'Red Dead Redemption 2' Release Date, Gameplay: Rockstar Spills Beans on What to Expect from Upcoming Installment's Narrative

Rockstar San Diego's art director, Josh Bass, and Rockstar North's director of art, Aaron Garbut, recently fleshed out what fans can expect from the “Red Dead Redemption 2” narrative in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

Set near the turn of the 20th century, “Red Dead Redemption 2” has been described by Josh Bass as happening during the Wild West's decline. The San Diego art director mentions that “Red Dead Redemption 2” aims to explore how the Van der Linde Gang became such a significant force in the original “Red Dead Redemption” game, which is set 12 years after its sequel.

Players, from the point of view of Arthur Morgan, can experience the fall of the Van der Linde Gang as modernization and technology make it harder for them to stay relevant in the changing wild west. Players can also expect familiar faces to return to “Red Dead Redemption 2,” with Dutch Van der Linde himself heading the gang before he loses control of it, and the original game's protagonist, John Marston, still running with the gang before his eventual need to hunt them down 12 years later.

Garbut mentions that the developers' goal was to create an experience that will make players forget that they were playing a game and leave them “with the memory of a place.” Players can expect “Red Dead Redemption 2” to have a level of immersion which the developers are hoping to be a better experience than the previous game and Rockstar's last title, “Grand Theft Auto 5.”

Josh Bass mentions that the desire to create the immersive experience meant that “Red Dead Redemption 2” will not have multiple playable characters, unlike “Grand Theft Auto 5.” The art director mentions that putting the player in Arthur Morgan's shoes will allow them to experience the lives of his companions, which the studio has put a significant amount of effort into fleshing out.

Fans looking forward to Rockstar Games' follow-up to its action-western success can expect “Red Dead Redemption 2” to be available on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One by Oct. 26.