| Red Dead Redemption | |
|---|---|
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| Developer | Rockstar San Diego[a] |
| Publisher | Rockstar Games |
| Producers |
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| Designers | |
| Programmer | Ted Carson |
| Artists |
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| Writers |
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| Composers |
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| Series | Red Dead |
| Engine | RAGE |
| Platforms | |
| Release | |
| Genre | Action-adventure |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
Red Dead Redemption is a 2010action-adventure game developed byRockstar San Diego and published byRockstar Games. A successor to 2004'sRed Dead Revolver, it is the second game in theRed Dead series.Red Dead Redemption is set during the decline of theAmerican frontier in the year 1911. It followsJohn Marston, a former outlaw who, after his wife and son are taken hostage by the government in ransom for his services as a hired gun, sets out to bring three members of his former gang to justice. The narrative explores themes of thecycle of violence,masculinity,redemption, and theAmerican Dream.
The game is played from athird-person perspective. The player canfreely roam in its interactiveopen world, a fictionalized version of theWestern United States andNorthern Mexico, primarily byhorseback, and on foot. Gunfights emphasize agunslinger gameplay mechanic called "Dead Eye" that allows players to mark multiple shooting targets on enemies inslow motion. The game uses a morality system by which the player's actions affect their character's levels of honor, fame, and howother characters respond to the player. Anonline multiplayer mode is included with the original release, allowing up to 16 players to engage in bothcooperative and competitive gameplay in a recreation of the single-player setting.
The game's development lasted over five years, and it became one of themost expensive video games ever made. Rockstar improvedits proprietary game engine to increase its technological capabilities. The development team conducted extensive research, including field trips toWashington, D.C. and analyzing classicWestern films, to achieve realism for the game. The team hired professional actors to perform the body movements throughmotion capture.Red Dead Redemption features anoriginal score composed by Bill Elm andWoody Jackson. The game's development received controversy following accusations of unethical working practices. The studio's working hours and managerial style were met with public complaints from staff members.
Red Dead Redemption was released for thePlayStation 3 andXbox 360 in May 2010, for theNintendo Switch andPlayStation 4 in August 2023, and forWindows in October 2024; versions forAndroid,iOS,Nintendo Switch 2,PlayStation 5, andXbox Series X/S are scheduled for December 2025. It received critical acclaim for its visuals, music, performances, gameplay, and narrative. It won year-end accolades, includingGame of the Year awards from severalgaming publications, and is considered one ofseventh-generation console gaming's most significant titles and among thegreatest video games ever made. It has shipped over 25 million copies. Severaldownloadable content additions were released;Undead Nightmare added a new single-player campaign in which Marston searches for a cure for an infectiouszombie plague. Aprequel,Red Dead Redemption 2, was released in October 2018.
Red Dead Redemption is aWestern-themedaction-adventure game played from athird-person perspective. Players controlJohn Marston and complete missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story; in the epilogue, players control John's son Jack.[5] Outside of missions, players mayfreely roam theopen world, consisting of the American states New Austin and West Elizabeth—fictionalized versions of theWestern United States—and the fictionalMexican state Nuevo Paraíso.[6] Different breeds of horses are the main forms of transportation, each with different attributes. Horses must be tamed in the wild, stolen, or purchased.[7] Players can utilize trains and carriages for quick travel.[8] Undeveloped land features rugged and vast landscapes with occasional travelers, bandits, and wildlife. Urban settlements range from isolated farmhouses to crowded towns.[9]
Players can witness and partake in random events, including public hangings, ambushes, pleas for assistance, encounters with strangers, ride-by shootings, and dangerous animal attacks. Optional side activities includedueling,bounty hunting, herb collecting,gambling, and hunting.Red Dead Redemption uses an Honor system, which is increased by morally positive deeds, such as capturing an outlaw alive or saving a stranger, and decreased by negative choices like murder. The Fame system affects hownon-player characters (NPCs) react to players based on Honor.[11] If players have high Honor, NPCs will greet them and they will receive discounts in some stores;[12] if low, NPCs will act insecure and establishments may close their doors. Players can disguise themselves by wearing abandana when performing criminal acts.[11]
Gunfights are an essential gameplay mechanic. Players can take cover, target a specific person or animal, blindfire, and free aim.[10] Individual body parts can be targeted to take down targets non-lethally. Weapons include revolvers, pistols, rifles, shotguns, knives, explosives, and lassos.[13] Aiming utilizes agunslinger gameplay mechanic known as Dead Eye, a targeting system allowing players to slow down time and mark targets. Once the targeting sequence ends, players fire to all marked locations in quick succession.[14] The Dead Eye system upgrades and grants more abilities as players progress.[11]
