New Red Dead Redemption 2 Gameplay Trailer Will Set Your Saddles Ablaze

Red Dead Redemption 2 is slated to release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 26 and with that launch date drawing closer, Rockstar has decided to show off more of the game in the second official gameplay trailer — available on the Rockstar site.

And yes, it’s all in-game footage captured in glorious 4K. If, for some reason, you haven’t seen the first gameplay, you can find it on Rockstar’s site as well.

While the first video gives a general overview of the game’s narrative and systems, the second provides information on the types of activities the main character and his gang will get involved in. It’s all the six-shooter shenanigans you’d expect a Wild West gang to get up to — train robbery, fighting other gangs, robbing shopkeepers. You know, typical outlaw stuff.

One thing this video really sets out to highlight is how well the RDR2 blends storytelling with action. That blending takes players from one event to another without the usual transitions seen in most games; players can pretty much stumble across adventures and events at any point — even just sliding out of a bedroom window into a gunfight. 

The game definitely seems to encourage players to be as bad as they can be, with Arthur and his gang engaging in all kinds of criminal activities to earn that sweet-sweet money. Everything is rob-able. Players can commit classic bank heists and train robberies or go for something smaller like shaking down stagecoaches and random citizens.

Or(!) there is always the option of hanging out with the ladies from the local brothel for a while. (Although maybe don’t rob them, those Old West madams were pretty hardcore.)

If none of that works for you, the video also demonstrates just how large the world of Red Dead Redemption 2 is.

The entire world map is filled with things — dangerous things — to do. Even just exploring the countryside might bring you in contact with a rival gang or wild animal. And if you don’t run into one of those, there are the lawmen with questionable morals you’ll need to watch out for.

And since making choices is a big part of the game, players will make all kinds of choices for Arthur, down to the mundane everyday stuff like what and where to eat, how to dress, and even whether or not to shave or bathe. Considering the choices you make in-game do affect your relationships with other people. I’m just going to go ahead and suggest bathing. 

The video also covers the new Dead Eye system, which allows players to slow time, paint targets — making them easier to hit, and determine the best places to aim for when shooting someone.

For fans of open world games, Red Dead Redemption 2 is looking pretty awesome — especially in 4K.