Rockstar Games developed and produced Red Dead Redemption 2[a], an action-adventure game released in 2018. The game is a precursor to the 2010 game Red Dead Redemption and is the third instalment in the Red Dead series. The novel takes place in 1899 and follows bandit Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang, across a fictitious version of the Western, Midwestern, and Southern United States. Arthur must contend with the Wild West's fall while fighting to survive against government forces, competing gangs, and other foes. The epilogue of Red Dead Redemption follows fellow gang member John Marston, the game's protagonist.
The game is presented in both first-person and third-person perspectives, and the player has complete freedom of movement.The game is a precursor to the 2010 game Red Dead Redemption and is the third instalment in the Red Dead series. The novel takes place in 1899 and follows bandit Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang, across a fictitious version of the Western, Midwestern, and Southern United States. Arthur must contend with the Wild West's fall while fighting to survive against government forces, competing gangs, and other foes. The epilogue of Red Dead Redemption follows fellow gang member John Marston, the game's protagonist.
The user can freely explore in the game's dynamic open world, which is shown in both first and third person perspectives. Shootouts, heists, hunting, horseback riding, and interacting with non-player characters are all part of the game.Rockstar had proven the platforms' technical capabilities while porting Grand Theft Auto V to them, so this was the company's first game designed expressly for eighth-generation consoles. Woody Jackson scored the game's original score, and Daniel Lanois provided many vocal recordings for the soundtrack. Red Dead Redemption 2 was published in October 2018 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and in November 2019 for Microsoft Windows and Stadia.
Red Dead Redemption 2 shattered multiple records and had the second-largest launch in the history of entertainment, grossing US$725 million in its opening weekend and surpassing Red Dead Redemption's lifetime sales in just two weeks. It garnered positive reviews, with praise for its plot, characters, open world, graphics, soundtrack, and degree of detail; nevertheless, it received some criticism for its control scheme and emphasis on realism over player freedom. It received year-end plaudits, including Game of the Year awards from various gaming publications, and is regarded as an example of video games as an art form. With over 43 million copies sold, it is one of the most popular video games.
Gameplay
Red Dead Redemption 2 is an action-adventure game set in the Wild West. The game is set in an open-world environment with a fictitious depiction of the Western, Midwestern, and Southern United States in 1899, during the latter half of the Wild West era and the turn of the twentieth century, and is played from a first-person or third-person perspective. [1] The game has single-player and online multiplayer modes, the latter of which was released under the name Red Dead Online. [2] The player controls outlaw Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang, for the majority of the game, as he completes numerous missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to advance through the story; from the game's epilogue, the player controls John Marston, the playable protagonist of Red Dead Redemption. [3] In addition to missions, the[3] Outside of tasks, the player is free to explore the dynamic world of the game. [4] The player can use melee strikes, weapons, throwables, or explosives to fight opponents. Combat has been improved over its predecessor, with major new mechanics like as dual-wielding and the ability to employ a bow among them. [5] [6] The player can swim as Arthur but not as John, a reference to the last game, in which swimming resulted in instant death. [7]
Unexplored terrain makes up the majority of Red Dead Redemption 2's universe, and it contains different landscapes with occasional travellers, bandits, and wildlife. In the game, there are urban communities ranging from farmhouses to towns and cities. [8] [9] Horses are the most common mode of transportation, and there are many of them.To use a wild horse, the player must either train or tame it, and to own a horse, the player must saddle or stable it. Increased horse use will start a bonding process, which may be accelerated by guiding, petting, cleaning, and feeding the horse, and the player will gain advantages as they ride their horse. [10] Traveling by stagecoach or train is also an option. By threatening the driver or passengers, the player can hijack an inbound train or stagecoach and plunder its contents or passengers. [11] [12] Red Dead Redemption 2 is an action-adventure game set in the Wild West. The game is set in an open-world environment with a fictitious representation of the Western, Midwestern, and Southern regions, and