The game introduces the bounty system, a crime-governing mechanic inspired byGrand Theft Auto's wanted system. When players commit a crime, witnesses run to the nearest police station; players can bribe or kill them before they reach the station, negating consequences. Once the law is alerted, the Wanted meter appears with a bounty set on players' heads. The bounty grows higher as players commit more crimes, and more lawmen will be sent to hunt them;[11] after committing enough crime, theU.S. Marshals orMexican Army will be sent. To evade law enforcement in pursuit, players must escape a circular zone or kill all lawmen in a town. If players escape, bounty hunters will continue to track them.[15][16] The bounty will remain on their head until they pay it at atelegraph station or present a pardon letter.[11]
Theonline multiplayer allows up to 16 players to engage in competitive and cooperative gameplay in a recreation of the single-player setting. Each game begins with aMexican standoff, of which the survivors move to any part of the battlefield in preparation forrespawning enemies. Event types includedeathmatch scenarios andcapture the flag variants. Crates contain extra weapons, ammo, and otherpowerups. Players can level up and complete weapon challenges to earn rewards such as new character models, golden weapon skins, new titles, and new breeds ofanimal mounts.[17] Multiplayer features open-world gameplay, wherein players can form or join a group of up to eight players in a "posse" group and partake in hunting or attacking other gangs or posses.[11] In some game modes, players are unable to kill each other.[18][b]
In 1911, the family of formeroutlaw John Marston (Rob Wiethoff) is kidnapped byBureau of Investigation agents Edgar Ross (Jim Bentley) and Archer Fordham (David Wilson Barnes), who force him to hunt down his former gang members in exchange for his family's return. John seeks former ally Bill Williamson (Steve J. Palmer), who now leads his own gang that terrorizes New Austin. He arrives at Williamson's stronghold at Fort Mercer, but ends up getting shot and left for dead after unsuccessfully persuading him to surrender. Rescued and nursed back to health by local rancher Bonnie MacFarlane (Kimberly Irion), he helps her with several jobs around her farm in return, while formulating a plan to attack Williamson's gang. John makes many allies to help him carry out the attack, includingU.S. Marshal Leigh Johnson (Anthony De Longis),con artist Nigel West Dickens (Don Creech), grave robber and treasure hunter Seth Briars (Kevin Glikmann), and an alcoholic arms smuggler known as "Irish" (K. Harrison Sweeney). Ultimately, John and his allies storm Fort Mercer and kill all of Williamson's men but learn that Williamson himself has fled to Mexico to seek help from another former gang member, Javier Escuella (Antonio Jaramillo). John parts ways with his allies and travels to Mexico with Irish's help.
Upon his arrival in Nuevo Paraíso, John meets legendary gunslinger Landon Ricketts (Ross Hagen), who helps him improve his shooting skills. He becomes involved in a localcivil war between Colonel Agustín Allende (Gary Carlos Cervantes), the state's tyrannical governor, and Abraham Reyes (Josh Segarra), the leader of a rebellion against Allende's government. John works with both sides in exchange for help in tracking down his targets. When Allende turns on him, John is rescued by Reyes and vows to aid the rebels in exchange for Reyes's help in finding Williamson and Escuella. During a raid on a Mexican Army fortress, the rebels help him find the latter, who reveals that Williamson is under Allende's protection. John can then choose to either turn Escuella over to Ross and Fordham or kill him and give them his body. Reyes eventually leads an assault on Allende's palace, and John helps him chase and execute Allende and Williamson when they attempt to flee. Leaving Reyes to rule Nuevo Paraíso and lead his revolution to Mexico's capital, John returns to the United States.
In Blackwater, Ross and Fordham coerce John into helping them track down Dutch van der Linde (Benjamin Byron Davis), his former gang's leader and John's former mentor. Dutch has recently formed a gang with disaffectedNative Americans, with whom he shares a hatred for the government and modernization. Aided by Ross's associates, John finds Dutch's stronghold in the mountains. After helping Ross and Fordham thwart Dutch's robbery of the Blackwater Bank, John partakes in theU.S. Army's assault on the stronghold. Chased to a cliff, Dutch concedes defeat, warns John that the government will not give him peace, anddies by suicide. Afterward, Ross honors their agreement and releases John’s family.
Returning to his ranch, John reunites with his wife Abigail (Sophia Marzocchi), son Jack (Josh Blaylock) and former gang member and close friend Uncle (Spider Madison) to attempt an honest life again. However, this peace is short-lived as Ross betrays John and leads a U.S. Army unit in an attack on his ranch. John tries to fend them off, but the attacking force is too large, and Uncle is killed. John helps his family escape and stays to face the attackers, who kill him and leave. Upon hearing the gunshots, Abigail and Jack return to the ranch, mourn John, and bury him. In 1914, Jack buries Abigail next to John after she dies, before tracking down a now-retired Ross to confront him about John's death. Jack kills Ross in a duel and walks away.
