America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed.

After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. 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.

From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age.

Wildlife

The diverse habitats and climates of Red Dead Redemption 2 are home to around 200 species of animals, birds and fish, all of which behave and respond to their environment in a unique way.

Deer, bison and pronghorn traverse the plains in large herds, scavengers quickly sniff out carrion, sockeye salmon leap upstream, wolves attack in packs surrounding their prey, geese fly in fixed formations, possums play dead, rodents scamper into tree hollows, grizzly bears bluff charge when threatened, and birds of prey soar on thermals. They all form part of a complex ecosystem and must continually fight for their place on the food chain. The wilderness is at once a bountiful and perilous place, for both man and beast, and any predator can quickly turn prey.

Hunting & Fishing

Hunting and fishing are essential skills for survival in the wilderness, providing food, materials and a source of income. A huge variety of fish swim the many rivers, lakes and streams, and selecting the right bait or lure is key to a successful day’s haul. Tracking an animal takes focus and patience; move carefully and watch the wind direction or you will alert your prey. Choice of weapon and shot placement are also very important and will affect the quality of the meat and pelt, which in turn affects the price that traders will pay for them. Make sure to pick the right gauge of rifle for the size of animal that you’re hunting, or master the use of the bow for a quiet and clean kill.

After a successful hunt, you can either skin and butcher the animal on the spot or take it with you whole. Just try not to leave it too long or the scavengers will come looking. Skins, parts, meat and entire carcasses can all be loaded onto your horse to be sold to the butchers in town, taken back to camp for the stew pot, or crafted into clothing or other items. Nature amply provides and there is no reason to ever go cold or hungry.

Horses

There are 19 breeds of horse in Red Dead Redemption 2 from Appaloosas and Arabians to Shires to Mustangs, each of which handles differently with its own defined characteristics. Horses can be captured and broken out in the wild, purchased from stables or acquired by more underhanded means, of course.

Your horse is your constant companion, and you will rely on them just as heavily as on any of your fellow gang members so it is important to take good care of your animal. By keeping it groomed and well-fed, you will start to see improvements in stamina, performance and handling and it will become less skittish as the bond grows between you. With 59 different styles of coat, and a huge range of customisable tack, including saddles, horns, stirrups, spurs, you can create a horse that is truly your own, and develop a personal and unique relationship as you explore the world together.

Weaponry

Detail, depth and choice define every aspect of Red Dead Redemption 2, and weapons are no exception.

There are over 50 unique usable weapons, a massive range of options for customisation, and a wide selection of different ammunition types to improve accuracy, range or damage. The more a gun is used, the better it will perform, but it will also start to degrade over time if not looked after, so a trusty sidearm needs to be kept oiled and clean.

Weapon Choice & Customisation

With a myriad of customisation options ranging from visual upgrades like new metals, woods, varnishes and engravings to performance upgrades like new barrels, grips, sights and scopes, you can design an entirely unique weapon that looks and handles exactly the way you want it to. Every weapon’s performance varies in terms of damage, range, fire rate, accuracy and reload speed so it’s important to pick wisely depending on the situation.

The high fire rate of a Double-Action Revolver lends itself well to shooting on the move from horseback. If you’re carrying something in one hand, like a lantern or small animal, consider using a Sawed-Off Shotgun which packs a much bigger punch at close range than other one-handed weapons. The Varmint Rifle is perfect for hunting small game because it’s far less likely to damage the quality of the skin and meat than a firearm with a bigger shell size.

When faced with just one or two enemies, you might want to go for a Springfield Rifle which has a slower fire rate but delivers much higher damage. For range, a sniper rifle of some kind is obviously a good choice, but scopes can also be fitted to all other types of rifle enabling you to switch between regular view and scope view at any time.

Dead Eye

Dead Eye is a powerful weapon of its own, temporarily slowing down time during combat so you can pick off your enemies with more precision.

The new Dead Eye system gradually expands and becomes more sophisticated over the course of the game, from automatically selecting targets in your crosshairs, to allowing you to manually place shots on multiple targets, to being able to shoot at will in slow motion, and ultimately to pinpointing the weak spots on your enemies for even deadlier accuracy. The system grows with you and your experience and can often provide the critical edge in a life or death situation.

Features

The Van der Linde Gang: A gang of outlaws, renegades and misfits, bonded together under the charismatic and idealistic Dutch van der Linde. They have chosen to live outside the law and now fear it may be catching up with them.
The Frontier, Cities & Towns: Discover some of the towns dotted across the vast and varied landscape of Red Dead Redemption 2; from the forests of West Elizabeth to the mountains of Ambarino to the plains of New Hanover to the swamps of Lemoyne.

Please note, an internet connection and Xbox Live Gold may be required to play this game. In addition, you may need to update your hardware via the internet before you can play the game.