280-568: Red Dead Redemption 2 , a Western -themed action-adventure game developed and published by Rockstar Games , follows the story of Arthur Morgan , an outlaw and member of the Van der Linde gang. Led by Dutch van der Linde, the gang attempts to survive against government forces and rival gangs while dealing with the decline of the Wild West . Several characters reprise their roles from the 2010 game Red Dead Redemption , to which Red Dead Redemption 2
560-603: A Liberty City expansion. A new version, commonly referred to as "Expanded & Enhanced", was announced in June 2020. Released on 15 March 2022 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S , it features technical enhancements and performance updates. A trailer released for the new version in September 2021 was met with negativity, becoming one of the most-disliked videos on PlayStation 's YouTube channel; journalists noted that fans were frustrated by Rockstar's continued focus on
840-410: A Western . Nelson felt that the decision to limit to one protagonist shaped the other creative decisions of development. The conversations and sense of life within the gang environment were inspired by Grand Theft Auto V ' s exploration of the lives of two of the game's playable characters while the player was controlling the other one. Rockstar wanted to grant agency to the player when experiencing
1120-415: A cover system may be used to assist against enemies. Should players take damage, their health meter will gradually regenerate to its halfway point. Players respawn at hospitals when their health depletes. If players commit crimes, law enforcement may respond as indicated by a " wanted " meter in the heads-up display (HUD). Stars displayed on the meter indicate the current wanted level (for example, at
1400-507: A special edition with extra in-game features. They ran a viral marketing strategy with a website for a fictional religious cult, "The Epsilon Program", that offered users the chance to feature in the game as members of the cult. A re-release of the game was announced for PlayStation 4 , Windows , and Xbox One at E3 2014 . This enhanced version features an increased draw distance, finer texture details, denser traffic, upgraded weather effects, and new wildlife and vegetation. It includes
1680-557: A stock market . Players may purchase properties such as garages and businesses, upgrade the weapons and vehicles in each character's arsenal, and customise their appearance by purchasing outfits, haircuts and tattoos. In 2004, criminals Michael Townley, Trevor Philips, and Brad Snider partake in a failed robbery in Ludendorff, North Yankton, resulting in Michael being presumed dead. Nine years later, Michael lives with his family in
1960-401: A trade secret and Trusted Reviews was unable to use a public interest defense ; she added "it might prove to be influential" and prevent publications from leaking information in the future, even if obtained legally. Prior to the game's release, Dan Houser stated the team had been working 100-hour weeks "several times in 2018". Many sources interpreted this statement as " crunch time " for
2240-461: A "colossal feat of technical engineering". It became the second-ever western-developed game to be awarded a perfect score from the Japanese video game magazine Famitsu , after The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim . CNET felt that the game encouraged players to engage with all three characters. Edge found that switching players helped avoid long travel times to mission start points. Because of
2520-664: A "conservative" estimate of 15 million sales. In July 2018, industry analyst Mat Piscatella predicted Red Dead Redemption 2 would be the best-selling game of 2018, outselling other blockbuster titles such as Battlefield V , Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 , and Fallout 76 ; some industry commentators noted frequent franchises like Assassin's Creed and Call of Duty were launching their 2018 entries— Odyssey and Black Ops 4 , respectively—earlier than usual, predicting an avoidance of competition with Red Dead Redemption 2 . Shortly before release in October 2018, Schacter estimated
2800-512: A "crazy" sense of humor, a complexity he wanted to portray within Arthur. Clark also took inspiration from The Proposition (2005) as it involved a similar situation to Arthur's, wherein he is forced to betray some of his loyalties. Clark wanted to portray a character that was complex enough for the player to choose his path and still make sense. He aimed to portray vulnerability with Arthur's ego. Clark looked to Rob Wiethoff 's portrayal as John in
3080-541: A bank in Saint Denis, but the Pinkertons intervene, killing Hosea and arresting John. Dutch, Arthur, Bill, Javier, and Micah escape the city via a ship heading to Cuba . A torrential storm sinks the ship, and the men wash ashore on an island, Guarma, where they become embroiled in a war between tyrannical sugar plantation owner Fussar and the enslaved local population. After helping the revolutionaries kill Fussar,
