Sometimes, dead is better

Sorry to say, I was right when I guessed that Red Dead Redemption would be "better remembered than played." I got an itch to revisit it recently, and I don't know that I'll be following through on John Marston's story a second time.

Some parts of the game have aged well enough, like the beautiful environment and overall "feel" of the world. (Granted, up-scaling the game on current hardware helps this a bit.) Most of it just feels a little old: movement controls, cinematic direction, and voice acting aren't quite up to par with Rockstar's latest.

It's the quest pacing, though, that has really failed to grab me. (And, looking back at my posts from 2011, I had mixed feelings on that topic even then.) Part of it is because there is so much space between major beats; it takes significant time to get from one quest to the next. And part of it is also because the main plot just ... doesn't have the gravitas that I really want, from a modern game.

It certainly doesn't help that I already know John Marston's past and inevitable future. The intrigue of his story is no longer mysterious to me.

Well, here's hoping that the upcoming sequel will modernize "Grand Theft Horse" enough to recapture my interest.