It’s always great to find out certain games can be downloaded for free. It happens quite a lot for PC gamers, especially through the Itch.Io store. Time and time again, there’s a unique title that may not have received a lot of attention — but is certainly worth checking out. One of these games is Red Desert Render, a game set in the wild west where you go around hiking.
Developed by Ian MacLarty, Red Desert Render is now completely free on the Itch.Io platform. As it stands now, it has five out of five stars. That’s always a good sign heading into an indie game like this. Despite not having AAA backing, Ian was able to produce something visually unique that is simple and yet addicting in nature.
It seems like Ian was heavily inspired by the out-of-bounds experiences like those found in Red Dead Redemption 2 Online. Thus, there are plenty of areas you can explore at your own pace. There are no missions prompting you to travel to certain destinations. Rather, you can just hike around like you’re in this well-detailed western world in person.
It’s sort of refreshing not having to do a bunch of things or worry about enemies tracking you down. You can just be surrounded by nature and appreciate everything more. It’s a shame more games don’t take this simpler approach. It almost is a cathartic experience, to be honest.
You have the ability to play this game in third-person and first-person. It’s nice that the developer is giving you this freedom. Normally, developers have this design aspect set in stone. The added variety certainly comes in handy when you come across beautiful scenes. For example, there may be an elegant flower in your path. Switching over to first-person is perfect for seeing all of the beauty up close. Then, when you come across larger areas, when can switch on over to third-person and have a better vantage point.
There are so many areas you can explore and you never have to do anything. You can just walk and walk. Sometimes, the game feels a bit glitchy — but not so much to where your gaming experiences are negatively impacted that much.
The game is free, but you can pay $20 and get a custom design from the developer himself. Or, you can pay as much as you want to thank Ian for his unique work. It’s completely up to you.
