Buying Red Dead Redemption 2 Is Complicated

Rockstar Games is upping the struggle when it comes to deciding between the Special and Ultimate Editions of Red Dead Redemption 2 by making some content exclusive to the physical versions of the game, and other pieces of content exclusive to the digital versions.

There are a total of three editions of Red Dead Redemption 2. The Standard Edition is a copy of the game. The Special Edition comes with a physical map of the game's world, as well as supplementary story missions, an outfit, a horse, three weapons, and a few gameplay boosts and bonuses. The Ultimate Edition includes everything from the Special Edition, but adds two more outfits, another horse, three additional weapons, and a bonus to rank up faster in online play. The Ultimate Edition also comes with a pretty fancy steel book case for an extra sparkle.

There's also the Collector's Box. It doesn't include the actual game like the other three. Instead, the box contains an assortment of Red Dead Redemption 2-themed collectables, such as a challenge coin, double sided puzzle, six shooter bandana, treasure map, pin set, and cards.

When it comes to the Special and Ultimate Editions, there are a few differences for players who want to buy digitally. Players who go digital miss out on the real-life map to help them keep track of their whereabouts, as well as the steel book case. Instead, the digital versions of these two editions comes with bonus cash to use in the main campaign and a digital treasure map that leads to extra funds.

Differences between physical and digital copies of the same game aren't unheard of, so Rockstar's decision to do this might not come as a surprise for some players. It is, however, a little disheartening to see. Anyone who wants everything that releases with Red Dead Redemption 2 will have to buy the Ultimate Edition of the game twice (both physically and digitally) and then also grab the Collector's Box.

Both the Special and Ultimate Editions are up for pre-order digitally on the Xbox Store and Playstation Network. The two physical versions, and Collector's Box, are available to pre-order on the Rockstar Warehouse. Red Dead Redemption 2 will be out on Xbox One and PS4 October 26.