Red Dead Redemption explores themes of thecycle of violence,[20] faith,[22] governmental control,[23]law and order,[24] the loss of innocence and freedom,[25]manifest destiny,[26]masculinity,[27]social change,[28] andredemption,[29] and is noted for itsrepresentation of Native Americans[30] and violence.[31]IGN's Erik Brudvig considered the game a commentary on modern political issues such as racism and immigration;[32] writerDan Houser said the story was not intended as a satire of contemporary America but parallels were inevitable due to the similarities of the time period.[25] Some scholars identified the game conforms toneoliberal values,[33][34] particularly in its depoliticizing of the sufferers of corporate greed,[35] though others felt it ridicules the selfishness of neoliberals.[36] Matt Margini described the narrative as atragedy, citingAristotle's proposal that the hero is neither good nor evil and "tragic heroes are tragic because they bring about their own fall, despite having good intentions".[37]
Several scholars noted that, despite the use of the word "redemption" in the title, such a feat was impossible for John;[22][29] Reid McCarter ofBullet Points Monthly described the word as "bitterly ironic" due to the inability of reinvention for both the characters and country.[29] Margini wrote the final chapter allowed the player to feel they achieved the promised redemption,[38] only for it to be taken away by the story's end.[39] Conversely,Kotaku's Heather Alexandra felt John achieved his redemption upon sacrificing himself to save his family.[40] Benjamin J. Triana found that, while John's death "implies transcendence", it is not overtly sacrificial, nor does it represent John as a hero.[41]Gamasutra's Richard Clark considered the depiction of redemption "cynical and overly simple".[22]Red Dead Redemption explores the impacts of the cycle of violence,[20] most notably represented through Jack's continuation of his father's failures by adopting the outlaw status.[21][42][43]NPR's Jason Sheehan considered the game a tale of "the senselessness of violence used to solve violence begetting only more violence".[44] M. Melissa Elston found, like other modern media, it attempts to "reframe the violence and simplistic moral dualism of previous pop-cultural representations of the Old West".[45] The game drew some commentary for its depiction of violence; Margini considered it justifiable since "violence means something",[46] and Timothy J. Welsh added it is "just a game", but recognized the worrisome nihilism it could perpetuate if generalized.[47] Conversely, Christopher Bartel expressed hesitancy at the moral justification of virtual murder and noted "even hard-core gamers might balk at virtual sadism".[48]
The game presents the ethos of theAmerican Dream in its formation, in contrast with the modern-day representation inGrand Theft Auto IV (2008).[49] While John's violent past rendered him unable to achieve redemption, it also impacted his son's ability to achieve the American Dream as he chooses to become an outlaw like his father.[29] The game features commentary on freedom and control,[44] and the manner in which societal change acts as a catalyst for losing one's control and compromising their morality.[50] The journey from the open fields to the city of Blackwater represents civilization's control over the natural world, though the player lacks control during the opening sequence in which John leaves Blackwater, only gaining it when reentering the city later in the game.[23] WhileRed Dead Redemption grants the player freedom, they ultimately lack control over the narrative as "being free to do things is not the same as being able to change things", an ideology reflected in John's inability to prevent his own death.[51] Triana felt the ending allowed the player to properly understand John's rejection of a developing society due to the misery endured from the government.[52] The game demonstrates the disparities ofeconomic inequality;[53] Sara Humphreys identified a connection between MacFarlane's Ranch andthe class conflict ofJohnson County, Wyoming in the late nineteenth century.[54]
While marketing materials presented John as a traditionalcowboy—isolated and violent,[55] a "white, heteronormative, rugged individual"[56]—his behavior and ambitions in the narrative are generally unconventional.[55][57] His ambiguity and internal conflict lead him to exhibit "weariness more than manliness".[58] Regardless, John continues to perpetuate stereotypes in some instances; he continues to preserve lives in his missions for the government despite his bitter opposition to them, described as an enactment ofTheodore Roosevelt'smasculine ideals.[59] Triana found the game's masculinity to be plural, with the male lead generally pitted against other men, though recognized the dominance of the characters often shifted throughout the narrative.[60] He found John's challenges reflected those of straight,cisgender men in the modern era.[61] Margini blamed John's downfall on "the false promises of a world built on hypermasculine ideals", emphasized by John's unsuccessful attempts to adopt a new form of masculinity and play an empathetic father to Jack.[62]WiderScreen Ajankohtaista's Juho Tuominen and Olli Sotamaa described John as an idealist and Jack as "the educated youth, a version of a new kind ofwoke man".[63] Female representation is mixed; Bonnie MacFarlane is presented as "insightful and resourceful" instead of simply "a woman masquerading as a male figure", though still defers to simple domestic tasks in her father's presence[64] and on one occasion becomes adamsel in distress.[20] Meanwhile, Abigail is presented as "the good prostitute who serves as a handmaiden" and later becomes "the nagging wife", and other female characters exist simply to reflect back onto John, both positively and negatively.[20]
