Red Dead Redemption vs Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption is an action-adventure open-world game (2010) while Red Dead Redemption 2 is an action-adventure FPS game (2018).
What each one is
Steam files Red Dead Redemption under Action-Adventure and Open-World. In contrast, it files Red Dead Redemption 2 under Action-Adventure and FPS.
Experience the story of former outlaw John Marston as he tracks down the last remaining members of the notorious Van der Linde Gang in the PC debut of the critically acclaimed predecessor to Red Dead Redemption 2.
Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde Gang are outlaws on the run. With federal agents and bounty hunters massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal, and fight their way across the rugged heartland in order to survive.
At a glance
| Red Dead Redemption | Red Dead Redemption 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 8.0/10 | 8.7/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (92%, 21,331) | Very Positive (92%, 911,659) |
| Critic aggregate | No aggregate | 93/100 |
| Price | $49.99 | $14.99 |
| Install size | 12 GB | 150 GB |
| Steam Deck | playable | playable |
| Released | 2010 | 2018 |
| Developer | — | — |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Red Dead Redemption vs Red Dead Redemption 2, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Red Dead RedemptionAction-adventure open-world gameRed Dead Redemption 2Action-adventure FPS gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Red Dead RedemptionOpen World, Western, Story RichRed Dead Redemption 2Open World, Story Rich, WesternThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Red Dead RedemptionScore 8.0 · 92% on SteamRed Dead Redemption 2 ✓Score 8.7 · 92% on Steam · 93 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Red Dead Redemption21,331 reviews · 12 GBRed Dead Redemption 2911,659 reviews · 150 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Red Dead Redemption$49.99Red Dead Redemption 2 ✓$14.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Red Dead RedemptionPlayableRed Dead Redemption 2PlayableValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Red Dead Redemption 2 takes 2 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueRed Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2 on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- Mobile
- Multi-platform
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Red Dead Redemption 2 (GamingPickz Score 8.7)
- The cheaper right now: Red Dead Redemption 2 ($14.99)
- Lighter on storage: Red Dead Redemption (12 GB)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: Red Dead Redemption 2 (911,659 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
Open WorldWesternStory RichSingleplayerActionThird-Person ShooterAtmosphericGreat Soundtrack
Where they differ
ZombiesAction-Adventure3DNarrationSexual ContentClassic
MultiplayerRealisticHorsesBeautifulMatureSandbox
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Red Dead Redemption is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Red Dead Redemption 2 is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Red Dead Redemption | Red Dead Redemption 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 / AMD Radeon R7 360 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 770 2GB / AMD Radeon R9 280 3GB |
| Minimum CPU | Intel® Core™ i5-4670 / AMD FX-9590 | Intel® Core™ i5-2500K / AMD FX-6300 |
| Minimum RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Install size | 12 GB | 150 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Red Dead Redemption · Red Dead Redemption 2.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for Red Dead Redemption and 1 for Red Dead Redemption 2. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2 in scope?
Red Dead Redemption has drawn 21,331 Steam reviews and installs in 12 GB. Red Dead Redemption 2 has drawn 911,659 Steam reviews and installs in 150 GB.
Is Red Dead Redemption or Red Dead Redemption 2 better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Red Dead Redemption 2 rates higher (8.7 to 8.0). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Red Dead Redemption or Red Dead Redemption 2?
Red Dead Redemption 2 is cheaper right now at $14.99, against $49.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.