Red Dead Redemption 2 is a train. A train that carries a hype banner and continues to steam through its path and pick up more and more passengers along its travel. It is shaping up to be Rockstar Games deepest and most ambitious game of all time. Even with a company that continues to improve on absolutely every single aspect of their games, they still pull something new out of the box every time they share more information on their upcoming title, Red Dead Redemption 2.
Rockstar Games is known for their perfectionism, right down to the smallest detail. And Red Dead Redemption 2 is no exception. We have learned an abundance of information about RDR2 and it has been a proper task to delve into it all and process. We know how it feels to just want to know more about the game and now you can read on below for your Red Dead fix.
Here is everything that we currently know about the game including, features, details, locations, animals, weapons, stats, and much more. We will continue to update this for as long as new information is revealed -- so remember to check back or follow us on Twitter and turn 'alerts' ON to be notified first when we update.
GAMEPLAY
- You can play the entire game in First Person View or play in FPP when you choose
- Arthur can lose or gain weight depending on how you feed him. He becomes fatigued and they way he acts will be bettered or worsened depending on this
- Arthur's facial hair will grow as the game progresses
- You can visit a barber shop to get a haircut but this will play out differently form Grand Theft Auto V. E.G. If you want a mullet, you will have to grow it to size and then visit a barbershop to have it shaped and styled. No more instant unrealistic hair changes.
- If you’re riding with other gang members, holding X in cinematic mode ensures you ride as a pack at the same pace as them
- As Arthur’s Dead Eye skill develops he’ll be able to target critical hit areas such as an enemy’s vital organs. This is also useful for getting clean kills when hunting.
- Arthur’s stamina will drop if he isn’t dressed appropriately in certain locations. E.G: wearing a thin shirt while riding in the snowy mountains
- Hold up on the D-pad while aiming and Arthur will fire a warning shot in the air, which can be used to attract the attention of other characters or startle an animal he’s hunting.
- Arthur dynamically shields his eyes just before dynamite goes off.
- Arthur can swim, but not very well
- Horses poop dynamically
- HUD is customisable, so you can remove the minimap and other on-screen HUD elements
- Weapon Dual-wielding is a skill you have to unlock. (You can dual-wield while in Dead-Eye)
- If you surrender to the law, you can be thrown in jail and actually have to serve out your sentence — which could be 24 hours in-game time. At random, the gang can attempt to break you out
- The map is ‘ghosted out’ and will open up as you explore (as in Grand Theft Auto V)
- The mud looks realistic, dynamically deformed by your passage. Tracks stay until changed by other tracks; if it’s raining they will fill with mud puddles
- You can buy different breeds of horse and even tame wild horses
- Each breed has different stats for speed, strength and so on.
- Almost all buildings are enterable in Red Dead Redemption 2. “For Red Dead Redemption 2, we tried to go further in the interiors. You can go into a house, open the drawers, take the jewellery in the drawers” - Imran Sarwar (Rockstar Games)
- You can hijack and drive trains by galloping alongside them and jumping aboard
- Arthur’s jacket will be left bloodied if he carries a skinned animal on his shoulders, and your horse’s rear will be smeared with blood too after delivering your kills to the butcher
- If the mood takes them, a fellow gang member might even suggest you ride into a nearby town for a drink from time to time
- The way conversations go down will change from person to person; a farmer, for instance, will react to you very differently than a sheriff
- Your camp runs on a schedule. In the morning, your gang members might walk out of their tents in their long johns. People will sleep at night, and gather around for food calls
- You can tell your horse to flee when it’s in a precarious situation to try to spare its life
- There are lots of weapon crafting options: noticed so far are Molotov cocktails (known in-game as fire bottles), split-point bullets and ‘improved’ ammo for guns, as well as ‘improved’, fire, and small game arrows for a bow
- You can switch camera angles while in cinematic view
- If you want to swap to a weapon you don’t have on your person, you’ll have to fetch it by running back to your steed. (Your entire arsenal will be accessible as long as you’re riding your horse