In further opposition with the American Dream, the game's representation of Native Americans is bleak, cruel, and violent.[49] Jodi A. Byrd believed "Red Dead" signaled theNative American genocide.[65]Bullet Points's McCarter felt, while the killing of Native Americans is explained in the context of the story, it is "a shaky rationale meant to echo the rhetoric" surrounding the genocide andforced relocation.[29] Elston recognized the Native American character Nastas as an example ofGerald Vizenor's "manifest manners", a falsification of the indigenous experience being told as truth.[66] Dr. Esther Wright proposed Native American characters were included only to justify and complement the white characters'otherness as oppositional to the government and civilization, describing it as "a disingenuous oversimplification and (mis)use of the complexities of Native American genocide".[67] She opined that, while John is not overtly racist, his participation in an attack on anIndian reservation implicates him in "a micro-scale recreation of racist, genocidal violence".[67] Margini considered the representation could either be an example ofdark satire or "a crafty way of excusing their genocide at Marston's hand", aligned with a wider erasure seen in other Western media.[68] Triana found Native Americans "end up victims to the game's evil social forces" due to John's priority of reuniting with his family.[52]
After the May 2004 release ofRed Dead Revolver, publisherRockstar Games wanted to create its own Western video game from scratch;[69] it had acquiredRevolver fromCapcom in 2003 after years of development and completed development within nine months.[70]Early development began in 2005, and full development commenced in 2006, following the formation of a core development team.[71]Rockstar San Diego's 180-person team[72] co-opted Rockstar'sLeeds,[69]New England,[73]North,[69] andToronto studios[74] to facilitate development between a full team of over 1,000.[75] Having exhausted the use ofprevious hardware on other projects, Rockstar felt inspired after realizing the potential power of thePlayStation 3 andXbox 360.[69] Analyst estimations place the game's combined development and marketing budget betweenUS$80 million andUS$100 million, which would make it one of themost expensive video games to develop.[76] The game's development received controversy following accusations of unethical working practices at Rockstar San Diego, including twelve-hour workdays and six-day weeks, with a lower-than-the-industry-average salary increase.[77][78]
Red Dead Redemption's 1,500-page script was written in two years.[79] Taking inspiration from films likeThe Wild Bunch (1969),High Plains Drifter (1973),Unforgiven (1992), andThe Proposition (2005), the team felt that most Western fiction takes place between 1840 and 1880, and thatRed Dead Redemption's setting in 1911 allowed a more intriguing analysis of the transformation from "theold West" into the modern world.[80] Regarding the game's depiction of violence, the team wanted it to "feel slightly raw and unpleasant", attempting realism without exaggeration.[81] The open world was created to represent iconic features of the American frontier. The team organized field trips toWashington, D.C.,[69] visiting theLibrary of Congress and theNational Archives Building, captured a multitude of photographs, and analyzed various classic Western films, television shows, and novels.[82][83] The team considered creating the open world one of the most technically demanding aspect of the game's production, in terms of filling the world with enough content to interest players.[69]
Like other projects sinceRockstar Games Presents Table Tennis (2006), the game uses the proprietaryRockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE) to perform animation and rendering tasks, and theEuphoria andBullet engines for further animation and environment rendering tasks.[82] Overhauling the potential processing power of RAGE allowed the game to create a high level of detail, including realistic animations and detailed textures.[80] The potential power of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 experienced through thedevelopment kits motivated the team to begin development, and to create a game that could fully render the countryside, which was difficult to achieve on previous hardware.[69] The developers at San Diego sought guidance from other Rockstar studios experienced with developing open worlds,[69][82] particularlyGrand Theft Auto developer Rockstar North.[6] The game was envisioned to improve the core mechanics ofRed Dead Revolver by scaling it up to the standard of other Rockstar games, maintaining key gameplay elements like theDead Eye and dueling mechanics but majorly overhauling the experience otherwise.[82] In particular, the team faced a challenge in creating realistic movement for the horse, resulting in the engagement of a stunt horse to simulate movement for the designers.[84]
