When Rockstar announced the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch version of the iconic Red Dead Redemption, a lot of fans were disappointed since they wanted a current-gen remake of their favorite game. I on the other hand got rathered excited about the portable Switch version. I played the original for countless hours and was curious to see how well it would run on the Switch. After spending a couple of hours with the port, I must admit this is one of the best Switch games I’ve played this year. Want to know why? Let’s jump in!
Red Dead Redemption is back
Red Dead Redemption was released 13 years ago and took the world by storm. Critics labeled it as Rockstar’s best game to date and applauded the new IP for not trying to be the Grand Theft Auto of the Wild West but trying to be its own thing with some iconic Rockstar elements. Of course, this included an open-world and typical Rockstar side missions but generally speaking, Red Dead Redemption offered an immersive and even emotional ride through the Wild West. Set in 1910, we follow John Martson who’s dealing with the consequences of the new law and order. We’re not part of the crazy Wild West where everything is acceptable and there aren’t consequences for your actions. The government stepped in to enforce the law but it’s not that easy. Playing during the transition of the Wild West to a more controlled West results in some truly unique storylines and plots that will immediately get you hooked on the game’s stellar story.
The duality of Martson is the star of the story. Martson is desperately trying to get his life back on the rails but is constantly reminded of his criminal past. He got sucked into politics and before he knows it, he has to hunt down his old friends and gang members who he once called family. The story will take you to the vast emptiness of the Wild West with hidden secrets and quests lurking around every corner. The atmosphere of Red Dead Redemption was impressive the day it was first released and still stands strong today. Playing this game on the Nintendo Switch has that same magical feeling of booting it up for the very first time. Playing it in handheld mode is the way to go as it’s probably one of the best-looking portable games on the system. Discovering the open world and playing through the main story and fun side-quests still is as fun as 13 years ago.
The Nintendo Switch experience
It’s no question that Red Dead Redemption is a good game and even after all those years, it still stands strong. It offers one of the best open worlds filled with great missions and content to keep you entertained for countless hours. Even compared to modern open-world games, it’s still a must-have. The main question, however, is how does it perform on the Nintendo Switch and whether is it worth its rather high price tag? In short, it performs incredibly well. It runs on a stable 30 FPS and compared to The Witcher 3, it offers a smoother experience in handheld mode. The details are all there and the game runs fantastically. A couple of years ago we would have dubbed this the perfect impossible port for sure. Yes, there are some pop-ins and the occasional technical hiccup does occur but if you’re playing on the smaller Switch screen handheld, you’ll be blown away nevertheless. In docked mode, it’s a bit harder to look at since it does show its age more on the bigger screen.
Content-wise you’ll get the main story and its notable DLCs with Undead Nightmare being the biggest one. This non-canonical zombie apocalypse in the Wild West is as crazy as it sounds and I love every second of the undead mayhem. It’s a great and thrilling zombie expansion that offers even more hours of gameplay. Sadly, there’s no sign of the multiplayer mode and although I understand the technical challenges this mode would bring, it’s still something I really miss in this port. Playing Red Dead Redemption online was one of the main reasons I spend so many hours with the original, a shame I can’t relive those epic online moments on my Nintendo Switch.
Conclusion
There’s no doubt about it, Red Dead Redemption was an amazing game the day it launched and still offers that same level of quality today. The Nintendo Switch version is the perfect example of an impossible port done right as it performs way better than I anticipated. You’ll be in for a lot of hours of story-driven fun but sadly you won’t be able to play this version online. It’s rather high price tag is the only thing holding it back from being a no-brainer. That being said, if you’re looking for an immersive open world that you can take with you everywhere you go, this needs to be in your Switch library immediately.
