When you think of Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto is no doubt the first thing that pops into mind. They’ve built a multi-billionaire dollar franchise that has become a household name, but they’re a multi-studio company that has many properties in their catalogue. Midnight Club, Smuggler’s Run, Max Payne, State of Emergency, Bully and so many more, Rockstar is far more than just Grand Theft Auto. With that said, their third-person action adventure formula has worked for them in the past and so they’ve been implementing it into other titles, one for example would be Red Dead Redemption. Released over eight years ago, we dove into the Wild West like we’ve never done so before, with an Open world games walkthrough world ripe for exploration, a compelling story with a loveable cast of characters and a cleverly-designed shooting mechanic. Here we are again, as Rockstar has created a more colossal and immersive game that puts it in a familiar territory, all while making feel like its own identity.
Players take on the role of Arthur Morgan, who starts the game as the right-hand man to gang leader Dutch van der Linde. After a ferry heist goes awry, the gang is forced to flee the town of Blackwater and live a life on the run from the law and others hellbent on seeing the gangs’ demise. The gang performs various odd jobs and heists to fund their survival, but Dutch’s leadership and decisions eventually begin to take their toll on Arthur, who starts to question Dutch’s intentions. _ Red Dead Redemption _ _ 2 _ features many of the characters from the first game – including primary protagonist, John Marston – with the story ultimately tying into the beginning of the original game _
_ Red Dead Redemption 2 _ improves upon the original with its focus on player choices. Whenever Arthur crosses paths with an NPC, players can choose how they want to interact with them: either warmly or antagonistically. Each decision will result in its own outcome, such as a potential shootout if the NPC is antagonized. The outcome will also ultimately have an effect on Arthur’s honor, which directly impacts item discounts and unlockable outfits. A higher rating results in better discounts at stores and unlockable outfits, whereas a low (or even negative) ranking will increase money and item drop rates from dead N
That said, much of its uselessness comes from not being able to build it into anything later on in the game. Most Champions would only use it in the beginning minutes of the game, only to sell it for more gold later
Red Dead Redemption 2 brings with it new realistic gameplay mechanics for maintaining Arthur’s well-being. Failing to eat for a few hours results in Arthur becoming hungry and sluggish. Horses must be groomed and cared for in order to be most effective for speed and travel. While this sim-style element might seem like a chore, it ultimately aids in pulling players into the world and grounding their experience with a sense of real
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a long game and there’s a lot to do in it. The main campaign alone, along with a good number of Stranger missions, took us just under fifty hours to complete, which is exponentially longer than its predecessor. That’s barely even participating in the various other activities, such as hunting, gambling, bounty hunting and more. The Stranger missions are one of the bigger draws as they are once again whacky, over-the-top scenarios that fill out the world. Arthur may not have the sarcastic, comical timing of John Marston, but he still lends to each situation with his confusion. Sadly, I never saw a damsel tied up on a railroad track that needed saving. Speaking of Stranger missions, you’re also able to make choices that may affect scenes in the main story. For example, I met one woman earlier in the campaign and she appeared as a prostitute later on, which lead to a bounty immediately put on my head. Another was a surprisingly lengthy scene with a nun who I randomly bumped into once, and Arthur opened up to her. Your choices through the campaign do hold some weight as they can affect where specific people end up in the future and might even expand upon Arthur’s character more.
During the late 1800s, the oil industry was off to a competitive and dangerous start. It seems as though this is a major theme that Red Dead Redemption 2 will be tackling wholeheartedly. Towards the end of the trailer, fans are treated to a voice-over while images of an oil plant going up in flames fills the screen. The first Red Dead Redemption was primarily about the death of the cowboy. This one might center around the invasion of the industrial age and how it killed the American wild west. It seems like a lot of themes in the trailer center around beautiful landscapes and vistas that directly contrast the shadowy scenes of oil and flames. Once again, Rockstar knows how to visually tell a story and communicate areas of thematic importa
If you’ve made it this far and still have every intention of pre-ordering _ Red Dead Redemption 2 _ , that is totally fair. This is merely an attempt to offer up some suggestions to – at the very least – temper expectations. One final thought for those debating whether or not to pre-order _ Red Dead Redemption 2 _ : Maybe just wait to submit that pre-order until more details are released. It is easy to be excited about such a highly-anticipated title, but we are sure to hear more news surrounding the details of the game as its October release date approaches, ideally including pre-order bonuses. It is rare for games (and retailers) to not include some sort or pre-order bonus, especially those with online experiences. If you are planning on pre-ordering _ Red Dead Redemption 2 _ , at least try and get yourself something exclus