- You can apply a bandana while committing a crime and then remove it after, this will help your WANTED level decrease faster
- Sometimes loot that you find will be split between the camp
- The snow that lands on Arthur’s clothing eventually melts, blood will dry up and mud will thicken and break off
- Your hat will appear on the mini-map if you lose it
- Dead bodies will appear as an X on the map, the same applies to dead animals
- You can wear dead animal carcasses as a hat
- You can check the time and location temperature by pressing down on the d-pad or pausing the game
- Horses testicles will shrink depending on the temperature
CUSTOMISATION
- You can really accessories your Horse. Like style your horse’s mane, as well as blanket colours, saddle and saddle-bags
- Saddle upgrades increase your horse’s health and stamina, while upgraded saddlebags expand storage for clothes, masks and hats
- You can mix and match various clothes and accessories, from choosing to tuck your jeans into your boots to rolling up the sleeves on your jacket
- You can customise weapons at the gunsmith. Upgrades include longer and rifled barrels or improved iron sights, etchings and engravings on the metal casing and the handle weapons
- Bonding with your horse will also unlock cool-looking moves like rearing, skid turns and even actual dressage, and improve characteristics such as the animal’s speed, stamina and ability to stay calm under stress
- Arthur can customise his hair: chin, cheeks and sideburns. This can be done at camp, but will not be as quality as if you visited a barbershop.
THE WORLD
- The world will continue to grow as you play the game, with certain establishments/railways and such taking form as you play
- NPC's will remember things that they witness you doing and will base their perception of you on this
- You can purchase items at General Stores by picking them up off of shelves and you can also read through a catalogue. The same applies for Gunsmiths
- People will try to call for help or run to the Sheriff's office if they witness you engaging in crime
- There are cities, snowy mountain ranges, towns, swamps, and various establishments around the worlds
- Some locations include Barbers, Hotels, Gunsmiths, Blacksmiths, Horse Stables and more.
- You can ride trains, by purchasing a ticket from the post office but boarding a train will leave your horse behind
WILDLIFE
- There are around 200 species of wildlife, which all act in their own ways according to their species
- Animals include Bison, Deer, Wolf, Fish, Horse, Bears, Pronghorn, Possums, Rodents, scavengers and more.
- You will see some animals scavenge dead animals laying around the world.
- Dead animals will rot and decompose when left
- You can hunt, skin, and sell your game
- Animals can smell your scent, so you will need to cover it to avoid detection while hunting
- Deer, bison and pronghorn traverse the plains in large herds, scavengers quickly sniff out carrion, sockeye salmon leap upstream, wolves attack in packs surrounding their prey, geese fly in fixed formations, possums play dead, rodents scamper into tree hollows, grizzly bears bluff charge when threatened, and birds of prey soar on thermals." - Rockstar Games official website description
- Legendary animals return
- If you shoot an animal with a bullet rather than an arrow, it’ll fetch a lower price at the town butcher than a clean kill
- As you skin an animal, you can see the exit wounds
- If and when a thunderstorm strikes, your horse will become agitated
- Bonding with your horse is really important. Increasing tricks such as rearing, skid turns and dressage.
- The better the bond with your horse, the less likely it will be too run away and throw you off when you are presented with a dangerous situation
MUSIC
- Arthur can receive a serenade by NPC's
- Woody Jackson will be scoring the game
- You can hear different instruments and pieces of music being played by NPC's around the world
- Music will play at your Camp by fellow members, while they share stories and alike
- It is said that 190 pieces of original music are featured in the game
- In-game scores play-out differently depending on your play out in the game
- If you take an Honourable path, the score will be lighter.
- If you play a not-so-honourable path, the score will be darker and more dramatic
CHARACTERS
The kind of folk that exist and live in the world range from your everyday farmer, labourer, businessmen, sailors, housekeepers and children, as well as the more watershed characters like Prostitutes, Traders, Cowboys, Gamblers, Thieves, Ranchers and outlaws. For main characters in Red Dead Redemption, check our characters page - (page is continual and we will add more as more is revealed).
Red Dead Redemption 2 launches (selectively) on October 26, 2018.