The first feedback on the Switch version of Red Dead Redemption are a little too complimentary, given the nature of the project. Should we really applaud the fact that a game released in 2009 runs impeccably well on a console released in 2017? What’s more, a game sold for €50.
” An impressive carry “, writes IGN. ” One of the best optimized games on the Switch “, noted Infinity Besk. ” The Switch is capable of running quality open worlds “says JeuxActu (who forgot the two Zeldas, obviously). Red Dead Redemption is now available on Nintendo Switch and the feedback is incredibly rave reviews. However, there is nothing to surprise them with. Worse, the opposite result would have been a hell of an admission of failure for the Nintendo Switch.
Red Dead Redemption was released in 2010 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, two consoles that date from 2006 and 2005 respectively. In what world could one have thought that the Switch, marketed since 2017, would be unable to offer satisfactory performance? We are talking about a game, certainly impressive at the time, which celebrates its 13th anniversary this year. Seeing such a concert of praise is puzzling and ultimately only reminds of doubts about the ability of the Switch to provide sufficient power for more ambitious games.
Incredible: Red Dead Redemption is 100% playable on Nintendo Switch
There is obviously case law likely to explain this general astonishment, which could be attributed to the aura of Rockstar Games productions (and the media coverage it imposes). A few years ago, CD Projekt Red embarked on a vast bet: to bring The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on Nintendo Switch. With the result that we know: behind a commendable initiative (to offer one of the best games of recent years to a new audience), reality has finally caught up with the developers. On Switch, the cult RPG is not what one might call a comfortable experience.
But there is a big difference between The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt And Red Dead Redemption : several years (5 years) and an entire generation (The Witcher 3 was released on PS4 and Xbox One), separate the two titles. The porting issues were therefore not quite the same, with much higher technical constraints for the most recent game. We can be satisfied to see Red Dead Redemption run flawlessly on Switch (with all the advantages of nomadic mode), in no way surprise you. Moreover, in 2017, the console was at ease with Skyrimwhich dates from 2011 (i.e. the same period as Red Dead Redemption).
This video comparison will give you an idea of the rendering on Switch (where we see that the Xbox version remains a cut above, thanks to backward compatibility) :
Especially since the expected qualities of this version, which is neither a remastering nor a remake, cannot hide the main concern of this release from Red Dead Redemption : the price. Rockstar Games dares to ask 50 € for this game which has passed the milestone of 10 years of existence, without substantial improvement and, worse, with less things (the multiplayer mode). But, it seems that it remains a “good value for money”.
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