Screenshots of an early, in-development version of Red Dead Redemption have been shared by a former Rockstar Games developer. The images show some drastic changes compared to the version we got upon release in 2010.
On the portfolio website ArtStation, Jason Muck who worked as an environment artist at Rockstar on Red Dead Redemption has published over 30 images of his work on the game. These range from weapons to vehicles.
The artist states he helped out on “every facet of prop, weapon, and vehicle asset creation (modeling, texturing, unwrapping, shader set up, functionality, breakability, animation, rigging and skinning), that populated the world of Red Dead Redemption.”
Old UI Details
In one particular image, we can see an earlier version of the game’s minimap. There are several differences to the one found in the launch version of the game. The minimap has a much thicker circular border with more texture depth. The icons are also of a different style. They were replaced with something a little more simple. Buildings in the distance seemingly are not textured either. You can see the image below.
The differences are more noticeable in other images which are found below. More icons in the different style can be seen on the minimap. Plus, the preview/beta build font can be seen at the bottom right of the minimap. This text indicates ammo count.
This wider, thicker font was changed to one that was quite thin and tall. Its location also changed in the final game with it appearing at the top left of the minimap. Click on each image to view in full resolution.
Test Level
Next up, we get a look at the Red Dead Redemption testing area. Developers build test levels with various basic objects to check the scale, mechanics and more. For example, in on the image below on the right, we can see blocks with text saying “crouch obstruction”.
You can view all of Jason’s work here. These images were first posted online 2 years ago but almost no one has talked about them nor shared them. That is until a couple of weeks ago when sebbellic01 posted them to the GTA Forums. Their existence was later amplified by videotechuk_ on Twitter (currently known as X).
It is extremely rare we get a look at Rockstar Games titles in-development outside of their official trailers, screenshots and such. This makes these images a big deal. Developers who have worked on these projects don’t typically share their in-development work. Although it has happened before with ex-employees such as Jonathan Gwy posting early looks at GTA V.
In other Red Dead Redemption news, the second game is dominating download and sales charts. Plus, a brand new Red Dead Online Event Month has begun! Check out all of the details here. For more Red Dead Redemption news updates, stay tuned to RockstarINTEL.
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