can be played in first or third person.To use a wild horse, the player must either train or tame it, and to own a horse, the player must saddle or stable it. Increased horse use will start a bonding process, which may be accelerated by guiding, petting, cleaning, and feeding the horse, and the player will gain advantages as they ride their horse. [10] Traveling by stagecoach or train is also an option. By threatening the driver or passengers, the player can hijack an inbound train or stagecoach and plunder its contents or passengers. [11] [12] Red Dead Redemption 2 is an action-adventure game set in the Wild West. The game is set in an open-world environment with a fictitious representation of the Western, Midwestern, and Southern regions, and can be played in first or third person.around the outset of the twentieth century and the second half of the Wild West era [1] The game has single-player and online multiplayer modes, the latter of which was released under the name Red Dead Online. [2] The player controls outlaw Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang, for the majority of the game, as he completes numerous missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story; from the game's epilogue, the player controls John Marston, the playable protagonist of Red Dead Redemption. [3] Outside of missions, the player is free to explore the dynamic world of the game. [4] The player can use melee assaults, guns, throwables, and explosives to confront opponents. Combat has been improved over the previous game, and major new mechanics include dual-wielding.[5] [6] The player can swim as Arthur but not as John, a reference to the last game, in which swimming resulted in instant death. [7]
Unexplored terrain makes up the majority of Red Dead Redemption 2's universe, and it contains different landscapes with occasional travellers, bandits, and wildlife. In the game, there are urban communities ranging from farmhouses to towns and cities. [8] [9] Horses are the most common mode of transportation, and there are many different kinds, each with its own set of characteristics. To use a wild horse, the player must either train or tame it, and to own a horse, the player must saddle or stable it. Increased use of a horse will start a bonding process, which may be accelerated by increasing the amount of time spent with the horse.[10] Stagecoaches and railroads are also options for getting around. By threatening the driver or passengers, the player can hijack an inbound train or stagecoach and plunder its contents or passengers. [11] [12]
Development
Preliminary work on Red Dead Redemption 2 began shortly after the previous game, Red Dead Redemption, was released (2010). [38][39] The original game's company, Rockstar San Diego, had a basic outline of the game by mid-2011, and rough screenplays for the game had been completed by late 2012. [40] When Rockstar Games concluded that a group of distinct studios would not necessarily work, it merged all of its studios into one single team, dubbed Rockstar Studios,[39][41][42], to facilitate development between 1,600 employees; the game was completed by roughly 2,000 people. [39] According to analyst estimates, the game's total production and marketing expenditure would be between US$370 million and US$540 million, making it one of the most costly video games ever made. [43]
While the original game's main theme was to defend family at all means, Red Dead Redemption 2 depicts the narrative of a family's dissolution through the Van der Linde gang. The crew wanted to learn more about why the gang split up, as it was stated several times in the first game. [39] When it came to creating the game, Rockstar's Vice President of Creativity Dan Houser was influenced by movies and literature, however he avoided modern works to prevent accusations of stealing ideas. [40] The crew was not influenced by movies or art, but rather by real-life settings. [44] The crew worked hard to create a realistic representation of the time period, complete with people and locales. In the game, there is a distinction between the citizens.[36]
The recording sessions for Red Dead Redemption 2 began in 2013. [40] Rockstar wants the Van der Linde group to include a broad cast of characters. The writers focused on the backstories of each character, delving into their lives before joining the gang and their motivations for sticking with them. [39] Several characters were removed from the game during development since their personalities did not contribute to the plot. [39] The actors improvised a few extra lines here and there, but largely stuck to the script. [45] To follow the character more personally and understand how the events influence him, the team decided that the player would control only one character in Red Dead Redemption 2, rather than the three protagonists in Rockstar's previous title Grand Theft Auto V (2013). [39]Red Dead Redemption 2 is Rockstar's first game designed particularly for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles.