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#17327931529733360-632: A barber to change hairstyles; hair grows realistically over time. Weapons require cleaning to maintain their performance. Using a certain type of gun extensively improves weapon handling, reduces recoil, and increases the rate of reloading. The player can take cover, free aim, and target a person or animal. Individual body parts can be targeted to take down targets without killing them. Weapons consist of pistols, revolvers, repeaters , rifles, shotguns, bows, explosives, lassos, mounted Gatling guns , and melee weapons such as knives and tomahawks . The player can use Dead Eye to slow down time and mark targets. Once
3640-605: A billionaire venture capitalist and corporate raider , who attempts to shut down Michael's studio. Michael thwarts his efforts and inadvertently kills his lawyer, to which Devin vows revenge. Meanwhile, Franklin has to rescue his friend Lamar Davis from rival gangbanger Harold "Stretch" Joseph, who attempts to kill him multiple times. Concurrently, Trevor tries to consolidate his control over various black markets in Blaine County, waging war against The Lost outlaw motorcycle club , Latino street gangs, rival meth dealers,
3920-406: A boat to America, where he spent several years as a scam artist. He soon joined the Van der Linde gang for protection and is responsible for the gang's money-lending operation. He is typically emotionless and known for being shifty. As the gang moves locations, Strauss continues to operate his loansharking business, tasking Arthur with collecting the money from several debtors each time. He partakes in
4200-450: A body double for some takes. Davis portrayed Dutch "in his prime"—as a charming, confident man—for about a year before playing the decline of the character. Unsworth felt that Dutch views himself not as a criminal, but somebody fighting against a "corrupt system of power that's been set up to divide and suppress". He noted that Dutch's "anarchic, anti-establishment rhetoric" was compelling for the gang to remain with him. Davis felt that Dutch
4480-461: A botched deal. He consistently approves of Dutch's decisions, and has a vindictive attitude. Micah convinced Dutch to rob a ferry in Blackwater, which ultimately failed and forced the gang to flee to a mining town in the mountains. Micah partakes in the Saint Denis bank robbery, after which he becomes shipwrecked on Guarma with some other members of the gang. Upon their return, Micah begins to have
4760-430: A bounty hunter with Sadie. John proposes to Abigail and, after John kills Micah and finds the gang's money, the two marry and start their new life on the ranch with Jack and Uncle. Four years later, during the events of Red Dead Redemption in 1911, Abigail and Jack are abducted so John will search for his former comrades; they are returned when he completes his task, and Abigail dies in 1914. Moore found ease in recording
5040-642: A character in the game is based on her likeness and story and was depicted without her consent. Rockstar filed to dismiss Gravano's lawsuit in April, and stated that the allegations are foreclosed by the First Amendment . In July, actress Lindsay Lohan filed a lawsuit, claiming elements in the game, including the Lacey Jonas character, were influenced by her image, voice and clothing line without permission. Rockstar responded in court papers that sought
5320-467: A cliff. When Davis was asked to reprise his role as Dutch, he was unsure of the nature and importance of the role until production began; he first heard about his reprisal in mid-2013, and received about the first 100 pages of the script at the end of the year. As Davis is much taller than Dutch, the animators had to adjust the height from the motion capture performances to fit the character, including eye lines of other characters. Brent Werzner stepped in as
5600-520: A cut of [the game's] profits". In response to Take-Two's complaint, Pinkerton president Jack Zahran described the game's portrayal of Pinkertons as "baseless" and "inaccurate", noting Pinkerton employees would "have to explain to their young game players why Red Dead Redemption 2 encourages people to murder Pinkertons", but hoped the companies could come to an "amicable solution". By April 2019, Securitas withdrew its claims and Take-Two moved to withdraw its complaint. Critics agreed Red Dead Redemption 2
5880-437: A dismissal of the case, saying that the case was frivolous and filed for publicity purposes. In 2016, both lawsuits were dismissed. Within 24 hours of its release, Grand Theft Auto V generated more than US$ 815 million in worldwide revenue, equating to approximately 11.21 million copies sold for Take-Two Interactive. The numbers nearly doubled analysts' expectations for the title. Three days after its release,
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#17327931529736160-403: A distraction to some of the guards. Sometime later, he is arrested for involvement in an illegal operation; while being transported to jail, he is freed when Arthur assists the sheriff in capturing runaway fugitives. Trelawny orchestrates and participates in several heists with the gang, including a stagecoach robbery with Arthur and a heist on a lavish riverboat with Javier, Arthur, and Strauss. As