As the story developed, a range of characters were organically created based on the period;[6]Red Dead Redemption features around 450 characters.[79] The game required a large amount of character dialogue in order to feel alive, comparable to Rockstar's previous gameGrand Theft Auto IV. Researchers at Rockstar developed astyle guide based on real sayings of the time period.[81] Rockstar hired Rod Edge as the full-time director to handle the game's performances,[85][86] recorded usingmotion capture technology, with additional dialogue and sound effects recorded in astudio;[87][88] the performance capture was recorded inSanta Monica, California.[89]: 6:03 After an audition process, Rob Wiethoff was selected to portray John Marston.[87] John was developed to be a nuanced character, as opposed to an explicit villain or hero,[82] and a "family man".[83] Steve J. Palmer, who portrayed Bill Williamson, felt that John and Bill represented siblings in their former gang, while Dutch van der Linde was more of a parental figure.[90] Benjamin Byron Davis, who portrayed Dutch, was told that Dutch was a well-read, charismatic former gang leader who had "lost his mind".[89]: 11:59
Red Dead Redemption is one of the first games by Rockstar to usean original score. Music supervisor Ivan Pavlovich cited the large scale of the game as one of the largest difficulties when producing the score; to achieve an effective gaming experience, the game could not solely feature licensed music, like previous Rockstar games.[91] In 2008, Rockstar engaged musicians Bill Elm andWoody Jackson, who collaborated to compose approximately 200 tracks for the game over 15 months.[92][93][94] The original score and subsequent album were both recorded and mixed at Jackson's studio,Electro-Vox Recording Studios in Los Angeles, and mastered atCapitol Studios.[91] When researching music for inspiration, Jackson found that there was no "Western sound" in 1911; he felt that the soundtracks of 1960s Western films, such asEnnio Morricone's work on theDollars Trilogy, was more representative of Western music.[95] Rockstar also consulted musicians who played traditional Western instruments, such asharmonica playerTommy Morgan.[96] The game also features vocal performances byAshtar Command,José González,Jamie Lidell, andWilliam Elliott Whitmore.[97]
An early trailer for an untitled Western project by Rockstar Games was shown at Sony's E3 conference in May 2005; it was a technology demonstration of RAGE for the PlayStation 3, and theorized to be a sequel toRed Dead Revolver.[98][99] Rockstar officially announcedRed Dead Redemption on February 3, 2009.[100] The debut trailer was released on May 6, 2009, introducing the game's protagonist.[101] The game received an extensive and expensive marketing campaign,[102] during which Rockstar partnered with several companies and media outlets, includingIGN,GameSpot,LoveFilm, Microsoft, andYouTube.[103] To encouragepre-order sales, Rockstar collaborated with several retail outlets to provide pre-order bonuses, including exclusive in-game horses, outfits, and weapons.[104] Rockstar also released aspecial edition of the game in special packaging, with a copy of the soundtrack.[105] The game was exhibited atPAX East in late March 2010, with a 15–30 minute playable demonstration.[106][107] Rockstar released aFacebook application,Red Dead Redemption: Gunslingers, in April 2010.[108] The following month,Red Dead Redemption: The Man from Blackwater, amachinima short film directed byJohn Hillcoat, aired in the United States on the television networkFox.[109] The game missed its original projected late 2009 and April 2010 release dates,[100][110] pushed back to May 18, 2010, in North America, and May 21 internationally, citing the "optimal time frame" for release.[111]
Downloadable content (DLC) for the game was released following its launch,[112] with focus on maps and game types suggested by the community.[113]Outlaws to the End, released on June 22, 2010, added six cooperative side missions for multiplayer.Legends and Killers was released on August 10, 2010, and added multiplayer characters fromRed Dead Revolver, as well as new map locations and aTomahawk weapon. On September 21, 2010,Liars and Cheats added competitive multiplayer modes, minigames, characters, and a weapon.[114]Hunting and Trading, released on October 12, 2010, added ajackalope to the game's world, and some additional outfits.[115]Undead Nightmare adds a single-player campaign, set in a non-canonical,zombie apocalypse-themedalternate reality with ghost towns and cemeteries full of zombies, wherein John searches for a cure to the zombie outbreak.[116] It was released on October 26, 2010, as DLC and in late November as astandalone expansion pack.[117]Myths and Mavericks released for free on September 13, 2011, adding additional characters and locations to the multiplayer.[118] AGame of the Year Edition containing all downloadable content was released for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 11, 2011, in North America and on October 14, 2011, internationally.[119]
Microsoft added the game, along withUndead Nightmare, to itsbackward compatibility list forXbox One, the successor to the Xbox 360, in July 2016;[120]Red Dead Redemption had been one of the most requested titles for the feature.[120][121] The game's sales position onAmazon.com spiked following the announcement.[121] The release runs at a smootherframe rate on the Xbox One.[122] In April 2018, the game received an update as an "Xbox One X enhanced" title, making it playable at4K resolution (an increase from the game's original720p resolution) with graphical improvements on the high-end revision of Xbox One, calledXbox One X.[123] TheXbox Series X and Series S can also play the game, with the higher-end Series X running it with its Xbox One X-specific enhancements.[124] Sony addedRed Dead Redemption andUndead Nightmare to itsPlayStation Now cloud gaming subscription service in December 2016, which allowed them to be played onPlayStation 4,PlayStation 5, andWindows;[125] they were removed in October 2022.[126]