[46] When Grand Theft Auto V, which was originally published on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, was ported to these consoles, Rockstar put them to the test. After determining which constraints were sustainable, the team identified the areas that required the most attention. [47] Instead of completing objectives and watching cutscenes, one of Rockstar's goals with Red Dead Redemption 2's gameplay was to make the player feel as if they were living in a world. The gang's movable camp, where the player was stationed, was one method utilised to do this.[39] Woody Jackson, who worked on the previous game and Grand Theft Auto V with Rockstar, returns to compose the original score for Red Dead Redemption 2. [40] There are three types of score in Red Dead Redemption 2: narrative, which is heard during the game's story missions; interactive, which is heard when the player is roaming the open world or playing multiplayer; and environmental, which includes campfire singing songs or a character playing music in the world. The music in the game reacts to the player's actions in the world on a frequent basis. [48] The Wrecking Crew sold Jackson many instruments that have appeared in vintage cowboy movies. [48] The game's music was composed by approximately 110 musicians in total. [49] Daniel Lanois collaborated with artists to create the game's original vocal tracks.D'Angelo, Willie Nelson, Rhiannon Giddens, and Josh Homme, to name a few. [48] Ivan Pavlovich, the score's director of music and audio, also enlisted the help of saxophonist Colin Stetson, experimental band Senyawa, and artist Arca. [49]
Before the formal announcement on October 18, 2016, Rockstar Games teased Red Dead Redemption 2 on October 16–17, 2016.[50][51]
[52] The game was originally scheduled to be released in the second half of 2017, however it was postponed twice, the first to Q1/Q2 2018,[53] and the second to October 26, 2018. [54] The game needs extra production time for "polish," according to Rockstar. [54] To boost pre-order sales, Rockstar teamed up with a number of retailers to offer limited-edition editions of the game. [55] A companion app for Android and iOS smartphones was published alongside the game and serves as a second screen for the player to access in-game objects such as catalogues, journals, and a real-time mini-map. [56] On November 5, 2019,[c] the game was released for Microsoft Windows, and it was a launch title for Stadia when it launched on November 19, 2019. [58] [59] Visual and technical enhancements have been made to the Windows version. [57]
Sales
Because the first game in the series was one of the best-reviewed and best-selling games of the seventh generation of video game consoles, many analysts predicted that Red Dead Redemption 2 would be one of the best-selling games of 2018 and have a significant impact on other game sales in the fourth quarter. [143] Following the game's introduction in October 2016, Macquarie Research analyst Ben Schacter predicted that it will sell 12 million copies in its first quarter,[144], while Cowen and Company analysts predicted a "conservative" 15 million sales figure.
[143] Red Dead Redemption 2 was expected by industry expert Mat Piscatella to be the best-selling game of 2018, outselling other blockbuster releases such as Battlefield V and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.and Fallout 76;[145] other industry observers remarked that popular franchises such as Assassin's Creed and Call of Duty were releasing their 2018 entries—Odyssey and Black Ops 4, respectively—earlier than normal, implying that Red Dead Redemption 2 might avoid competition. [146]
Shortly before the game's release in October 2018, Schacter claimed that the game would sell 15 million copies in its first quarter, against investor predictions of 20 million; Wedbush Securities' Michael Pachter expected 25 million. [43] Piper Jaffray's Michael Olson predicted revenue of between US$400 and US$500 million in the first three days, while Cowen Inc.'s Doug Creutz predicted revenue of between US$550 and US$600 million. [147]
Red Dead Redemption 2 has the biggest opening weekend in entertainment history, grossing nearly $725 million dollars[148].
It garnered positive reviews, with praise for its plot, characters, open world, graphics, soundtrack, and degree of detail; nevertheless, it received some criticism for its control scheme and emphasis on realism over player freedom. It received year-end plaudits, including Game of the Year awards from various gaming publications, and is regarded as an example of video games as an art form. With over 43 million copies sold, it is one of the most popular video games.
