Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2: Similarities and differences explored

While Rockstar is popularly known for its Grand Theft Auto series, its Western franchise Red Dead Redemption shouldn't be overlooked. Placing players into rural America in the final parts of the 19th and early 20th Century, the games are a faithful recreation of the era they're set in. Having garnered immense fan following over the past few years, both games are incredibly revered among fans.

Here is the availability of both games:

Red Dead Redemption: PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Red Dead Redemption 2: PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Rockstar recently announced the PC launch of Red Dead 1, marking the first time the game will be playable on a platform other than consoles. Given the impending launch, here's our take on the similarities and differences between the two Red Dead Redemption games.

Note: This article is not meant to be a rating or ranking of the games comparative to one another. The contents of this article are also subjective.

Comparing Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2

Similarities

1) Large open-world map

Both games have an expansive map (Image via Rockstar Games)

Both games feature quite a large map, emulating the vast openness and natural setting of rural America at the time. The vast open map also includes an incredible amount of content for players to partake in. RDR2's location density and variety are larger and even include a significant part of the RDR1 map at a point in the story, but neither game's map size is to be scoffed at.

2) Honor system

While the GTA games don't penalize players for committing the most heinous crimes, the Red Dead franchise is different. In 1 and 2, should players mindlessly keep eliminating NPCs without consideration, their Honor meter will drop, affecting aspects of gameplay. Similarly, undertaking positive actions such as helping NPCs will increase the Honor meter.

The Honor system is present in both games (Image via Rockstar Games)

Low honor has NPCs conversing rudely, more random enemy encounters, and increased cost of buying in-game items. On the other hand, high honor results in slightly reduced shop prices, and better rewards for completing side activities among other benefits. Note that the Honor system is far more prominent, and important in terms of gameplay in the second game compared to the first.

3) Wild West setting

In regards to the Wild West theme, Red Dead 1's setting is more cinematic while Red Dead 2's is more realistic (Image via Rockstar Games)

Set in rural America across the very beginning of the 20th century, both games take place in a "Wild West" setting. While Red Dead 1's setting is more akin to the cinematic rendition of the Wild West, the second game incorporates more realistic scenery elements such as snow-clad mountains into the open world in addition to the setting.

4) Chapter-based storytelling

Both games' stories take place over chapters (Image via Rockstar Games)

Unlike the more linear storytelling of the GTA games, the Red Dead franchise has a chapter-based style of progressing through the campaign. The campaign of both games takes place across specified chapters and even includes epilogues, to further convey important story elements.

Differences

1) Protagonist

While Arthur Morgan is exclusive to Red Dead 2, John Marston features as a protagonist in both games (Image via Rockstar Games)

The main protagonist of Red Dead Redemption 1 is John Marston, while that of the second game is Arthur Morgan. However, there's a portion in Red Dead Redemption 2, where players can control John. Per the events of the second game, both characters existed simultaneously in the same universe and timeline.

2) Gameplay elements

Red Dead 2's open world is more detailed in comparison (Image via Rockstar Games)

Red Dead Redemption 1 was originally released on the PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2010, while Red Dead 2 was originally released on the PS4 and Xbox One in 2018. As a result, the latter's gameplay has more modernized and realistic elements than the former, including more realistic combat, open-world details, and more.

3) DLCs

Red Dead 2 has no story DLC (Image via Rockstar Games)

Despite its immense scale, Red Dead Redemption 2 hasn't received any story expansion DLCs to this day, and will likely not get any in the future. On the other hand, Red Dead 1 had the base game supported with a paid DLC termed "Undead Nightmare," released a few months after the base game.

This DLC was later bundled with the Switch and PS4 re-release and will be included in the PC port.

4) Realism

Red Dead 2's world is more realistic (Image via Rockstar Games)

Arguably regarded as one of the most realistic pieces of gaming ever created, Red Dead Redemption 2 has an incredible amount of world-building and aspects of realism within the game.

From various NPCs having a daily cycle of life to animal behavior across various climates and surroundings, Red Dead 2's world is incredibly realistic. While the first game is also quite realistic in its own ways, Red Dead 2 edges it out.