Top 10 Red Dead Redemption 2 Gameplay Facts

Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the most critically acclaimed games of 2018, and gamers everywhere are raving about Rockstar Games’ return to its Wild West sandbox. Since release, players have eagerly jumped cowboy boots-first into the role of Arthur Morgan, RDR2’s new protagonist. RDR2 revolves around the kind of blockbuster storytelling we’ve come to expect from Rockstar, and a number of familiar faces (John Marston!) and new characters accompany Morgan on his journey through 1899 America. What really sets RDR2 apart from its predecessors and holiday season competition is how it plays, and it's clear from the game's incredibly warm reception that it is already a smashing success. To discover why, let's examine ten of the most significant gameplay features that RDR2 has on offer.

10. Revamped and Reloaded Gunplay

Combat in RDR2 is more fluid and visceral than in any Rockstar title before it.

Fans of the original Red Dead Redemption know that its combat system lay at the heart of the game’s design, and that’s no different in RDR2. Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde Gang (led by Dutch, RDR1’s main antagonist) are wanted outlaws and are constantly surrounded by enemies, ranging from ruthless rival gangs to the officers sworn to uphold some semblance of law in an unruly land. Morgan’s primary tools for dispatching these foes are firearms, and RDR2’s gunplay has been greatly improved upon since the series' last outing. This is exemplified in a nighttime shootout featured in this gameplay trailer. In it, Morgan is shown holding a shotgun in his left hand while firing a revolver with his right before seamlessly switching to his shotgun to quickly eliminate a duo of bandits. Additionally, all weapons in RDR2 have distinct characteristics and realistic reload and recoil, and even fist-fighting has been overhauled to be more varied and responsive.

9. Dead Eye 2.0

Do you feel lucky, punk?

RDR2 wouldn’t be a proper entry into the Red Dead franchise without the inclusion of the Dead Eye Targeting system, first introduced in Red Dead Revolver. A bullet-time mechanic that makes the game world look like a 19th century daguerreotype, Dead Eye returns better than ever in RDR2. Players can fire freely or paint targets for a succession of shots while slowing time around them like in previous entries, but RDR2 has added more to the formula to make Arthur Morgan an even greater marksman. Dead Eye is now upgradeable as you progress through the main story, with one such upgrade revealing the weak points of enemies and animals. While Morgan isn’t able to hurdle through the air while firing dual revolvers in slow-motion like a cowboy version of Max Payne, Dead Eye and its upgrades make even the most hectic shootouts more manageable.

8. GTA-Style Heists

Throw on a bandana to mask your identity during high-profile crimes, or risk having a high bounty on your head.

Fans of GTA Online’s intriciate heist missions rejoice—heists make their series debut in RDR2. With the help of his gang members, Morgan is able to plan and take part in high-stakes bank heists and train robberies. It is a fair assumption that these activities will be further fleshed out in RDR2’s upcoming online component much as they were in GTA Online. Morgan is able to go it alone in smaller-scale armed robberies of shops, extortion shakedowns, and the usual Rockstar sandbox fare of being an all-around menace to society.

7. Dynamic Encounters and Rewarding Exploration

Arthur will remember that.

In keeping with the assertion that RDR2 is Rockstar’s most ambitious game world yet are the many ways Morgan can interact with the game’s dynamic game world—and the many ways it will respond. Since the game’s release, players and critics have praised RDR2 for its rich and fluid approach to creating unique stories when the game’s various systems collide. Morgan’s actions, large or small, carry real weight, and NPCs will remember them and treat Morgan accordingly the next time they see him. When confronted by bandits, town sheriffs, local tough guys, or mourning family members, it’s completely up to you whether to diffuse or escalate the situation, and your decisions will further alter your one-of-a-kind experience with the game.

As if this massive overhaul of RDR1’s Fame and Honor systems wasn’t enough, RDR2 fully revolutionizes the way players will explore the game world, as well. In an exclusive interview, Rockstar North art director Aaron Garbut explained the wonder of RDR2’s methods of rewarding player exploration best, describing them as, “Where you see a shack on a hill and you know there is something interesting for you there, maybe you will break in and stumble into a mystery, or meet the owner and end up getting tangled in something…When all the systemic parts of the world come together with our scripted content in the right ways, it’s kind of incredible.”

