It’s Almost Time for Red Dead Redemption 2

The newest Red Dead Redemption 2 preview came right on time, because I was starting to worry about whether Rockstar Games would have to delay the game again.

The title was rumored for ages before being officially revealed in late-October of 2016, where it was confirmed for a fall 2017 release. But it was clear it wouldn’t make that timeframe after it went dark for a while, and it wasn’t surprising when Rockstar confirmed a delay until the fiscal year of 2018. It also made sense that it wouldn’t make the first half of this fiscal year after the second trailer was of disappointing length. Fortunately, the subsequent preview was longer, even though it wasn’t entirely fulfilling.

Rockstar previously assured their shareholders that it would make the October 26th date, but that was surprising to hear given how they were promoting it. The third preview that came in early May was substantial, but still didn’t show any gameplay. It was always unlikely to show at E3 2018, given how Rockstar hasn’t properly attended the convention in years. But time was running out for them to show it off, since big AAA games tend to have longer main promotional periods.

As it turns out, there was little to worry about since Rockstar just provided a video showing off several of its gameplay features. I facetiously considered the possibility that it would only be a little over a minute long when it was teased, but it’s actually a little over six minutes.

The video goes through all the basic gameplay features. The game will take place in 1899, before the first Red Dead Redemption, a time when cracks in the cowboy age were only starting to surface. The main character will be Arthur Morgan, a key and ostensibly proud member of Dutch’s Gang. Despite his occupation, the game will have a sort of morality system where player choices will affect how other characters view him, in the main quests and side quests. The video briefly depicts some of these actions, where Morgan can choose to save a person from certain situations, or leave them be.

Similar to other Rockstar games, RDR2 will have an expansive world to explore, a lovingly-crafted interpretation of the Midwest at the turn of the century before last. But the treat here is how this will be the first title from the company to use current-gen technology, remarkable to consider when these consoles are nearly half a decade old. The footage was recorded on a PlayStation 4 Pro in a 4K resolution, and its performance should be similar on an Xbox One X. Hopefully it also runs well on the base systems, too.

With this being a cowboy game, shooting will be a good part of it. The Dead Eye mode will return, so players can slow down the action to mark their targets and fire more precise shots. But one highlight in the trailer showed how the fistfights will receive a slight gameplay overhaul, to make them more intricate and enjoyable. This might encourage some players to only rough up some people, rather than killing them.

The video also provided a glimpse of all the activities it will have. It wouldn’t be a proper western if it didn’t have games like blackjack and poker, with the games being playable at the bar and at camps. Dutch’s Gang will set up the camps in different locations when they’re run out of certain territories, where everyone can participate in several activities. They’re reportedly optional, but completing them will yield several bonuses, and likely contribute to Morgan’s aforementioned moral compass. There’s no way to tell how intricate the features here will be from the current video, but I’d be surprised if they weren’t, given how much the development team has put into this game.

Despite all its features, it’s still remarkable to see how polished it looks. There’s been a constant glut of open world games since the start of this console generation, but Rockstar’s titles tend to be a cut above most others thanks to their penchant for attention to detail. There’s a reason why they take so long to make these games, as it’s been nearly five years since their last big game, Grand Theft Auto V, released — though they’ve provided plenty of content for its online portion since then. Again, they slaved over this game for so long that it will be their first title in this console generation, as GTAV was released at the end of the last generation but was ported to current systems.

The gameplay video was enough to convince even the largest skeptics that RDR2 will indeed make its October 26th release date. That’s good not only for those looking forward to it, but for the other publishers who made sure their games were releasing nowhere near this one. The excitement levels for this game are so high that Rockstar can afford to give it a more sporadic marketing campaign compared to titles advertised on a near-daily basis like Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

The next preview for RDR2 should be due in weeks, instead of the monthly snippets we’ve received thus far. But don’t come after me if I’m wrong.