6440-550: A fictionalized version of the United States in 1899 . It features single-player and online multiplayer components, the latter released under Red Dead Online . For most of the game, the player controls outlaw Arthur Morgan , a member of the Van der Linde gang, as he completes missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress the story; from the epilogue, the player controls Red Dead Redemption protagonist John Marston . Outside of missions, they can freely roam
6720-536: A first-person perspective, and a battle royale mode in Red Dead Online . The information was obtained from a leaked document in August 2017, but the site had hesitated to publish the article as the claims were "unsubstantiated" until promotional material validated its legitimacy; the document was sent to other sites at the time. In November 2018, Trusted Reviews replaced the article with an apology, noting
7000-470: A gamepad was necessary for "the best experience". PC Gamer called the game "the most beautiful, expansive and generous" of the series. On the game's multiplayer, IGN reported low player counts in matches, long wait times in lobbies, server disconnection and occasional crashes. "Because of that," they wrote, "I can't strongly recommend ... the multiplayer experience alone". VideoGamer.com found online character progression streamlined by comparison with
7280-488: A hostage interrogation , unsettled reviewers. They noted its political commentary on the use of torture by the United States government but found the sequence to be in poor taste. GameSpot felt that placing the torture scene in context with an analogous monologue by Trevor created a hypocrisy in the mission's function as a commentary device. Eurogamer felt the close-up camera and quick time events accentuated
7560-484: A line of John's from the original game stating that Bill knows how to survive at all costs. He felt that Bill was always seeking approval from his fellow gang members and thought that Bill may have chosen a different side in the story if he was told that he was accepted and appreciated within the gang. Charles Smith (Noshir Dalal) is a recent addition to the Van der Linde gang. Born to an African-American father and Native American mother, Charles often struggled to find
7840-432: A lost cause into Dutch's most dedicated enforcer. He is unwaveringly loyal to the gang, though the failed robbery in Blackwater troubles him. During the events of the game, Arthur helps the gang to survive during a blizzard, moving to Horseshoe Overlook before relocating to Clemens Point. There, Arthur becomes involved in a conflict between two warring families, which leads to the death of a gang member. Further exploits lead
8120-510: A member of the gang. Born in Dublin , Ireland to a wealthy family, Molly moved to America in search of excitement. She eventually joined the Van der Linde gang and fell in love with Dutch, but wants more in their relationship than he is prepared to give. She considers herself to be better than other members of the gang, which often leads to her exclusion. She eventually becomes fed up with Dutch ignoring her, and, while drunk, returns to camp and tells
8400-434: A new on-foot first-person view option, which required the development team to overhaul the animation system to accommodate first-person gameplay. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions were released on 18 November 2014. The PC version, initially scheduled for simultaneous release with the console versions, was delayed until 14 April 2015. According to Rockstar, it required extra development time for "polish". The PC version
8680-490: A novelist. She keeps in close contact with Tilly Jackson. Strelitz worked on the game for around 3–4 years. Strelitz felt that Mary-Beth is a sweet girl who "gets lost in the world of her books". She referred to the character as "the Danielle Steel of 1899" because of her obsession with romance novels. Strelitz felt that the scene in which Arthur discusses his sickness with Mary-Beth has a "gravitas" for those who play
Characters of Red Dead Redemption 2 - Misplaced Pages Continue
8960-482: A place to belong. A quiet and reserved man, Charles is highly skilled at hunting and tracking. He joined the gang about six months before the events of the game as he agreed with their overall ideologies. Charles accompanies the gang on several outings, including the robbery of Cornwall's train, the rescue of Sean MacGuire, and the train robbery orchestrated by John. Charles partakes in the failed bank robbery in Saint Denis, later distracting Pinkerton guards to allow some of
9240-408: A property at Beecher's Hope. He builds a ranch with the help of Uncle and Charles Smith, while Sadie provides him with jobs to pay off his loans. After Abigail returns, John proposes. With Sadie and Charles, John attacks Micah's new gang, where they find Dutch. In a Mexican standoff, Dutch shoots Micah, letting John finish him off, before leaving. John and Abigail later get married at their ranch. During
