Red Dead Redemption 2: Things we learned during our hands-on

We recently had the chance to check out Red Dead Redemption 2 looking gorgeous in 4K on the PS4 Pro. There’s so much to cover we couldn’t possibly fit it all in our preview. So here are a few extra things that we learned about the game during our hands-on with it.

First-person play

In Grand Theft Auto V first-person perspective was something which Rockstar Games added later on in the release for consoles and PC – and fans of the game absolutely loved it.  For Red Dead Redemption 2 this will be a feature that players will get to experience straight out of the gate when the game launches later next month.

Music

Woody Jackson will be returning to score Red Dead Redemption 2. There are 192 pieces of original score that will dynamically and seamlessly tie together what is happening in the game

Customising Arthur

Because the game has different environments Arthur will have to be dressed appropriately – or suffer some consequences from his wardrobe choice. Facial hair can be styled to your liking, however you can only remove hair from Arthur, if you want him to have a big bushy beard – well then you’ll have to wait and grow it out.

Weapons

Weapons can degrade over time depending on their usage. Cleaning and making sure your guns are maintained will be an important aspect of the game.  Arthur will be able to carry two rifles, two side arms, a hunting knife, lasso and throwable weapons. These items can be interchangeable by interacting with his Arthur’s horse and swapping them out for something different.

Taking care of your body

Arthur can become overweight. Don’t eat the right things and you’ll end up looking a little on the heavy side – this can affect things like your stamina.

Dynamic weather

During the course of the game the weather can shift and change the look of the environment. From sunny clear sky’s to black clouds and rain.

NPCs are watching

The NPC’s will pay close attention to Arthur, they’ll question you about your bullet ridden clothing, or bloodied up shirt. If you don’t get these clean and mended, then they could cause some headaches for you.

The Van der Linde gang’s camp

Arthur will need to help look after the gang’s camp, he’ll do this by making sure they have food, money and supplies in order for them to survive. Making sure this is done will reap you some benefits while you play the game.

Dialogue is key

You’ll be able to approach situations with multiple options, some of those will be dialogue driven. The dialogue is also contextual, so if you have recently antagonised someone then they will be frantic when you talk to them. If you’ve been drinking a little too much then a who different range of options may open up to you.

Hunting

To hunt animals you’ll need to be patient and in some instances will have to track them throughout your environment. You’ll have to make sure that you get clean kills with these otherwise you won’t make as much money.  Leaving animal corpses or skins on the back of your horse for too long can be determinantal, the resource will spoil over time and be no good anymore. Legendary animals are available for the player to hunt except there is only one that exists for each of the select species.

Red Dead Redemption 2 heads to PS4 and Xbox One on October 26.