According to industry sources, Rockstar shelved aRed Dead Redemptionremaster after the poor reception ofGrand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition (2021), instead increasing focus on development forGrand Theft Auto VI.[127] Media speculation restarted in June 2023,[128][129][130] and in August, Rockstar announced the single-player modes ofRed Dead Redemption andUndead Nightmare would release for theNintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on August 17, developed byDouble Eleven. Physical versions were released on October 13.[2] Reactions to the announcement were mixed; some appreciated the game's availability on modern consoles, but lamented the lack of visual and frame rate upgrades, absence of a Windows version, omission of multiplayer, andUS$49.99 price point.[131][132][133] The game is playable at 4K resolution on thePlayStation 4 Pro andPlayStation 5 viabackward compatibility,[134] and anupdate in October added an option to increase the frame rate from 30 to 60 frames-per-second on PlayStation 5.[135] Speculation regarding a Windows version started in May 2024,[136][137] and in October, Rockstar announced the Windows version would release on October 29, with enhancements such as native 4K support,ultrawide monitor compatibility, andDLSS upscaling.[3]
Following premature store andESRB listings on November 13, 2025, Rockstar announced thatRed Dead Redemption would be released forAndroid andiOS mobile devices on December 2, alongside new releases for theNintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. The mobile versions are set to be available through aNetflix Games subscription, and the console versions through theGTA+ Games Library and thePlayStation Plus Catalog. Developed in collaboration with Double Eleven and Cast Iron Games, the console versions support 60 frames-per-second, including up to 4K resolution on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, and the Switch 2 version utilizes theJoy-Con 2'soptical mouse controls.[4][138]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 95/100[139] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| 1Up.com | A[140] |
| Edge | 10/10[c] |
| Eurogamer | 8/10[8] |
| Game Informer | 9.75/10[14] |
| GamePro | 5/5[12] |
| GameSpot | 9.5/10[11] |
| GameSpy | 5/5[142] |
| IGN | 9.7/10[32] |
Red Dead Redemption received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to review aggregatorMetacritic.[139] It is among the highest-rated games on Metacritic,[143] and is ranked the sixth-highest rated PlayStation 3 and seventh-highest rated Xbox 360 game.[144][145]IGN's Brudvig describedRed Dead Redemption as "a must-play" and "one of the deepest, most fun, and most gorgeous games around";[32]GamePro's Will Herring named it Rockstar's best game to date, a culmination of its previous successes.[12]Eurogamer's Simon Parkin called it "a blockbuster video game: a string of cinematic set-pieces and flawed yet endearing characters nestled within an orthodox narrative structure, seasoned with generous pinches of extra-curricular tasks".[8]
GameSpy's Will Tuttle found the themes more nuanced than expected, though occasionally "preachy".[142] Mike Channell ofOfficial Xbox Magazine (OXM) considered the death of the Wild West a pressure that loomed over the narrative.[146]Game Informer's Matt Bertz felt the narrative momentum suffered from the length of the Mexico missions but praised the ending for using a "sense of immersiveness only a video game can impart";[14]IGN's Brudvig similarly lauded the climax as one of gaming's best.[32]GamePro's Herring was surprised by John's likability—"one of the more sympathetic antiheroes in recent memory"—and found the secondary characters "interesting enough that they never feel contrived";[12] conversely,Paste's Kirk Hamilton opined the latter, "clichéd and unlikeable", undermined the narrative.[147]GameSpot's Justin Calvert applauded the "deeply flawed but very likable" John, noting his scars and outfit made him feel more believable.[11]IGN's Brudvig found John's motivations occasionally confusing and felt alienated from the narrative.[32]
Game Informer's Bertz namedRed Dead Redemption the "best-looking Rockstar game to date".[14]IGN's Brudvig lauded the environmental details and richness of dynamic events and weather.[32]GamePro's Herring considered the open world superior to its contemporaries, appreciating the change fromGrand Theft Auto IV's "brown, muddy 'realism' filter".[12]GameSpy's Tuttle named the game's environment its most impressive element, praising the ecology and geography,[142] andEurogamer's Parkin considered the world as dense asGrand Theft Auto IV's Liberty City while maintaining the Western theme of isolation.[7]Edge found the world emptier than Liberty City but felt "Rockstar proves far better at guiding your eye to the relevant parts".[9] Side missions received praise;[7][14]1Up.com's Scott Sharkey described them as "perfect little micro-dramas".[140]Edge felt the side content's variety avoided the repetition ofAssassin's Creed.[9]
Game Informer's Bertz foundRed Dead Redemption "tranpose[d] theGrand Theft Auto gameplay template onto a Wild West setting".[14]Good Game'sStephanie Bendixsen felt the game usedGrand Theft Auto IV's best elements.[150]GameSpot's Calvert lauded the bounty system for adding consequence to the player's actions.[11] Critics praised the horseback controls;[14][151]GamePro's Herring found them authentic.[12]Eurogamer's Parkin named the player's relationship with their horse among the game's greatest successes, but noted some awkward controls, particularly when running.[7]Edge felt the Dead Eye mechanic "puts gunplay on a pedestal",[9] andIGN's Brudvig wrote it "makes you feel like a classic gunslinger".[32]Eurogamer's Parkin compared the combat favorably to Rockstar's previous titles, particularly praising the horseback shootouts, but criticized the "sticky and outdated" cover mechanic.[8]Game Informer's Bertz found the aiming and cover system as "airtight" asGrand Theft Auto IV's, and lauded the unique weapons and animations,[14] andOXM's Channell commended the weapon variety and handling.[146]G4's Jake Gaskill opined the Dead Eye "can feel a bit too powerful at times".[152]