Red Dead Online
On November 27, 2018, Red Dead Redemption 2's online multiplayer component, dubbed Red Dead Online, was released as a public beta to players who purchased a special edition of the original game, and then gradually opened to all owners. [182] When players first enter the game world, they create a character and are free to explore the terrain alone or with a "posse" of other players. Players earn experience points as they complete tasks across the game environment, allowing them to rank up their characters and gain perks, allowing them to move farther in the game. [183] Despite the fact that Red Dead Online and Red Dead Redemption 2 share assets and gameplay, Rockstar regards them as separate products with separate paths, as seen by the online game's separate release. [184] When the public beta finished on May 15, 2019, players' progress was carried over. [185] On December 1, 2020, a standalone client for Red Dead Online was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It does not require the basic game. [186] The game's post-release material is added to it on a regular basis via free title updates. [187]
Controversies
Dan Houser revealed prior to the game's release that the crew had worked 100-hour weeks "many times in 2018." [40] Many sources took this statement as "crunch time" for the game's whole development team, similar to charges made by wives of Rockstar San Diego employees during the game's predecessor's development. [188] The next day, Rockstar explained in a statement that the work period indicated by Houser only applied to the senior writing crew for Red Dead Redemption 2, and that it had only lasted three weeks for the entire production process. [189] Houser further indicated that the corporation would never expect or require any employee to work as long as mentioned, and that individuals that stayed late at the development studios were motivated by their enthusiasm for the project. [190] [191] Other Rockstar employees, on the other hand, claimed that Houser's claims did not accurately portray the "crunch-time culture" that many of the company's employees worked in, which included "forced" overtime and years-long periods of crunch. Many staff were not reimbursed for their overtime labour due to the salary-based nature of employment contracts, and instead relied on year-end bonus payouts depending on the game's sales performance. Nonetheless, a common theme among employee remarks was the view that working conditions have improved slightly since development on the original Red Dead Redemption.[192][193] By April 2020, numerous employees said the firm had changed significantly as a result of the negative publicity surrounding the workplace culture, and many were cautiously optimistic about Rockstar's future. [194]
Shirrako, a YouTuber, uploaded numerous videos in November 2018 showing his player character murdering a female suffragette NPC, including feeding her to an alligator and dumping her down a mineshaft. Many of the comments on the videos were sexist and misogynistic, according to critics. [195] [196] [197] Shirrako maintained that his acts were apolitical, and that while he did not agree with the sexist remarks, he did not want them to be censored. [197] Shirrako's explanation was dubbed "pure nonsense" by GameRevolution's Matt Leonard, who also pointed out that he continued to post similar videos encouraging the same behaviour. [195] YouTube responded by suspending the channel for violating their community guidelines, claiming the graphic nature of the content for shock value and for advocating violence. [198] Shirrako objected to the ruling, stating that it was hypocritical because in-game violence against men was not punished in the same way. [199] The channel was reinstated, and the suffragette videos were given an age restriction, with the note that "the reviewer will be trained on this consequence and how to avoid repeating this mistake." [200] Some people wondered if Rockstar was to culpable for the conduct because the game doesn't have the same restrictions on attacks on the heroine as it does on other characters like children. [195] [197] Moritz Hoffman, writing for Public History Weekly, remarked that the episode highlights a fresh issue with open world games: that offering freedom without consequences encourages disinhibition. [201] It "notes to a striking disparity between the game's portrayal of Progressive Era politics... and how some players have responded to its renderings thereof," according to scholars Hilary Jane Locke and Thomas Mackay. [202]
On December 13, 2018, Securitas AB, the parent company of the modern-day Pinkerton agency, issued a cease and desist notice to Take-Two Interactive, claiming that the use of the Pinkerton name and badge imagery in Red Dead Redemption 2 was infringing on their trademark and demanding royalties for each copy of the game sold, or they would take legal action. On January 11, 2019, Take-Two filed a lawsuit against Securitas, claiming that the Pinkerton name was firmly linked with the Wild West and that the company's usage of the phrase did not infringe on the Pinkerton trademark. [203] Take-Two requested a summary judgement declaring Pinkerton's usage in the game to be permissible fair use. [204] Javy Gwaltney of Game Informer concurred with Take-accusations, Two's querying why Securitas had not previously targeted other works representing the Pinkerton agency; he believes "the firm presumably merely wants a piece of [the game's] revenues." [205] Pinkerton president Jack Zahran responded to Take-complaint Two's by calling the game's depiction of Pinkertons "baseless" and "inaccurate," noting that Pinkerton employees would "have to explain to their young game players why Red Dead Redemption 2 encourages people to murder Pinkertons," but hoping for a "amicable solution." [204] Securitas has withdrawn its allegations by April 2019, and Take-Two had moved to withdraw its complaint. [206]
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