Get on your horses and reload your six-shooters in preparation for Rockstar's latest western adventure, Red Dead Redemption 2.
The gaming community has waited an extremely long time to get the next game from Rockstar Studios – five years since GTA 5, to be exact – so it is safe to say plenty of hype is building before launch in October.
Rockstar ended up creating one of the most successful franchises ever made with GTA 5, raking in more than $6 billion worldwide to become the best-selling entertainment product in history.
Plenty of pressure for its next instalment, then. But many gamers are expecting this to be one of the best games of the year, and they have plenty of reason to think so.
A sprawling, living open-world will be available to explore, with engaging, well-written narrative story missions, a plethora of side-activities and distractions and simply insane graphics. Everything that Rockstar is known for.
RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 RELEASE DATE – WHEN IS IT COMING OUT?
Thankfully, you really don't have long to wait to start causing havoc in the Midwest, with Red Dead Redemption 2 releasing on 26 October.
The game will release on both PS4 and Xbox One for £49.99, but there is no scheduled release for PC.
There is also a Special Edition of the game, which delivers exclusive content including extra story missions, gameplay bonuses and a special edition printed map.
RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 TRAILERS - HOW'S IT LOOKING?
Rockstar released several trailers to whet our appetite and prepare us for a new adventure. Several announcement trailers, as well as a few more in-depth trailers explaining the characters and new game mechanics were dropped on Twitter, and trust us, it looks simply sublime.
The variety of unique environments, from forests to open plains, offered by the American Frontier are looking luscious. And just look at those shadows and the slowly dispersing steam and smoke trailing behind the train. It's quite a visual feast.
WILL RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 HAVE AN ONLINE MODE?
An online mode is rumoured to be heading to Red Dead, in a similar vein to the previous game. There are no prizes for guessing a Battle Royale-type game mode will be making its way to Red Dead, given how popular Fortnite, PUBG and the upcoming Black-Ops 4 mode are proving to be.
However, two other modes, Revive and Survive, and Money Grab, have also been suggested – Revive and Survive will see two teams go head-to-head in a team-deathmatch scenario, while Money Grab will be a heist-style mode, as two teams scramble to secure a cash payload on the map.
RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 - WHAT IS THE GAMEPLAY LIKE?
Rockstar has steadily given more details as we inch closer to release date, so we have a pretty good idea of how the game will play.
Interactions with non-playable characters (NPCs) will be much deeper and more expressive. You can talk your way out of trouble, or greet your fellow citizens, but be careful of how you treat folks, as your actions have consequences that can stretch throughout the game.
Shooting mechanics are likely to be much the same, with tight controls making mass destruction of a small village a breeze. As mentioned, Eagle-Eye – which slows down time to allow you to make multiple precision shots and your foes - will return.
Weapons will have unique characteristics to make them feel real, with various reload and recoil animations making everything feel more realistic. Expect GTA-style controls but with Blunderbusses and six-shooters.
Rockstar has made a truly beautiful game, but to truly experience the quality, you will need a console capable of producing every pixel. Check out the best deals on the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro below.
RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 STORY: WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY, HOW?
Red Dead Revolver told the story of Red Harlow, then in Redemption we followed the adventures of John Marston, classed as one of the best ever gaming protagonists.
We now know that players will be taking on the mantle of a brand new protagonist called Arthur Morgan, though John Marston is still causing havoc somewhere in the game.
No specific story details have been released yet, but many fans expect the game to be a prequel, explaining the events that led up to Marston leaving the Van der Linde gang.
However, specific details in the trailer, such as the inclusion of a huge, sprawling railroad, and a telephone box, have caused people to think this game might be set much later.
Red Dead Redemption was set in 1911, but the various teasers in each of the trailers could suggest we may be experiencing one long narrative that spans John Marston's entire adventure.
