“We have all waited 14 years for this sport,” modder Badass Baboon says of the unique Pink Lifeless Redemption, when it lastly arrived on PC on the finish of final month.
“My pleasure was by the roof, regardless that with the datamined info from the Change/PS4 model, we just about had affirmation {that a} PC model existed someplace. Nothing might spoil my pleasure once I lastly acquired to play and mod the sport on PC.”
For this modder, who tells me that “the compelling story and character improvement” of the trendy Pink Lifeless sequence, in addition to “the ‘last frontier’ vibes” each John Marston and Arthur Morgan’s adventures share are what draw them most to Rockstar’s westerns, RDR1 lastly arriving was an opportunity to convey ‘Actuality Redemption’ to a contemporary platform. Badass Baboon had began work on this overhaul mod again in 2023 for the Xbox 360 model of RDR, and has since created variations for each the Nintendo Change and now PC variations as they’ve been launched.
Their aim with the venture is to remaster the sport in their very own approach, bringing it nearer to fashionable requirements. They’ve been busy revamping the visuals by tweaking issues like “textures, fashions, and climate cycles”, in addition to “fixing continuity errors”, and looking for to supply “a extra fluid and lifelike expertise” gameplay-wise. It’s nonetheless a piece in progress at present, however the modder’s already applied sufficient substantial tweaks that the model of Actuality Redemption on Nexus Mods is presently essentially the most endorsed RDR PC mod on the platform. Its simply over 10,000 complete downloads as of writing aren’t far off high spot both, solely trailing a few different in style works.
“I’ve beforehand modded Want for Velocity and GTA video games and was searching for a contemporary problem,” Badass Baboon tells me once I ask what impressed them to start out the venture. “I discovered the Pink Lifeless Redemption 1 modding neighborhood quite area of interest and pleasant. Modding this sport was considerably acquainted since it is also on the Rage engine, which I’ve expertise with, having beforehand modded [GTA 4 and 5], however on the similar time very totally different since it is the San Diego department of the engine, and never the Rockstar North one. It was definitely a enjoyable problem studying and understanding how in a different way San Diego tailor-made the engine for his or her video games.”
One other problem they’ve confronted is hopping from platform to platform, with the 360 proving the hardest buyer. “The file codecs have been exhausting to analysis and perceive, not to mention mod, plenty of workarounds and tips had for use to make a functioning mod on the size of Actuality Redemption on Xbox 360,” they inform me. “[The] majority of texture replacements would both break or crash the sport, however enhancing configuration recordsdata labored effective.
“With the discharge of the Change model, the file codecs have been virtually similar to GTA IV, and with much more analysis and understanding behind that, modding that model turned far simpler and streamlined, a single software might handle virtually the whole lot, each texture from character fashions to buildings turned doable to edit. And the PC model turned out to be a 1:1 copy of the Change model, as recordsdata that I’ve beforehand modded for the Change model might be interchangeably used between PC and Change.”
Like plenty of high-profile builders, Rockstar has an attention-grabbing and complicated historical past in the case of the way it’s chosen to work together with these modding its video games. There’s been some takedowns, some full-blown lawsuits, after which final yr, the corporate electing to convey on board the staff behind the favored FiveM and RedM roleplaying mods. Given Badass Baboon can be growing for the Change, which has had a number of emulators stop operation following motion from Nintendo this yr, I requested the modder whether or not both of these had influenced how they’ve approached or felt about their work on Actuality Redemption.
“I would at all times deliberate to maintain the mod underneath the radar till a PC model [of Red Dead Redemption] got here out,” they responded. “I might solely speculate what Rockstar and Take-Two would do, and realizing their litigious background to the purpose of DMCAing a save file, I assumed the worst. At all times felt a shadowy presence, I did not know if what I am doing is taboo or not, however I by no means stopped engaged on the venture. I averted together with any unique sport recordsdata and refused to backport belongings from different Rockstar titles to keep away from any potential points. Fortunately, the mod continues to be up.”
Since that’s the case, the modder’s busy engaged on their plans for the mod, which embrace making additions and alterations designed to assist fill the gaps that exist lore-wise between the unique Pink Lifeless, which famously doesn’t even point out Arthur Morgan’s title, and its prequel Pink Lifeless Redemption 2.
“I plan to switch the sport world and the audio to incorporate extra references to the world and occasions of RDR2, with out taking something out of the unique sport’s really feel/environment,” Badass Baboon says. “It will likely be something from small references resembling work of RDR2’s West Elizabeth, Grizzlies, and Lemoyne within the MacFarlanes’ home – which is within the newest model of the mod by the best way – to one thing main with AI voice appearing the place characters will straight reference occasions and characters [from] RDR2.”
Because the latter would possible contain utilizing the controversial tech to generate traces that mimic the voices of the sport’s established voice actors, one thing a lot of skilled VAs have voiced robust opposition to or considerations about, I requested the modder for his or her tackle the problem, in addition to whether or not they plan to think about any options. For instance, remixing present traces from the sport to type new ones, a way plenty of additional dialogue mods for video games like Skyrim – usually from AI-averse or sceptical modders – have used.
“In the event you’ve seen, many content material creators have used AI instruments to make their favorite characters sing a well-liked track or say sure issues on YouTube, Tiktok, and different locations, with very correct outcomes,” they responded, “Contemplating they’ve by no means gotten into sizzling water for any of that, I do not suppose individuals would complain for a couple of voice line edits. After all, there may be additionally the likelihood to make use of voice belongings from RDR2 and blend new traces, or simply the traces from the unique sport, however to various ranges of success. Whereas there are different strategies like I discussed, I nonetheless have to check and see if AI may even ship the genuine tone that I am searching for. If not, then I will look into remixing present recordings.”
We’ll should see what the long run finally ends up holding for Actuality Redemption and the Pink Lifeless Redemption’s PC modding scene as a complete. In any case, the port hasn’t been right here lengthy in any respect, and little question loads of cowboys are nonetheless both nostalgically making their approach up its trails whereas deciding what they could wish to attempt including, or are downing their final rounds in one other sport’s saloon earlier than hopping on the practice to Armadillo.