It has been a long-standing tradition for graphically-pleasing video games to be compared to those that came before it. Because that’s how you know it’s worth splurging on the latest and greatest in gaming hardware— if the visual improvements are proportional to the demands of the game. Now, was that the case in Cyberpunk 2077? Many people think so, and many also don’t. In fact, it’s being compared to one of the heaviest games at the moment, Red Dead Redemption 2.
That’s because Red Dead Redemption 2, despite being released on the PC two years ago, is still one of the crown-holders of graphics technology in gaming. It just so happens that some of Cyberpunk 2077’s shortcomings highlight just how polished and ahead Red Dead Redemption 2 is. So does Cyberpunk 2077 have what it takes to overthrow Red Dead Redemption 2 visually?
10 Why Cyberpunk 2077: Raytracing
It’s not quite there yet but Nvidia’s Raytracing is making progress and Cyberpunk 2077 is at the forefront of this development. It’s quite possibly, the best game that utilizes raytracing right now and the difference can be quite significant in terms of atmosphere.
Raising the raytracing setting to Ultra on the PC proves just how much of a refinement the technology offers especially in in-game places like the Afterlife. The cost, however, is a huge hit to the framerate, meaning raytracing in Cyberpunk 2077 is reserved for the best of the best in gaming hardware, which is a high enough price of admission.
9 Why Red Dead Redemption 2: Tessellation
That isn’t to say that Red Dead Redemption 2 isn’t without its own technological ace. For the Rockstar Studios that, that would be tessellation which has been around for quite a while now. It’s best showcased in simulating the behavior and texture of dynamic surfaces such as snow or mud, both of which are aplenty in the Western Frontier.
However, Red Dead Redemption 2 goes above and beyond and lets players enable tessellation on every single tree in the game. It’s not as directly noticeable as raytracing but it adds its own brand of realism to the game world.
8 Why Cyberpunk 2077: Better Verticality
This one’s a given for Cyberpunk 2077 as it takes place in the near-future dystopia of Night City. Tons of tall buildings are to be expected and are present in the area. They’re not just for show either, many of them can be explored and house areas that players can explore.
Red Dead Redemption simply doesn’t have this level of verticality thanks to the nature of its setting. In this regard, Cyberpunk 2077 appears more ambitious. It was able to craft a bigger area with the current graphics it has, that’s an achievement in itself.
7 Why Red Dead Redemption 2: Better Animations
Despite the verticality in Cyberpunk 2077’s map, many of its animations look rather stiff or un-immersive, even when compared to the developer’s previous game, The Witcher 3. The animation is mostly smooth in only cutscenes and lacks some outstanding effort or personality for idle NPCs.
That’s not an issue in Red Dead Redemption 2 where each NPC feels like it has its own temperament. They respond differently and also move more lifelike. Even the way their face is animated is also more natural.
6 Why Cyberpunk 2077: More Vibrant Lighting
In conjunction with the raytracing technology, Cyberpunk 2077’s lighting is just superb and more atmospheric than the picturesque tranquility of the North American wilderness in Red Dead Redemption 2. It’s cyberpunk, so the neon overload and light show stimuli are to be expected.
This is where Cyberpunk 2077’s lighting shines better. It’s capable of a wide range of backgrounds from the high-tech, low-life sheen of Night City to the sprawling desert outside of the urbanity. Red Dead Redemption 2, by comparison, feels like a countryside trip.
5 Why Red Dead Redemption 2: Better Physics
The number of interactive objects in Red Dead Redemption 2 is simply astounding. We’re not just talking about those with UI prompts but small things from the mud to even the NPCs and how they respond to being hog-tied with a lasso.
Cyberpunk 2077, as pretty as it is, simply doesn’t have these moments nor does it look like it’s capable of recreating or providing such similar physics. The result is that Cyberpunk 2077’s world feels flatter and less alive.
4 Why Cyberpunk 2077: Bigger Map
Cyberpunk 2077 is not just bigger vertically but also horizontally. It’s estimated to be more than 100 square kilometers in size which makes it almost as big as The Witcher 3. On top of that, all that area is playable and probably needs to be multiplied by its vertical size for volume.
This not only allows for more content but for a better feeling of an actual city especially when driving or traveling around. All that comes in beautiful rendered graphics built from the ground up by the developers. That’s probably why it’s also too buggy on release.
3 Why Red Dead Redemption 2: Better Console Optimization
Speaking of release optimization, Red Dead Redemption 2 also had a bit of a rough start on the PC but its developers handled it with better care compared to Cyberpunk 2077. For one, the previous generation console versions were playable.
Meanwhile, Cyberpunk 2077 on the base PS4 and Xbox One was just embarrassing. Moreover, Red Dead Redemption 2 spent more time in the oven especially the PC version so it came out with fewer issues and was thus enjoyed a lot better.
2 Why Cyberpunk 2077: Next-Gen
Then again, one of the main reasons why Cyberpunk 2077 ran so poorly on last-generation hardware is that it was made with next-gen in mind. That means PS5 and Xbox Series X and whatever the PC community considers “next-gen.”
Thus, it has all the best graphical bells and whistles, particularly those that get thrown around like buzzwords. With how hard at work its developers are at fixing its current problems, Cyberpunk 2077 might eventually work as intended visually.
1 Why Red Dead Redemption 2: Minimalistic User Interface
It could be simply due to the funky and electrifying cyberpunk aesthetic, but for some players, Cyberpunk 2077 is dizzying particularly in the HUD and UI department. Everything is a mess of colors and inventory sorting is confusing. Meanwhile, walking around Night City can be a mess with all the pop-ups and prompts that don’t do a good job of tucking themselves in when unneeded.
Red Dead Redemption 2 assaults players with information much less with its minimalistic UI and a headache-free heads-up display. The result is that it’s easier to play it in longer stretches and the visuals are not wrestling with the UI for the players’ attention.
NEXT: 10 Cyberpunk 2077 Comics That Are Too Hilarious For Words