6. The Van der Linde Camp

Even the toughest band of outlaws need a place to hang their hats.

Dutch van der Linde’s ragtag group of rough riders are the closest thing to a family Arthur Morgan knows, and their traveling camp is a prominent story device and gameplay mechanic in RDR2. The Van der Linde Gang camp serves as a mobile hub where Morgan and his companions eat, relax, and lay low. It gets packed up and moved across America multiple times over the course of the main story as the gang outruns both their crimes and an expanding US government. If you choose to be a decent roommate, you can upkeep the camp’s morale by performing chores, bringing in fresh game and supplies, and taking part in a wide variety of tasks with Morgan’s fellow gang members. The latter nets players with unique gameplay opportunities and can reveal secrets that otherwise remain hidden.

5. Reinventing the Horse

Get back on the horse—just don't get bucked off.

For their time, RDR1’s horses behaved like almost no other open-world games’ did. (They were definitely more refined than the brawling, mountain-climbing horses of Skyrim.) Marston's horse reacted realistically to hazards like gunfights and drop-offs, and it could intelligently follow paths without player input. Since then, Rockstar has looked to stay current with recent advances in videogame horse technology, borrowing welcome features from recent AAA sandboxes like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. RDR2’s horses can now be finely maneuvered in an equestrian horse-dancing manner, allowing Morgan to strafe around enemies and keep his horse out of harm’s way. Horses now also have a bond level associated with them, which must be raised and maintained by simply riding them and treating them well in and out of camp if you want them to perform their best at critical moments. Finally, horses in RDR2 are now equipped with saddlebags, in which Morgan can store extra supplies and weapons while out in the field.

4. Hunting in a Vibrant Ecosystem

RDR2 has impressively deep hunting (and fishing) systems that likely make even outdoor sports games green with envy.

Arthur Morgan will kill a lot—and I mean a lot—of human enemies by the time the RDR2’s credits roll. However, Morgan will have also killed his fair share of the game’s wildlife for their precious pelts and meats, and a great number more out of self-defense. RDR2 includes over 200 unique animal species, and its hunting game has been upgraded a bit since RDR1 to accommodate for this massive growth. Animals now must be tracked, identified, and killed in the best manner possible to preserve the quality of their skins. Just as Morgan can lasso baddies and place them on the back of his horse, he is able to use his horse to carry the carcasses and skins of prey while still on the hunt. To top it all off, the dynamic nature of RDR2’s world of course extends to the animals that inhabit it. Animals react not only to Morgan, but also to one another, human NPCs, and even the weather.

3. Care for a Game of Gwent—er, Poker?

Here lies Liar's Dice…

At the Van der Linde Gang camp and in the world abroad, players are able to take a break from all the crime and death to play a variety of minigames. These metagames were incredibly well-received in RDR1 and remain a point of nostalgia for many, and their return is more than welcome. Returning from the last game are poker, blackjack, dominoes, and five-finger fillet—you know, the one where you willingly stab a knife between your fingers and hope you don’t lop one off. Considering the general trend here is that RDR2 has bigger, better, and more of everything, some new minigames have also made their way into the game.

2. There Can Only Be One

Arthur Morgan may be the only playable character, but you're never really alone in RDR2.

Part of GTA V’s critical acclaim is often attributed to its novel use of three main characters that players could switch between at a whim. However, that's not the case in RDR2, meaning you'll spend all of your time in the game as Arthur Morgan. When asked why only one protagonist stars in RDR2, Rockstar San Diego art director Josh Bass replied, “Sticking with a single character felt more appropriate for the structure and narrative of a Western. Arthur lives with and fights alongside the other members of the Van der Linde gang…but this is Arthur’s story and we are placing players firmly in Arthur’s boots as he and the gang deal with a rapidly changing world. We think people will really love the feeling of being in the gang. It isn’t like anything we’ve done before.”

1. An Immersive Perspective

Experience the world of RDR2 from a seasoned outlaw's point-of-view.

For its re-release on the current generation of consoles, GTA V introduced something Rockstar had never before included in one of their sandboxes: a first-person mode. Thankfully, this feature is back in RDR2, and it looks and plays better than ever. In fact, the entire game (omitting cutscenes) can be played in first-person mode, meaning you can shoot, ride, gamble, and more from Arthur Morgan’s perspective.

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