While these relationships definitely had their use in these action-heavy segments of the demo, the interactions that Arthur has with the other members of the gang also play out in more narratively-driven ways. While trekking through the mountains with John and Bill in a later story section that we played, I had the option to talk to Bill along the way to learn more about the rival gang camp that we were about to ambush. Staying silent would have been a completely viable option as well, but having those type of options speaks to the ways that Red Dead Redemption 2 is aiming for a more dynamic and natural way for players to interact with its world and characters.

Aside from the direct ways that you can interact with characters in Red Dead Redemption 2 , there are an even wider range of ways that Rockstar is truly aiming for players to really “live” inside this world by playing as Arthur. This comes down to factors such as eating, sleeping, taking Arthur to the local town barber for Palworld Whistles a haircut and a shave (if you want his hair or beard longer, you’ll have to wait until it grows out), and even down to whether Arthur enters a town armed or unarmed. Naturally, holding your weapon while striding through a town will have its citizens on edge and wary of your actions, while holstering your weapon will make for more civil engagements. As one of the Rockstar reps mentioned as we entered a town, this even extends to the way that you enter a new location on horseback — a calm trot into town will go over much better than charging headlong into town and (potentially) running over an innocent civilian.

“Inventory management” may not be the sexiest two words in the world of gaming, but they are certainly important. When poorly implemented, this one gameplay mechanic can tarnish even the best titles in the genre–looking at you, Breath of the Wi

Many of these interactions with the game’s NPCs will likely result in finding new missions and quests, such as a late night trip to a nearby saloon, where one character wanted me to go out on a mission and take photographs with an early 1900s-era flash camera. Other interactions can get hostile, such as another instance where I tried to rob an incoming traveler on horseback, only to see him still watching me — warily, gun drawn — as I rode on past him. And yet, some of these interactions can be completely unexpected, or even downright hilarious. In what was easily the funniest moment of our demo, I had Arthur greet a fellow traveler, only to see his horse get startled, kick the man in the head, and end up leaving him dead on the road; this left an audible gasp from myself and the Rockstar reps with us during the demo, only to bust out laughing after.

While the original Read Dead Redemption did not even allow characters to swim, a glimpse of a character out in open waters in a kayak has caused some to speculate whether gamers will be able to travel across the seas. This might seem like a stretch for some, but again given the limited amount of information fans have to go on, speculation is all that rema

As for the main story, it’s entertaining but far from revolutionary. It has its highs and lows, the lows being the lack of development outside anyone who’s within the Van der Linde gang. You get to meet a plethora of characters through Arthur’s journey and yet most of them only appear in one or two missions, outside of a couple of exceptions. Red Dead Redemptions 2 moves at an incredible pace to the point that most people in the world are disposable and sometimes unnecessary, making me wish there was more of a focus on specific story beats as it’s spread too thin in spots. With that said, outside of the phenomenal core cast, what Rockstar does right is create exciting scenarios. This is something the company is known for, crafting well-designed and often comical heists that are sure to go awry. Whether it’s robbing a train or a stagecoach, or simply walking through town, each chapter has a handful of standout missions that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Granted, the other missions are mostly broken up into your standard affairs, but at least they’re kept lively thanks to Arthur generally being assisted by another member of the gang.

With that being said, reports have surfaced claiming that Read Dead Redemption 2 will show off the power of the heavily touted Xbox One X–Microsoft’s powerhouse luxury console. Rumor has it, the game will run at 4K and 60FPS on the upcoming console. However, we still do not know how Red Dead 2 will look on Sony’s high-end unit, the PlayStation 4

These moments, as small and inconsequential as they may seem compared to the larger story being told, were really what made Red Dead Redemption 2 ‘s world and setting feel unlike anything that I’ve played before. As a game that’s been worked on by Rockstar for nearly 7-8 years — basically since the release of Red Dead Redemption in 2010 — the time and attention to detail put into its world and setting by the studio are on an unprecedented level. With the force of all of Rockstar’s teams behind it from around the world, the studio has called it their most “ambitious” project leading up to its release, and that might just be underselling it. Based on what I’ve played from the game so far, the level of interactivity, mechanics, and systems available to players make Red Dead Redemption 2 as close as we can get to the living, breathing Western world that Rockstar is aiming to deliver, and I can’t wait to explore more of it.