GameSpy's Tuttle found the minimalist score added to the world's authenticity,[142] andEurogamer's Parkin named it "standout", praising the use of multiple instruments.[8]GamePro's Herring favorably compared it to Ennio Morricone's work on theDollars Trilogy.[12]PSM3's Andy Hartup thought the music complemented the action and scenery, never feeling intrusive,[153] andPaste's Hamilton found it was integrated into the world seamlessly.[147]GameStop's Calvert described the soundtrack as "superb" though noted it "occasionally swells up without reason".[11] The vocal tracks received praise;[153][154] the scene wherein John enters Mexico was described as "beautiful" byGamesRadar's Matt Cundy due to the use of José González's "Far Away".[148]
Game Informer's Bertz described the multiplayer as "a fully featured complement" to the single-player.[14]GamePro's Herring praised the variety of modes and open gameplay but noted it put more responsibility on the players to keep the game interesting.[12]GameSpot's Calvert felt there was a lack in customization options for players,[11] and1Up.com's Sharkey criticized theleveling mechanics.[155]G4's Jake Gaskill echoed this sentiment and noted players are oftenrespawned in close proximity to the opposition.[152]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | NS: 83/100[156] PS4: 78/100[156] Win: 83/100[157] |
| OpenCritic | 72% recommend[158] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| 4Players | 7/10[159] |
| HobbyConsolas | 88/100[160][161] |
| Push Square | 6/10[162] |
| TouchArcade | 4.5/5[163] |
Red Dead Redemption andUndead Nightmare's re-release received "generally favorable reviews" according to Metacritic,[156][157] and 72% of critics recommended the game according toOpenCritic.[158] Reviewers criticized the price due to lack of enhancements and omission of multiplayer;[160][163][164]Nintendo Life's PJ O'Reilly called the release "bare-bones".[165] Critics appreciated the PlayStation's enhanced resolution, shadows, andanti-aliasing, but felt improvements were otherwise sparse;[160][162][166]Eurogamer's Oliver Mackenzie criticized the outdateduser interface.[166] Several reviewers praised the Switch version's portability and performance[163][167][168] and considered it an improvement overGrand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition ;[169][170][171]GamesRadar+'s Joe Donnelly favorably compared it toGrand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005) for putting an impressive open world on a handheld console.[172] The Windows version's optimization and customization options received praise, though some found the visual enhancements limited,[173][174][175] andHobbyConsolas's Alberto Lloret criticized the required use of theRockstar Games Launcher andSocial Club.[161]
Red Dead Redemption received multiple nomination and awards fromgaming publications. At theSpike Video Game Awards in 2010, the game received ten nominations and went on to win four awards: Game of the Year, Best Song in a Game ("Far Away"), Best Original Score, and Best DLC (Undead Nightmare).[176][177] The game led the14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards with nine nominations and five awards, winningAction Game of the Year,Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction, andOutstanding Character Performance for Wiethoff's portrayal of John Marston.[178][179] At the 11th AnnualGame Developers Choice Awards,Red Dead Redemption won four awards of five nominations, includingGame of the Year and Best Game Design.[180][181]
It received ten nominations at the 9th AnnualGame Audio Network Guild Awards,[182] of which it won four: Audio of the Year, Music of the Year, Best Interactive Score, and Best Dialogue.[183] The game was not nominated for any of the jury-based awards at theBritish Academy Games Awards as Rockstar did not submit it for consideration.[184] It appeared on several year-end lists of the best games of 2010, receivingGame of the Year wins from outlets such as1Up.com,[185]Computer and Video Games,[186]Digital Spy,[187]Gamasutra,[188]Game Informer,[189]GameSpot,[190]GameSpy,[191]GamesRadar,[192]Good Game,[193]The Guardian,[194]Kotaku,[195] andVentureBeat.[196]
| Award | Date | Category | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Academy Video Games Awards | March 16, 2011 | GAME Award of 2010 | Red Dead Redemption | Nominated | [197] |
| Game Audio Network Guild Awards | March 3, 2011 | Audio of the Year | Red Dead Redemption | Won | [183] |
| Music of the Year | Red Dead Redemption | Won | |||
| Best Interactive Score | Red Dead Redemption | Won | |||
| Best Dialogue | Red Dead Redemption | Won | |||
| Sound Design of the Year | Red Dead Redemption | Nominated | [182] | ||
| Best Soundtrack Album | Red Dead Redemption | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematic/Cut-Scene Audio | Red Dead Redemption | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Instrumental | "Main Theme" | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Vocal – Pop | "Dead Man's Gun" | Nominated | |||
| "Far Away" | Nominated | ||||
| Game Developers Choice Awards | March 3, 2011 | Game of the Year | Red Dead Redemption | Won | [180] |