9520-555: A ranch at Beecher's Hope, bringing a dog named Rufus with them. Four years later, during the events of Red Dead Redemption in 1911, Abigail and Jack are abducted so John will search for his former comrades; they are returned when he completes his task. After John is killed by the Bureau of Investigation in 1911 and Abigail dies in 1914, Jack tracks down and kills now retired bureau director Edgar Ross. Mashable ' s Jess Joho described Jack as "a representation of innocence contrasting
9800-457: A ranch where John reveals his combat experience against bandits threatening the ranch. Believing John is unwilling to give up his old ways, Abigail leaves with Jack. John takes a loan from the bank to purchase a ranch. He works with Uncle, Sadie, and Charles to build a new home, and proposes to Abigail on her return. Learning Micah is still alive and formed his own gang, John, Sadie, and Charles assault his camp. They find Dutch, who shoots Micah after
10080-438: A result, he is incredibly loyal to Dutch. During the events of the game in 1899, Javier joins Arthur on several occasions, including searching for John, robbing Leviticus Cornwall's train, and rescuing Sean. Javier partakes in the Saint Denis bank robbery, after which he becomes shipwrecked on Guarma with some other members of the gang. There, he is shot in the leg and captured by soldiers, but later rescued by Dutch and Arthur. Upon
10360-454: A special edition of the base game, and then progressively opened to all owners. Players customize a character and are free to explore the environment alone or in a group. The game world features events in which up to 32 players can partake individually or with a posse group. As players complete activities throughout the game world, they receive experience points to raise their characters in rank and receive bonuses, thereby progressing in
10640-523: A stronger influence on Dutch, convincing him to confront Cornwall and later to blow up Bacchus Bridge to distract the government. Micah convinces Dutch to ignore Arthur's plea to rescue Abigail after she is kidnapped. Arthur rescues her and returns to the camp to inform Dutch that Micah has been betraying the gang; Dutch joins Micah and turns on Arthur. When Pinkertons invade the camp, the group disbands. Micah ambushes Arthur, and Dutch intervenes in their fight. Arthur convinces Dutch to abandon Micah and leave. If
10920-459: A study published by the University of Exeter and Truro and Penwith College found Red Dead Redemption 2 players had an increased understanding of ecology and animal behavior; players were able to identify three more animals on average than other gamers. In late 2021, University of Tennessee professor Tore Olsson started teaching " Red Dead America", a class about United States history in
11200-687: A successful train robbery. During a failed bank robbery, John is captured and incarcerated. Arthur and Sadie rescue him, much to the disdain of Dutch; protective of John's family, Arthur warns John to leave the gang when the time is right. John is later left for dead by Dutch during a train robbery but returns to the camp as Arthur is confronting Dutch and Micah. When Pinkertons invade the camp, Arthur and John flee. John returns to his family at Arthur's wishes. Eight years later, in 1907, John finds honest work with Abigail, but when John fights back against outlaws threatening his employer, Abigail leaves with Jack. John works to get her back by earning enough money to buy
11480-410: A technical patch on 5 October in an effort to resolve the issues, but problems persisted the second week as some players reported their character progress as having disappeared. Another technical patch was released on 10 October combating the issues, and Rockstar offered a GTA$ 500,000 (in-game currency) stimulus to the accounts of all players connected to Online since launch as recompense. Because of
Characters of Red Dead Redemption 2 - Misplaced Pages Continue
11760-412: A tense standoff and leaves in silence, allowing John to kill Micah and claim the gang's Blackwater stash to pay his debt. John marries Abigail and they start a new life on their ranch alongside Jack and Uncle, as Sadie and Charles leave for other pursuits. Mid-credits scenes show the fates of other surviving gang members. Edgar Ross tracks down Micah's killer, which leads him to John's ranch, foreshadowing
12040-576: A tip that leads to an ambush. Dutch kills Bronte for his betrayal. After a failed bank heist forces them out of the city of Saint Denis, Dutch and several gang members become shipwrecked on Guarma, an island near Cuba . Dutch befriends revolutionary leader Hercule Fontaine, helping fight with his revolution in exchange for a ship back to the mainland. Reunited with the gang, Dutch begins to grow paranoid, refusing to rescue John Marston from prison; when Arthur Morgan and Sadie Adler rescue him, Dutch becomes furious. He later confronts and kills Cornwall, attends
12320-402: A total of around 2,000 people worked on the game. Analyst estimations place the game's combined development and marketing budget between US$ 370 million and US$ 540 million , which would make it one of the most expensive video games to develop . While the main theme of the original game was to protect family at all costs, Red Dead Redemption 2 tells the story of the breakdown of a family in
