Imagine this, it's the year 2010, Blockbuster for the most part is still around, Game Informer is still at it's peak, and I am roughly 9 years old. Around this time I was painstakingly awaiting the release of the then unreleased Red Dead Redemption, a game that to my knowledge was just going to be a follow-up to the 2004 classic, Red Dead Revolver, and boy was I shocked at how much that statement was hollow. I know what you're wondering, why the stupid backstory, to put it simply, when I was a kid, I was far too stupid to fully appreciate and understand just how grounded and nuanced it was compared to it's predecessor.

Now in 2024, Redemption has hit the PC market with the help of Double Eleven, and can I say that after the launch of the GTA Definitive Edition it's relieving seeing a port that not only works (even though there much to be said about that "Edition"), but feels like it's been completely left unaltered, which is surprising since this game is now three console generations old, but regardless feels just as good as it did back in 2010, which really gives me hope for more future collaborations between these guys and Rockstar, they know what their doing, although it is a shame that the Multiplayer couldn't be salvaged or the CO-OP campaign but that's fine since I believe more people would be interested in the main story and it's expansion.

To summarize both sections of this package, Red Dead Redemption on it's own still holds up, especially after 14 years, the story for the most part seems far more anxious, with stakes being high all throughout, I say this since RDR2 is a prequel to this game and if you are someone who only played RDR2 would may be in for a surprise at how much this game doesn't try to be an immersive sim like RDR2, it's the perfect middle ground for an experience that wants you to explore and have fun without the burden of these almost unnecessarily drawn out additions from the second, although skinning animals may be a little tedious with the same three animations playing out depending on the size of the animal. Some people may be gutted at the lack of customization that was seen in the second but I actually like the outfits in this since they work as a greater incentive to interact with the game worlds side activities, and I found myself enjoying the game far more this time around at the age of 25, because it's a great demonstration of positive reinforcement, since these outfits provide buffs and perks, with some seeming solely situational, and even if that's true it's a nice little payoff for exploring and interacting with a world that's actively hostile.

As for Undead Nightmare, it's....okay? I must just be old but for what it's worth it's a fun little addition, even if it feels like a bi-product of the zombie craze of the late 2000s to early 2010s, it's a relatively short expansion, not to the point where it feels like a waste of time, because it's certainly fun, a nice little distraction from the more realistic main story.

Overall with the argument being made that a 14 years old game is not worth 49.99 being somewhat valid, I will say that you will get your money's worth with RDR, whether you buy it at full price or on a discount, it's certainly a game that's stood the test of time, being a smash hit that left a lot of young and old gamers in 2010 cry, feeling a sense of fulfillment that was almost unprecedented at the time, I will say that it would be cool to see the multiplayer skins for Revolver be included as costumes, or Double Eleven and Rockstar can repurpose them for a Revolver remaster, which I would like to see, especially if it's handled by Double Eleven

Imagine this, it's the year 2010, Blockbuster for the most part is still around, Game Informer is still at it's peak, and I am roughly 9 years old. Around this time I was painstakingly awaiting the release of the then unreleased Red Dead Redemption, a game that to my knowledge was just going to be a follow-up to the 2004 classic, Red Dead Revolver, and boy was I shocked at how much that statement was hollow. I know what you're wondering, why the stupid backstory, to put it simply, when I was a kid, I was far too stupid to fully appreciate and understand just how grounded and nuanced it was compared to it's predecessor. Now in 2024, Redemption has hit the PC market with the help of Double Eleven, and can I say that after the launch of the GTA Definitive Edition it's relieving seeing a port that not only works (even though there much to be said about that "Edition"), but feels like it's been completely left unaltered, which is surprising since this game is now three console generations old, but regardless feels just as good as it did back in 2010, which really gives me hope for more future collaborations between these guys and Rockstar, they know what their doing, although it is a shame that the Multiplayer couldn't be salvaged or the CO-OP campaign but that's fine since I believe more people would be interested in the main story and it's expansion. To summarize both sections of this package, Red Dead Redemption on it's own still holds up, especially after 14 years, the story for the most part seems far more anxious, with stakes being high all throughout, I say this since RDR2 is a prequel to this game and if you are someone who only played RDR2 would may be in for a surprise at how much this game doesn't try to be an immersive sim like RDR2, it's the perfect middle ground for an experience that wants you to explore and have fun without the burden of these almost unnecessarily drawn out additions from the second, although skinning animals may be a little tedious with the same three animations playing out depending on the size of the animal. Some people may be gutted at the lack of customization that was seen in the second but I actually like the outfits in this since they work as a greater incentive to interact with the game worlds side activities, and I found myself enjoying the game far more this time around at the age of 25, because it's a great demonstration of positive reinforcement, since these outfits provide buffs and perks, with some seeming solely situational, and even if that's true it's a nice little payoff for exploring and interacting with a world that's actively hostile. As for Undead Nightmare, it's....okay? I must just be old but for what it's worth it's a fun little addition, even if it feels like a bi-product of the zombie craze of the late 2000s to early 2010s, it's a relatively short expansion, not to the point where it feels like a waste of time, because it's certainly fun, a nice little distraction from the more realistic main story. Overall with the argument being made that a 14 years old game is not worth 49.99 being somewhat valid, I will say that you will get your money's worth with RDR, whether you buy it at full price or on a discount, it's certainly a game that's stood the test of time, being a smash hit that left a lot of young and old gamers in 2010 cry, feeling a sense of fulfillment that was almost unprecedented at the time, I will say that it would be cool to see the multiplayer skins for Revolver be included as costumes, or Double Eleven and Rockstar can repurpose them for a Revolver remaster, which I would like to see, especially if it's handled by Double Eleven