The Red Dead mods are here, including cursed beardless John, resurrected Arthur, and Neon Genesis Evangelion in the old-timey theatres

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Yeehaw!

A Red Dead Redemption mod that changes John's appearance.
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

After a mere 14 years Red Dead Redemption has finally released on PC, and the good news is that Rockstar didn't botch this one. Far from the GTA Trilogy style disaster some feared, this is instantly the best way to play a classic, and a game so good that some even prefer it to the superlative sequel.

Of course, that doesn't mean Red Dead Redemption is flawless. Room for improvement abounds and modders have already started tweaking anything they don't like about the game. "I like the way he looks without a beard" says Serhishols, announcing the John the Beardless mod, and what more justification do you need?

For some that's not enough. The Arthur Morgan Restoration Project is apparently "a joke that's why it doesn't look good", and yet someone is taking it quite seriously: "Replaces John with the far more superior Arthur Morgan." Arthur may well be far more superior, but not looking like this.

A Red Dead Redemption mod that changes John's appearance.

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

It really does get granular. Want a mod that changes the colour of the UI icons to those used in the 2009 beta? Et voila! PlayStation button prompts? No problemo. There are the usual array of mods that let you skip startup logos, but how about one that specifically only removes the Double Eleven logo "for a more original RDR experience"? Boom.

Oh we're not even close to done. You want 3X the resolution on the weapon wheel, you got it. "EVER WANT CLOSED UP CAMERA? HERE IT IS!" Loot faster! Upscale that grass!

The one I enjoy most is the laser-targeted All Chickens Killed and Rabbits Saved. I promise this save file makes total sense if you've played the game's opening stretch, or as modder corpiss puts it "Just a save file for OCD people who don't want to keep replaying the long ass intro with all rabbits killed and all chickens saved from coyotes."

Finally, "John Marston watches Neon Genesis Evangelion in a movie theater, circa 1911." A+, no notes.

Our own Joshua Wolens had a tootle around the old (new) homestead and rejoiced in RDR finally breaking free of its console prison: "the best way to play it is now the best way to play pretty much anything else: on PC, which you'd certainly hope for given how much they're charging for it."

Rich Stanton
Rich Stanton

Rich is a games journalist with 15 years' experience, beginning his career on Edge magazine before working for a wide range of outlets, including Ars Technica, Eurogamer, GamesRadar+, Gamespot, the Guardian, IGN, the New Statesman, Polygon, and Vice. He was the editor of Kotaku UK, the UK arm of Kotaku, for three years before joining PC Gamer. He is the author of a Brief History of Video Games, a full history of the medium, which the Midwest Book Review described as "[a] must-read for serious minded game historians and curious video game connoisseurs alike."

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