12600-463: A way for the player to respond appropriately. Dutch van der Linde ( Benjamin Byron Davis ) is the leader of the Van der Linde gang. He is intently opposed to governmental control, valuing individual liberties and dreaming of an independent life. Dutch's goal is to fight back against a corrupt system of power, and he believes that enough violence will eventually change society's outlook. Early in
12880-460: Is a prequel . The game focuses on Arthur's relationship with several of the gang members, including Dutch's best friend Hosea Matthews, Native American hunter Charles Smith, gunslinger Sadie Adler, experienced outlaw Micah Bell, and Red Dead Redemption protagonist John Marston . Outside of the gang, Arthur also encounters his former partner Mary Linton, as well as Native American tribe members Rains Fall and Eagle Flies. Throughout their adventures,
13160-423: Is a gunwoman and bounty hunter. She grew up in the mountains, where she learned to ride, shoot, and hunt. On their farm, she and her husband Jake shared the workload until he was killed by O'Driscolls in their home, where Sadie hid. During the events of the game, Arthur, Dutch, and Micah kill the O'Driscolls, rescuing Sadie and inadvertently setting her house ablaze. She decides to stay with the gang, vowing revenge on
13440-440: Is afterwards approached by Steve and Dave, who contend that Trevor is a liability, and Devin, still seeking vengeance on Michael. Franklin has three options: kill Trevor, kill Michael, or attempt to save both in a suicide mission . Should Franklin choose to kill either Michael or Trevor, his relationship with the other ceases, and he returns to his old life. Otherwise, the trio, aided by Lamar and Lester, withstand an onslaught from
13720-415: Is allowed to remain in the gang. Early during the events of the game, Arthur finds the drunk Swanson and saves him from a fight and an oncoming train. By the time some of the gang return from Guarma, Swanson has become sober and is functioning better. As the gang begins to fall apart, Swanson decides to leave; depending on the player's honor, Swanson may encounter Arthur a final time, bestowing wise words about
14000-416: Is an enforcer of the Van der Linde gang. Born as Marion Williamson, Bill changed his name due to embarrassment. He was dishonorably discharged from military service in 1892 for attempted murder and deviancy, leading to a life of violence and alcoholism. He joined the gang after being saved by Dutch about six years before the events of the game, having been at a low point in his life. Bill is frequently mocked by
14280-503: Is being used and regenerates when players perform skilful actions (for example, drifting in vehicles as Franklin or performing headshots as Michael). While free-roaming the game world, players may engage in context-specific activities such as scuba diving and BASE jumping , and visit businesses such as cinemas and strip clubs . Each character has a smartphone for contacting friends, starting activities and accessing an in-game Internet. The Internet lets players trade in stocks via
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#173279315297314560-628: Is capable of 60 frames per second gameplay at 4K resolution , and the Rockstar Editor lets players capture and edit gameplay videos. Plans to develop single-player downloadable content (DLC) were later scrapped as the team focused resources on Grand Theft Auto Online and Red Dead Redemption 2 . After Grand Theft Auto V ' s source code reportedly leaked online on 24 December 2023, possibly originating from members of Lapsus$ , dataminers found at least eight sets of single-player DLC were in development but cancelled, including
14840-400: Is considered one of eighth-generation console gaming 's most significant titles and among the greatest video games ever made . It is among the best-selling video games with over 67 million copies shipped. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a Western -themed action-adventure game . Played from a first- or third-person perspective, the game is set in an open-world environment featuring
15120-552: Is dedicated to working hard and doing his part for the gang, as proven early during the events of the game when he participates in the robbery of Leviticus Cornwall's train. He forms a strong bond with Arthur, particularly when the two get drunk together in Valentine. In Rhodes, Lenny tracks down a group of ex-confederates known as the Lemoyne Raiders; he and Arthur ambush their camp and kill them. Lenny later participates in
15400-507: Is heard during the missions in the game's story; interactive, when the player is roaming the open world or in multiplayer; and environmental, which includes campfire singing songs or a character playing music in the world. The game's music regularly reacts according to the player's decisions in the world. Jackson purchased several instruments from the Wrecking Crew featured on classic cowboy films. In total, over 110 musicians worked on
15680-420: Is later present when the gang attacks her manor to save Jack. At a party at the mayor's residence, Hosea discovers two lucrative leads; one is a bank robbery in Saint Denis, which he convinces Dutch to do. Hosea successfully distracts law enforcement but is captured and killed by Agent Milton in front of the bank. Dobell worked on the game generally around twice a month for four years. He familiarized himself with
