The Purple Useless Redemption PS4 Port is Unnecessarily Difficult

Purple Useless Redemption is among the PS3 period’s finest video games. But it surely has been roughly thrown within the county jail and the important thing has been buried someplace within the plains of Gaptooth Ridge due to the dearth of a PC port and Sony’s bumpy backward compatibility help. The latest Purple Useless Redemption PS4 port lastly frees it from its last-last-gen jail, however there are too many elements that maintain it from being the unmitigated success it ought to be.

This port at the least clears the abysmally low bar set by Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Version in 2021. As a substitute of being a handy option to relive classics, that janky bundle tarnished Rockstar Video games’ repute with its downgraded visuals and appalling quantity of bugs (lots of that are nonetheless there even after a number of patches). These three video games have been so pivotal to the complete medium and so they have been handled like shovelware that needed to be ported to maintain up a licensing deal. 

Purple Useless Redemption on PS4 is decidedly not that. It runs easily and appears higher than the unique with out sacrificing any of what made the PS3 model particular in 2010. This can be a trustworthy port via and thru.

Nevertheless, that’s additionally a part of the issue; it’s basically a premium upscaling with absolutely the naked minimal of options. It does run at 4K on PS4 Professional and PS5, however the texture high quality is actually the very same and sometimes doesn’t maintain up below scrutiny. Noticing the marginally stronger shadows requires zooming in on side-by-side comparisons. 

The body charge is probably the most egregious instance of its technical stagnation as a result of, regardless of it solely outputting at the next decision, it nonetheless runs at 30 frames per second. Enjoying a hardly remastered PS3 sport from 2010 on PS5 at 30 frames per second is ridiculous and a big issue why it doesn’t really feel like a real improve. 

Rockstar additionally refused to remark when requested about the opportunity of an replace that may allow the next body charge, too, so there’s no indication this oversight will change. It’s exhausting to see how this occurred as a result of, whereas not fairly the identical factor, Digital Foundry was capable of run an emulated model of the Xbox 360 port on PC at 60 frames per second with out inflicting an excessive amount of bother. Rockstar video games usually have a heft to them and this bump would undeniably assist Purple Useless Redemption really feel extra responsive. 

The gameplay and techniques are additionally unchanged. Whereas its mechanics haven’t withered an excessive amount of since its first launch, there aren’t any extra options or accessibility settings to streamline the expertise. Stepping into and out of the map takes too many button presses. Trying up challenges stays tedious. Being restricted to only three save slots and having vestigial choices within the menu like enabling autosaves simply additional present how little this port was tailored for contemporary techniques and sensibilities. There’s not even a half-assed Photograph Mode.

Rockstar treating this negligible improve as a premium launch is staggeringly smug, particularly since Xbox homeowners acquired most of those enhancements without cost via backward compatibility. And but, regardless of all these miniscule tweaks, this port nonetheless has worth as a result of Purple Useless Redemption stays a traditional that ought to be extra extensively accessible. And this goes just a little past yanking it from the PS3’s grasp since there are such a lot of features of this sport which are timeless. 

Its environment is sort of unparalleled and outclasses many modern titles. Quite a lot of its map is empty plains and mountains, however, not like many trendy open-world video games, there’s a deliberate contact to all of it. Its ambient soundtrack filled with Spaghetti Western-esque music evokes the best temper that superbly enhances strolling via its desolate areas the place encounters are extra particular due to their relative rarity. The dearth of Ubisoft-style icons additionally cuts down on the noise and makes all of it simpler to soak in. It’s not a guidelines, however a world meant to be lived in, one which doesn’t hit the simulation and animation-heavy extremes of its follow-up.

Purple Useless Redemption additionally has a few of Rockstar’s most elegant writing and is filled with well-realized characters with silver tongues. Protagonist John Marston, being a quick-witted man attempt to reform his life who superbly balances his capability for compassion and energy, is the clearest instance of this. And whereas fade-to-black transitions are dated, cutscenes are remarkably constructed with energetic characters and glorious cinematography that convey every scene to life. Animation expertise has progressed significantly within the time since, however the quite a few detailed mannerisms in Purple Useless Redemption’s animations nonetheless outclass many trendy video games regardless of using lesser horsepower.

The presentation does wonders for its story, however the narrative itself has additionally held sturdy within the ensuing 13 years. It overcomes its handful of sluggish spots to inform a story with one thing to say and with themes that haven’t misplaced their influence. All of this culminates in a superbly orchestrated ending that the open-world style hasn’t been capable of prime. The cowboy’s reign could also be over, because the narrative makes clear, however the influence of the finale nonetheless stands tall within the medium.

Seeing Purple Useless Redemption’s areas basically get remastered for Purple Useless Redemption 2 compounds how a lot this PS4 re-release underachieves. If this port is absolutely the naked minimal, then these sections of Purple Useless Redemption 2 show the opposite finish of the spectrum of what might have been if it acquired the scope it deserved. The sport thrives on its thick environment and having a extra trendy presentation would possible solely enhance its finest function. Rockstar as an alternative settled for a bare-bones port understanding it could be adequate, and, whereas technically and frustratingly true, Purple Useless Redemption deserves greater than “adequate.”

Disclaimer: This Purple Useless Redemption function relies on a PS4 copy offered by the writer. Performed on model 1.02.