| Best Game Design | Red Dead Redemption | Won | |||
| Best Technology | Red Dead Redemption | Won | |||
| Best Audio | Red Dead Redemption | Won | |||
| Best Writing | Red Dead Redemption | Nominated | [181] | ||
| Golden Joystick Awards | October 29, 2010 | Ultimate Game of the Year | Red Dead Redemption | Nominated | [198] |
| Action/Adventure Game of the Year | Red Dead Redemption | Third | [199] | ||
| Interactive Achievement Awards | February 11, 2011 | Action Game of the Year | Red Dead Redemption | Won | [178] |
| Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction | Red Dead Redemption | Won | |||
| Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering | Red Dead Redemption | Won | |||
| Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction | Red Dead Redemption | Won | |||
| Outstanding Character Performance | Rob Wiethoff asJohn Marston | Won | |||
| Game of the Year | Red Dead Redemption | Nominated | [179] | ||
| Outstanding Innovation in Gaming | Red Dead Redemption | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Achievement in Animation | Red Dead Redemption | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design | Red Dead Redemption | Nominated | |||
| Spike Video Game Awards | December 11, 2010 | Game of the Year | Red Dead Redemption | Won | [176] |
| Best Song in a Game | "Far Away" byJosé González | Won | |||
| Best Original Score | Red Dead Redemption | Won | |||
| Best DLC | Undead Nightmare | Won | |||
| Studio of the Year | Rockstar San Diego | Nominated | [177] | ||
| Character of the Year | John Marston | Nominated | |||
| Best PS3 Game | Red Dead Redemption | Nominated | |||
| Best Action Adventure Game | Red Dead Redemption | Nominated | |||
| Best Graphics | Red Dead Redemption | Nominated | |||
| Best Performance by a Human Male | Rob Wiethoff asJohn Marston | Nominated | |||
| December 7, 2012 | Game of the Decade | Red Dead Redemption | Nominated | [200] | |
| The Steam Awards | December 31, 2024 | Best Soundtrack | Red Dead Redemption | Won | [201] |
Prior to the release ofRed Dead Redemption, Michael Pachter ofWedbush Securities estimated that it would need to sell at least 1.75 million units (generatingUS$80 million) tobreak-even, and 3.5 million units (US$160 million) to earn aprofit. According toJoystiq, a source at Rockstar claimed that the game required four million sales to recoup development costs, but that the publisher expected to lose money and was more interested in proving the talent of Rockstar San Diego.[202]
Red Dead Redemption was the best-selling game of May 2010, selling over 1.5 million copies, according tothe NPD Group.[203] It sold over five million copies in its first three weeks.[204] In June 2010, distributorTake-Two Interactive CEO Ben Feder stated that the game was nearing profitability for the company.[205] By September 2010, the game had shipped 6.9 million copies,[206] exceeding Take-Two's performance expectations for the quarter.[207] It was the fifth best-selling game of 2010;[208] the Xbox 360 version was the ninth best-selling individual platform game.[209] The game sold 8 million copies by February 2011, contributing to a 7.7 percent profit increase for Take-Two for the quarter.[210] It shipped 8.5 million copies in its first year,[211] and over 11 million copies by August 2011, of which two million were retail units ofUndead Nightmare.[212]Red Dead Redemption shipped over 15 million units by February 2017,[211] around 23 million units by September 2021,[213] and 25 million units by December 2024.[214]
The game topped the charts in the United Kingdom following its release,[215] maintaining the top position until the release ofLego Harry Potter: Years 1–4 in June 2010.[216] According toGfK Chart-Track, 65 percent of UK sales in the first week were on Xbox 360.[217] The game was the fourth best-selling game in the United Kingdom in 2010, as well as the fourth best-selling PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 title.[218] The game sold over 95,000 units in its first week in Japan; the PlayStation 3 version was the fourth best-selling game of the week with over 70,000 sales, while the Xbox 360 version was seventh with over 25,000 sales.[219]
Critics concurred thatRed Dead Redemption was among the best games of theseventh generation of video game consoles.[220][221][222]Eurogamer's Dan Whitehead hoped theeighth generation of consoles would offer "similarly powerful experiences".[220] In September 2013,IGN rankedRed Dead Redemption the fifth-best PlayStation 3 and seventh-best Xbox 360 game.[223][224] In 2015,GamesRadar ranked it sixth on its list of best games, recognizing its superiority in narrative over Rockstar'sGrand Theft Auto V (2013),[225] andUSgamer ranked it tenth on its list of best 21st-century games;Jaz Rignall called it "one of the finest open world games so far seen".[226]GamesRadar+ named it the fourth-best game of the decade in 2019, comparing it favorably to othersandbox gamesGrand Theft Auto V andThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015).[227]Red Dead Redemption ranked high on several best game lists determined by the public; it featured seventh onGood Game's "Top 100 Games" list, and fifth onIGN's "Games of a Generation" list, as voted by the program and website's respective audiences.[228][229]
A prequel,Red Dead Redemption 2, was released in October 2018 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game's main story is set in 1899, 12 years beforeRed Dead Redemption, and depicts John's life as part of Dutch's gang alongside Bill, Javier, Uncle, Abigail, and Jack. Players control fellow gang memberArthur Morgan.[230]
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