Red Dead
Boy oh boy. Of all my next-gen fantasies, the thought of a new Red Dead game might just be the most exciting of them all. Why is that, exactly? Well, consider this – Rockstar is fresh off the success of Grand Theft Auto V, a game that — for all intents and purposes — could likely pass for a next-gen experience if you just polished up the visuals a bit. The fact that Rockstar North was able to accomplish a game of such massive scope and scale on current generation hardware is borderline mind-boggling, and everybody pretty much knows it. Gamers do, Hideo Kojima does – everyone does.
Red Dead Redemption was an enormously fun and impressive game in its own right, and it ultimately begs the question: What will Rockstar be able to accomplish with next-gen hardware? Given what they’ve already done on PS3 and Xbox 360, the possibilities seem pretty limitless.
To me, a new Red Dead game would take full advantage of an online mode ala Grand Theft Auto V. Though I’ve heard great things about GTA Online, there’s something about an MMO-like version of a Western that really speaks to me – the potential for unprecedented online immersion is stupidly high. The enormity of GTA V’s world is impressive, but translating scope of that size or bigger to Red Dead’s wild and uncharted game-space stands to lend much more to exploration and general openness than GTA ever really will. Of course, that’s probably the whole point.
Outside of online, there’s plenty else that could be worked into a next-gen Red Dead experience. Redemption was pretty, but how about some Metal Gear Solid V-caliber (or better) visuals across every cactus, pebble, and grain of sand, in a massive occidental world? Previously unavailable horsepower could now be put towards extending the horizon, or even making things like gunfights with dozens upon dozens of cowboys or indians a reality. Loading times will likely be a thing of the past (not that they were too terrible anyways), and perhaps if we’re lucky it will be one of the first open world games to not look visually outdated just a few short years after its release.
Whether the game brings back John Marston or introduces a new story entirely, there’s no doubt that new hardware will be taken advantage of in typical Rockstar fashion. I’m just glad to know that the game is on their radar – now it may just be a matter of waiting for an official announcement.
So there you have it. Though we don’t know every secret the eighth console generation will undoubtedly house throughout its unknown and likely labyrinthine future, one things is certain: the industry is as alive as its ever been. In terms of the quality and quantity of great games to come, things have rarely if ever looked better. And with that, there’s really only one thing left to say: bring it on.
Published: Nov 25, 2013 09:58 pm