15960-571: Is named one of his deputies. Meanwhile, the gang befriends the Braithwaite family, who are rivals to the Gray family. The two families soon discover the betrayal, and the Braithwaites kidnap Jack Marston. Dutch orders an assault on Braithwaite Manor, torching the building and slaughtering the family. The gang moves to Shady Belle and retrieves Jack from businessman Angelo Bronte, who gives Dutch
16240-469: Is narrated by Roger Clark. Grand Theft Auto V Grand Theft Auto V is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games . It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series , following 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV , and the fifteenth instalment overall. Set within the fictional state of San Andreas, based on Southern California ,
16520-444: Is navigated on foot and by vehicle, from either a third-person or first-person perspective. Players control the protagonists throughout single-player and switch among them, both during and outside missions. The story is centred on the heist sequences, and many missions involve shooting and driving gameplay. A "wanted" system governs the aggression of law enforcement response to players who commit crimes. In Grand Theft Auto Online ,
16800-549: Is no longer the man he knew, as he is becoming insular, abandons their ideals, and murders Cornwall. Faced with his mortality after being diagnosed with tuberculosis , Arthur reflects on his actions and how to protect the gang, telling John to run away with Abigail and Jack and openly defying Dutch by aiding the local Native American people . Several gang members become disenchanted and leave, while Dutch and Micah arrange one final heist of an Army payroll train. Arthur's faith in Dutch
17080-499: Is one of the highest-rated PC games. PCGamesN ' s Sam White thought the graphics improvements made the open world "[look] the best it ever has". Destructoid ' s Carter praised the addition of the Photo Mode. Sam Machkovech of Ars Technica felt the cutscenes animations did not scale well to higher frame rates but considered the gameplay far superior to console. Rock, Paper, Shotgun ' s Matthew Castle lauded
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#173279315297317360-432: Is one of the highest-rated games on Metacritic, and the highest-rated PlayStation 4 and Xbox One game alongside Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V . Reviewers praised the story, characters, open world, graphics, music, and level of detail. Matt Bertz of Game Informer described the game as "the biggest and most cohesive adventure Rockstar Games has ever created", and GamesRadar ' s David Meikleham felt it "represents
17640-490: Is scheduled to be released in 2025. Grand Theft Auto V is an action-adventure game played from either a third-person or first-person perspective . Players complete missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story. Outside of the missions, players may freely roam the open world . Composed of the San Andreas open countryside area, and its fictional Blaine County and city of Los Santos,
17920-402: Is sent back to Dutch's gang on horseback. Lenny Summers (Harron Atkins) is a young gunman in the Van der Linde gang. He is well educated, having received good schooling as a child. At the age of 15, Lenny's father was killed while walking home at night; in retaliation, Lenny stole a gun and shot his father's killers. After spending three years on the run, Lenny joined the Van der Linde gang. He
18200-532: Is shattered when he abandons Arthur to the Army, leaves John for dead, and refuses to rescue a kidnapped Abigail. Arthur and Sadie rescue Abigail from Milton, who names Micah as the Pinkertons' informer before Abigail kills him. Arthur returns to camp and openly accuses Micah of betrayal. Dutch, Bill, Javier, and Micah turn on Arthur and a newly returned John, but the standoff is broken when Pinkertons attack. The player can choose to have Arthur aid John's escape by delaying
18480-421: Is soon ambushed by the vengeful Micah, and Dutch intervenes in their fight. Arthur convinces Dutch to abandon Micah and leave. If the player has high honor, Arthur succumbs to his injuries and disease and dies peacefully; if the player has low honor, Micah executes him. For his portrayal as Arthur, Clark took main inspiration from Toshiro Mifune . He found that Mifune's characters were very stoic while also having
18760-399: Is the co-founder and second-in-command of the Van der Linde gang. Hosea first met Dutch about 20 years before the events of the game when they tried to rob each other on the road to Chicago. They quickly became friends, committing crimes and building a gang together. Valued for his wisdom, along with his skill as a con artist , Hosea regularly advises Dutch as the two share similar ideals. When
