The rumor mill had been churning for years, with the anticipation of a possible Red Dead Redemption remaster or remake growing ever higher. When Rockstar made the announcement that John Marston would make a comeback earlier this month, fans should have been thrilled to jump back in the saddle. Instead, they were left disappointed. The studio released a ‘conversion’ of the game – no remake, no remaster, simply a re-release of the original Red Dead Redemption. However, a new leak suggests we may have almost gotten something bigger. Did Rockstar axe a Red Dead Redemption remaster somewhere along the way?
Leak suggests Red Dead Redemption remaster may have been in development
Rockstar Games Presents Red Dead Redemption was released digitally on August 17th. Launching on PlayStation 4 (backward compatible with PlayStation 5) and Nintendo Switch, John Marston and his crew have escaped the confines of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox platforms for the first time. However, the absence of upgrades and features, and a steep $50 price tag had fans venting their anger about the re-release of a game that originally launched in 2010.
Also read: “Overpriced. What a Farce”: Fans Vent their Anger over Red Dead Redemption ‘Conversion’
Twitter user @NationalPepper dug a little deeper and scoured leaked files of the Nintendo Switch version of the Red Dead Redemption re-release, looking for clues pointing to a possible remaster. Interestingly, he found that the game is referenced as a ‘remaster’ in the internal files instead of a ‘conversion’ as the studio labels it publicly.
Vadim M., who is known for investigating the complexities of Rockstar’s games, found an executable in the data files named ‘rdrremaster.exe.’ This may have simply been the label used internally with no further meaning. It could, however, also suggest that the studio was originally working on a remaster of the open-world Western but changed its plans at some stage during development.
If something bigger was originally in the works, what could have led Rockstar to scrap a Red Dead Redemption remaster?
Also read: Fan-Made Red Dead Redemption Image Shows Everyone How Badly Rockstar Messed Up
Is the GTA: The Trilogy disaster to blame?
The disastrous launch of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition might provide the smoking gun. The studio released a remaster of the original trio of GTA games in 2021, which turned out to be a buggy mess and even caused the studio to lose some standing with its fans. It didn’t just go down in history as one of Rockstar’s worst releases, it also became one of the lowest user-rated games of all time.
It’s likely this led Rockstar to change course and hold its horses on a Red Dead Redemption remaster to avoid another such debacle. Opting for a mere port of the original game may have seemed like a much safer option for the studio, leading it to scrap the remaster. Odds are this may also affect any potential future remasters/remakes of its other games, with fans already assuming GTA IV will see a similar fate.
What are your thoughts on the Red Dead Redemption re-release? Would you like to see a remaster of the hit open-world Western? Tell us in the comments!
Source: ComicBook
