Rockstar Games has a reputation for stellar games that take years to develop. Given that many Rockstar titles like Midnight Club have fallen to the wayside, it seems like Rockstar will be defined by Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption for the foreseeable future. That’s not really a bad thing either, as Grand Theft Auto 5 was released back in 2013 and has thus far spanned two generations of consoles, and it has been a dominant force on the market ever since.
When Grand Theft Auto 5 Expanded and Enhanced launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X next year, that’ll be a total of three generations. The most recent trailer, however, caught a lot of flak online because it doesn’t seem too much has actually changed. The final product could be different, but either way, it’ll likely still manage to sell like hotcakes.
Beyond that, Rockstar is reportedly releasing GTA Remastered Trilogy sometime in 2022, likely much later than GTA 5. This collection reportedly includes GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas, something many fans of the franchise almost certainly welcome. While rumors should be treat as just rumors and nothing more, it helps that Take-Two (Rockstar’s parent company) is known to be working on a series of remasters and remakes—even if it’s not something Rockstar typically does.
Perhaps even more exciting is the idea that Rockstar will do a full-on remake, or at least a remaster, of the original Red Dead Redemption. This begs a very important question: if GTA 5 is being enhanced before its remasters release, where does Red Dead Redemption 2 fit into this equation? After all, despite releasing in 2018 and being one of the most beautiful and detailed games on the PS4 and Xbox One, it has yet to receive any sort of upgrade for the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Expanded and Enhanced for PS5 and Xbox Series X
Certainly, there is the case for Red Dead Redemption 2 to get the same treatment as Grand Theft Auto 5, as while the latter is more successful, both remain as giants in the gaming industry. Given the year differences between the two releases as well, doing GTA 5 first also seems like the better decision, but the exact contents of GTA 5 Expanded and Enhanced hasn’t really been confirmed yet. Fans are expecting better performance, new cars, and seemingly new content (otherwise "Expanded and Enhanced" may seem like overkill), yet other than the first two, the new content may very well just be for GTA Online.
GTA Online, as the powerhouse behind GTA 5’s sales, is getting its own standalone release, and it stands to reason that it’ll be the focus of its ventures moving forward. In turn, assuming that GTA Online will get more PS5/XSX support than GTA 5 itself, it's curious why RDR2 hasn’t gotten anything.
Now, of course, development is a complicated process; it’s not so simple as pressing a button, writing some code, or giving Sony/Microsoft a thumbs up. Add in the pandemic, and that makes it even more complicated. Yet, with what fans saw in the GTA 5 Enhanced and Expanded trailer, it seems that Red Dead 2 could get similar, or better, upgrades based just on that.
Perhaps Red Dead 2’s graphical prowess is its own enemy. If fans are upset about a game that was released in 2013 that re-released in 2014-2015 that is re-re-releasing in 2022 not looking all that different, then the same would likely go for Red Dead 2. Yet, “Expanded and Enhanced” does imply taking things further, and while Red Dead Online has come a long way, the single-player content of RDR2 is the real draw. More would indubitably be welcome, but it wouldn't be as successful as GTA Online, it seems.
Whereas GTA Online with new content updates seems like it’ll be the bread and butter of this upcoming release (still), RDO doesn’t have the same appeal. While GTA 5 is indeed likely, or at least hopefully, going to benefit due to its GTA Online proximity, the same cannot be said of the relationship between Red Dead 2 and RDO.
Of course, since a proper Red Dead Redemption 3 doesn’t seem likely to release before the end of the decade (or much sooner than it), Rockstar may be waiting a little longer to have more experience with the new tech to really dial Red Dead 2 to the next level. Ultimately, this is speculation and no one outside Rockstar knows where the Red Dead 2 Enhanced and Expanded Edition, or even just general upgrades, is.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Enhanced vs. Red Dead Redemption Remake
GTA 5/GTA Online, arguably, is the better game to focus on in terms of business and profitability. The aforementioned backlash is not going to slow sales of the new edition, yet neither is Rockstar bound to follow the same pattern. Just because it seems GTA 5 is getting worked on ahead of a couple of remasters doesn’t mean Red Dead 1 Remaster will release before Red Dead 2’s upgrades. Truly, it depends on how far each of these goes. A remaster is not as complicated as a ground-up remake, and there is a case for Red Dead 1 to get the latter instead of the former.
If it does go on to become a full remake, it seems obvious Red Dead 2’s upgrade would come first. If Rockstar does have a secondary reason for not upgrading Red Dead 2 properly, then, well, it’s anyone’s court on when what releases regardless of what comes before. Indeed, there’s a lot on the plate of Rockstar—maybe even more than a powerhouse like it can chew—but between GTA 5, GTA Online, the rumored remastered trilogy of GTA games, Red Dead Online’s ongoing support, potential Red Dead 2 upgrades, and any work on RDR1, Rockstar has to prioritize and RDR2 in and of itself stand strong on its own.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.