Red Dead Redemption 2 is all that has been on our minds, games-wise, this week. From teaser images over the weekend to actual launch confirmation, we come now to the first look at the gameplay that player can expect to see. In the single-player, at least.
Except… this might not necessarily be gameplay. If it is then we’re already sold (it looks so, so good) but Rockstar may have used some pre-rendered footage for the reveal. Even then, they don’t do these sorts of things for no reason so let’s break down what we’re looking at in these slices of American frontier life.
The first few shots of nothing but scenery hint at a whole lot of detail for Red Dead Redemption 2. Considering how good the first game looked at the time, we can certainly expect a visual overhaul with improved lighting and day-night cycles, and some more realistic animal behaviour.
Water, flame, and smoke effects should be improved as well and that herd of buffalo following a train suggests that Rockstar are going to be packing in herd behaviour. Perhaps we’re going to go buffalo hunting at some point instead of just herding cattle in a storm.
Towns also look to be packing much more detail than before. Less generic NPCs, more detailed interaction with towns, and a whole lot of carrion-eaters seem to be implied here. If we were being extremely hopeful, we’d say that your actions might have more of an effect on townsfolk this time around. That would be unusual, though, as Rockstar have only made vague uses of a karma system in their games in the past.
And, finally, the action. Players look to be running with a pack of outlaws this time around. The narrator isn’t John Marsden, by the sound of things, but it could be an older gent advising the first game’s protagonist to get out of a life of crime. Somehow, though, we don’t think this is going to be the case. We already know how Marsden’s tale concludes — we might be in for something completely new with Red Dead Redemption 2. We’ll be watching this one like a gunslinger eyeballing an opponent at a high-noon showdown. We’ll let you know when we know more.
Source: Rockstar Games