Rockstar Games’Red Dead Redemptionseems to be getting a remake. This remake represents an opportunity for the developers to introduce some of the modern functionality of the series most recent entry,Red Dead Redemption 2,to the original. While the addition of features fromRed Dead Redemption 2could help to make the original game more immersive and modern, there are some things that the original game did better than its sequel, and it would be a shame to see those things changed. One of the things that aRed Dead Redemptionremake needs to retain is the way that the original handled the player’s encounters with the law.
InRed Dead Redemption 2, if the player decides to commit a crime, lawmen will ride in, usually in small groups of two to four people. On the surface this seems fine, and it’s not dissimilar to the way thatGrand Theft Autohandles the police. Notably, this functionality seems to play out similarly across the map, regardless of if Arthur Morgan is in a big city of the deserts of New Austin. The one exception to this rule is inthe town of Armadillo. The previous game takes a very different approach.
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InRed Dead Redemption, the law worked very differently. Players were less likely to be pursued for crimes committed outside of towns. Not only that, but when a crime was committed in town, larger groups of lawmen would be sent, and the player would have the option to clear the town of police permanently. Rather than having to run away, the player had the option to shoot their way out of the situation.RDR2’s endless waves of lawmen make sense in a place like the bustling Saint-Denis, but it feels unrealistic in smaller and more remote locations. While aRed Dead Redemptionremakecan change the game, this original system should remain intact.
The wanted sytem inRed Dead Redemption 2is functional, but it discards the feeling of triumph often tied to the system in the first. While much of the changes inRed Dead Redemption 2improve immersionfor the player, this change to the wanted system works against it. The wanted system ofRDR1allowed the player to feel as if they were above the law; it was something that, with enough firepower, could be toppled. It allowed for the player to feel like a legendary outlaw.
One possible reason the wanted system could have changed is becauseRed Dead Redemption2is different tonally. The first game was much more aggressively paced; John was a man fighting for his families' freedom. Arthur’s story is a more contemplative one about a man trying to do what’s right with the time he has left. This can be felt in all of the game’s systems.Horses inRed Dead Redemption 2need caring for, crafting and hunting take precision and patience, and the attention to detail and realism is in stark contrast to the original’s more cinematic feel. While some of the changes in the sequel will surely make it into aRed Dead Redemptionremake, it is important that the remake retains the tone of the original release.
TheRed Dead Redemptionremake has a tough line to walk. While players will surely expect the attention to detail present inRDR2, especially since most of the first game’s map exists in the sequel, a good remake will know which of these changes to embrace and which to abandon. While the ability to clear a town of lawmen may seem like a small detail, its inclusion in a remake is an important one, and one that would demonstrate that the developers understand what makes the two games unique. HopefullyRockstar Gameswill let this feature return for its rumored remake ofRed Dead Redemption.
Red Dead Redemptionis available on PS3 and Xbox 360.
