Red Dead Redemption mounts up in April

When Rockstar San Diego's Red Dead Redemption rides out next year, it will do so with a posse. Though it was initially scheduled for release this fall, Take-Two said in May that the game would join 2K Czech's Mafia II in 2010. In September, Take-Two added BioShock 2 and Max Payne 3 to that list, saying all four games would arrive during the first half of the calendar year.

With BioShock 2 locked in for a February 9 release, Rockstar has now announced that Red Dead Redemption will ride out on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in April. To begin building hype for the game's arrival, the publisher also announced that a new trailer for Red Dead Redemption will premiere December 1.

Billed as a follow-up to Revolver, Redemption takes place several years after the events in the original, closer to the turn of the century. Central to the events is John Marston, a former outlaw caught up in the uncertain times created by the industrial age encroaching on the American frontier.

Red Dead Redemption will be powered by Rockstar's proprietary RAGE engine, better known as the game tool behind Grand Theft Auto IV. Like its top-rated sibling, Redemption offers an open-world environment in which players can explore the vast regions of the West, from rolling grasslands to frontier towns. The game will also feature its fair share of action, including both mano-a-mano gunfights and larger battles.

For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Red Dead Redemption.