so, and this model of Pink Useless Redemption is now out there on PC. It’s an auspicious event as a result of this marks the primary time the title has been out there for the platform. Nevertheless, whereas there are some new graphical options and choices, that is just about the identical sport as final 12 months, all the way down to the worth and out there content material (and lack thereof). It’s tempting for PC gamers, particularly those that need to successfully expertise the continuation of the story from Pink Useless Redemption 2, however are the additional bells and whistles price it?
Whether or not you’re new to the franchise or not, you’re most likely accustomed to Pink Useless Redemption. Launched in 2010 for PS3 and Xbox 360, it’s about John Marston, who’s roped in by the Bureau of Investigation to seek out the remaining members of the Van der Linde gang. Wild West fiction is usually related to larger-than-life macho characters, and whereas the presentation calls to thoughts hallmark movies from administrators like Clint Eastwood, its themes go a lot deeper.
Relatively than performing as a hero, a rugged gunslinger with nothing to lose, Marston is doing this to assist his household and are available to phrases together with his previous. In fact, there’s additionally Undead Nightmare, an enlargement the place John should battle a zombie outbreak. As tacky because it sounds, it’s performed straight and presents a enjoyable non-canon story.
Whereas the open world of the bottom sport pales compared to Rockstar’s newest (for apparent causes), the dimensions and a focus to element nonetheless stand out among the many finest within the style. Every city feels alive in its personal manner, and the world presents a number of actions to interact in – from bounties and treasure searching to taming horses and random occasions. Honor tracks your ethical and immoral deeds, which issue into your Fame and the way townsfolk will deal with you. It’s perfect to remain on the fitting facet of the regulation and never go round massacring each single outlaw that you just meet for the sake of near-universal cooperation. Nevertheless, your infamy can result in some attention-grabbing options from society’s much less savoury parts.
“Don’t get me improper – you need to play Pink Useless Redemption for its story-telling, characters, and world design, however not at this worth.”
The fight is as simple as ever. Take cowl and both blind fireplace at enemies or come out for extra correct pictures. Useless Eye slows down time and permits for marking targets to then summarily execute with fashionable aplomb. You possibly can awkwardly shift from cowl to cowl, however there isn’t a lot past that. Nevertheless, by its very nature, aiming with the mouse and keyboard feels a lot better than the default auto lock from the console variations (with the ability to rebind keys and add alternate choices can also be nice).
Even when the textures, animations, and character fashions are already up there in age and warrant a full-fledged remake, the artwork path, music, and total presentation are nonetheless price appreciating. It’s pleasant to simply stroll round and take within the sights, from the completely different indicators to the opposite NPCs going about their day. The voice performing additionally stays top-notch, with Rob Wiethoff unsurprisingly standing out together with his portrayal of Marston.
Don’t get me improper – you need to play Pink Useless Redemption for its story-telling, characters, and world design, however not at this worth. It was too excessive for final 12 months’s model, which obtained vital blowback from followers. And whilst you would assume Rockstar realized from this and thought to increase an olive department to PC gamers, particularly since they’ve been ready for much longer for a port. Nope. Pay $50, please.
And although Undead Nightmare is pleasant, providing up a good quantity of extra content material, the exclusion of the multiplayer content material continues to rattle me. It’s not simply the dearth of some modes – a number of co-op missions and unique courses have been left by the wayside. Having one thing to compensate for that will have been perfect, however that will require extra effort, which Rockstar isn’t going out of its manner for.
“Much less of a commentary on Rockstar’s view of the PC platform and extra of an illustration of the way it desires to current its classics to up to date gamers, Pink Useless Redemption remains to be borderline freeway theft at this worth on PC.”
On the very least, Pink Useless Redemption is a strong PC port. Dealt with by Double Eleven, it options choices for 144 frames per second, HDR, as much as 16x anisotropic filtering, and sliders to regulate the shadow high quality, softness, and mix alongside the extent of element for geometry, terrain, bushes (together with draw distance), and grass. FXAA returns, however you additionally get AMD FSR 3 and Nvidia DLSS help, with Body Technology and DLAA included. It could actually additionally obtain native 4K, helps Ultrawide and Tremendous Ultrawide shows, and options Nvidia Reflex Low Latency.
Is that this essentially the most intensive vary of graphical choices in a PC port ever? No, but it surely’s actually a step up over final 12 months’s console variations, leading to extra fluid gameplay with greater picture high quality. The constancy variations are minimal and never sufficient to justify the worth tag, however alas.
Regardless of the gameplay, which hasn’t aged as properly however remains to be useful sufficient, Pink Useless Redemption nonetheless holds up as an distinctive title. Only a few supply this stage of story-telling and presentation, mixed with an open world that feels lived-in and natural, backed by techniques that react to the type of outlaw you need to be (in simplistic methods, positive, however they’re nonetheless noteworthy). Furthermore, John Marston’s story endures, even in spite of everything these years, presenting the Wild West in a unique, extra emotional gentle.
Nevertheless, time is a flat circle, and regardless of placing extra effort into this PC port (which is relative, given how little went into the re-releases), you’re nonetheless suggested to select it up on a budget. Much less of a commentary on Rockstar’s view of the PC platform and extra of an illustration of the way it desires to current its classics to up to date gamers, Pink Useless Redemption remains to be borderline freeway theft at this worth on PC.
This sport was reviewed on PC.
