Red Dead Redemption 2 Gameplay Trailer: Every Cool New Mechanic So Far
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Red Dead Details
Rockstar Games really knows how to keep its fans in anticipation. Nearly a year since its announcement, the publisher has only released a few brief trailers for the upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2. Few details have emerged in the passing months about what you can do in the game, but now that we've finally gotten a glimpse at actual gameplay, we're starting to get a much clearer picture about how exactly Red Redemption 2 will play like when it releases later this year.
There's much more to Red Dead Redemption 2 than a simple next-generation facelift of the previous game's main mechanics. Some elements have remained the same, but a lot has changed. The world is much larger and more diverse, containing its own ecosystem of wildlife. Your level of interaction with the environment has been greatly expanded, allowing you to make moral decisions on the fly in your actions and conversations with the world's inhabitants. Horses are no longer just a disposable vehicle; instead, you must find a steed and build up a bond with them, which increases their ability to deal with riding around stressful firefights or dangerous animals.
To help you keep up to date on all the cool new mechanics being introduced into Red Dead Redemption 2, we've compiled them all in this feature for your reference. If you're loving what you're seeing here and in the first major gameplay video, then you're in luck: this is only the beginning. Rockstar plans to release more videos in the coming weeks showcasing additional gameplay features. The next trailer will discuss missions, activities, enemy gangs, robberies, how the Dead Eye system is changing, and more. As soon as those details drop, we'll be updating this feature, so make sure to keep checking back.
For the uninitiated, Red Dead Redemption 2 tells the story of outlaw Arthur Mogan. "After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee," Rockstar explained. "With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him."
Red Dead Redemption 2 releases on October 26 for PS4 and Xbox One. Although a PC version hasn't officially been confirmed, a programmer working on the game has alluded to the possibility that Read Dead Redemption 2 will launch on PC. What are you most excited about in Red Dead Redemption 2? Give us a holler about it in the comments below.
A Larger, More Diverse World
Red Dead 2's world is even larger than in the previous game and it's not simply open but filled with more diverse areas packed with meaningful activities to pursue. The world covers America's heartland all the way into its frontier, pushing you through a variety of environments such as harsh deserts, mountainous regions, untamed swamplands, and rural towns.
Varied Ecosystem
You're not alone out in the world. There's a whole ecosystem of animals out there that you need to be cautious of. You'll see a variety of predators--such as bears, wolves, and alligators--but there's also a host of prey and scavengers to encounter too. You might see a moose off in the distance or vultures feeding on a carcass. Compared to the game's predecessor, animals seem to interact more with one another whether you play a part in their encounters or not.
Improved World Interaction
Compared to the first game, your level of interaction with the environment has been greatly expanded. Now you can initiate and engage in a conversation with nearly everyone in the world, allowing you to make moral decisions on the fly in your actions and conversations. This is presented via button prompts which will differ based on who you're interacting with. For instance, if you see a passing rider, you can choose to call out to them, kindly greet them, or even antagonize them. On the other hand, these interactions will change when dealing with someone more aggressive. When threatened by an unsavory character, the game will allow you to rob them, defuse the situation, or antagonize them further. It's worth noting that these prompts do not appear in menus or dialogue trees and are instead initiated in real-time.
Your interactions with the world can even change depending on how you present yourself. With your gun holstered, folks are more willing to chat with you, but if you have your gun drawn, they'll notice and might want nothing to do with you. These sorts of details are important and will affect your experiences spent out in the world.
Expanded Honor System
Much like the honor system in the first Red Dead Redemption, your daily actions feed into the world's perception of you. However, the sequel seeks to expand on this by offering different consequences and opportunities to open up based on the honor you have. Your good actions may allow you to form friendships with folks you help out--who may lead you into new missions. But if you're a jerk, you might make enemies out of law enforcement and the populace at large, which could negatively impact your general activities out in the world.
Distinct Weaponry
Weapons have a more distinct feel than before, with each sporting their own unique realistic reload times and recoil. A wide range of weapons exist, ranging from basic six-shooter revolvers to scope-mounted sniper rifles.
You Can Only Carry Two Weapons
In a bit of a shift from the original, you can only carry two weapons in Red Dead Redemption 2. This means you've got to be smarter about which weaponry you choose to take with you into a firefight.
Fleshed Out Melee Combat
Melee combat was incredibly simplistic in the original Red Dead Redemption, as you could only really flail about when an enemy's guard was down in order to inflict any meaningful damage. However, this component seems to be far more engaging and more intimate. Much of the early gameplay shows Morgan grappling with enemies and guarding against their attacks to find better openings.
The Gang's Camp
Daily life in the Van der Linde gang revolves around the makeshift camp they set up each time they're forced to flee. This is a hub area where you can take on missions and companion activities, as well as listen in on NPC stories and play tabletop games. As you progress through the game, you're encouraged to help supply your camp with food and supplies. After all, these are folks Arthur calls family, which should prove more than enough of a motivator to keep everyone happy and well-fed. Putting in the time opens up new activities, increases your bonds with the members of your camp, and even reveals hidden secrets.
It's worth noting that taking care of your camp is not required from you as a player. However, if you do choose to disregard these duties, your camp will perceive you differently and maybe give a salty remark when you pass by.
You Can Hang Out With Gang Members
At any point in the game, you're free to chat with any member of your gang, which can sometimes reveal opportunities for new missions or side-activities. You can even ask them to headout with you to go fishing, commit robbery, or hunt for food.
Building Up Bonds With Your Horse
The power of friendship is a hell of a thing. And while you can grow closer to your comrades within Dutch's gang through conversations and activities, no one's more reliable than your trusty steed. Red Dead Redemption 2 makes horses valuable confidants by letting you groom, feed, and care for them, which results in benefits like faster dash speed and higher stamina. Horse skittishness also improves with a stronger bond; for example, bears may not scare it if trustworthiness is high. And the stronger the bond, the further it can hear your whistle.
Horses will have different behavioral traits based on breed as well, which affects how they interact with the terrain or handle stressful situations. Breed will factor into on how they react to Arthur too. Since you can tame wild horses, it seems that this'll be another level of relationship management that has tangible results.
Horse Storage
Your horse is more than just your pal and a means of transportation, you can also use it to store weapons, medical items, and any animal skins or carcasses you've hunted. Horses are customizable with saddles and saddlebags that offer the extra storage that is likely to come in clutch during prolonged expeditions out in the wilderness.