19040-465: Is the highest-rated PlayStation 4 and Xbox One game on Metacritic alongside Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2 , and the second-highest rated PC game alongside several others. Game Informer considered the addition of first-person "another significant breakthrough for the series" in the vein of Grand Theft Auto III 's shift to third-person from Grand Theft Auto 's bird's-eye view. GameSpot found that playing in first-person heightened
19320-464: Is usually found drunk at camp. Karen eventually leaves the gang during its downfall, and her fate is unknown; Tilly surmises that she drank herself to death. Armeniox particularly appreciated scenes where Karen and Arthur drink and share stories. Kieran Duffy ( Pico Alexander ) is a stable boy. Originally a lowly member of the O'Driscoll gang, Kieran is captured by Arthur and later coerced by Dutch and Bill to turn on his former gang members and give up
19600-825: The BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award at the 10th British Academy Video Games Awards . Various in-game elements were recognised with awards. Trevor was named Best Character for the Official Xbox Magazine 's Game of the Year Awards 2013, while Lamar Davis won the Best New Character award from Giant Bomb . The music received awards from Spike VGX, Hardcore Gamer and The Daily Telegraph . Grand Theft Auto Online won Best Multiplayer from GameTrailers and BAFTA, and Best Xbox 360 Multiplayer from IGN . Online
19880-505: The Hole-in-the-Wall Gang . Polygon ' s Cass Marshall named Dutch one of the greatest characters of the 2010s, citing his complex development. Arthur Morgan ( Roger Clark ) is the protagonist and main playable character of Red Dead Redemption 2 . He joined the Van der Linde gang when he was 14 years old, having lost his parents at a young age, and soon became Dutch's first protégé. Over time, Arthur transformed from
20160-626: The Independence Day Special update that added patriotic-themed content on 1 July 2014. The widely anticipated Online Heists update launched on 10 March 2015 and suffered some initial technical difficulties due to the increased user load. Shortly after the game's PC release, some players reported being banned from Grand Theft Auto Online for using field of view and cosmetic mods in single-player. Rockstar stated in their official blog that nobody had been banned from Online for using single-player mods, but that recent updates to
20440-622: The Pinkerton Detective Agency , led by Andrew Milton (John Hickok) and his subordinate Edgar Ross (Jim Bentley), to hunt them down. The gang encounter Italian Mafia boss Angelo Bronte ( Jim Pirri ), controversial governor Colonel Alberto Fussar ( Alfredo Narciso ), and Dutch's nemesis Colm O'Driscoll (Andrew Berg), and become entangled with the warring Gray and Braithwaite families, who are rumored to be hoarding Civil War gold. Arthur helps Rains Fall ( Graham Greene ) and his son Eagle Flies ( Jeremiah Bitsui ), both members of
20720-472: The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 , to them. Once the team had defined what limitations were sustainable, they found the areas requiring the most focus. One of Rockstar's goals with Red Dead Redemption 2 ' s gameplay was to make the player feel as though they are living in a world, instead of playing missions and watching cutscenes. A method used to achieve this was through the gang's moving camp, where
21000-708: The PlayStation Network . The share price for Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive , rose nine percent in the week after release. VentureBeat ' s Dean Takahashi noted the game likely broke-even in its first week and, based on analyst estimates, would begin to earn a profit by December 2018. The game shipped 23 million copies in 2018, generating US$ 1.38 billion in revenue, and sales reached 29 million in 2019, 36 million in 2020, 43 million in 2021, 50 million in 2022, 61 million in 2023, and over 67 million by June 2024. By dollar sales, it
21280-559: The private military company Merryweather, and triad kingpin Wei Cheng. Having broken his agreement with Dave by committing robberies again, Michael is coerced by Dave and his superior, Steve Haines, to perform a series of operations alongside Franklin and Trevor to undermine the International Affairs Agency (IAA). Under Steve's direction and with Lester's help, they attack an armored car carrying funds for
21560-415: The seventh generation of video game consoles , many analysts believed Red Dead Redemption 2 would be one of the highest-selling games of 2018 and have a great effect on other game sales during the fourth quarter. After the game's announcement in October 2016, analyst Ben Schacter of Macquarie Research estimated it would sell 12 million copies in its first quarter, while analysts at Cowen and Company gave
21840-531: The single-player story follows three protagonists —retired bank robber Michael De Santa ( Ned Luke ), street gangster Franklin Clinton ( Shawn Fonteno ), and drug dealer and gunrunner Trevor Philips ( Steven Ogg ), and their attempts to commit heists while under pressure from a corrupt government agency and powerful criminals. Players freely roam San Andreas's open world countryside and fictional city of Los Santos, based on Los Angeles . The game world
22120-404: The "grey and gritty" Liberty City. Reviewers praised the world's satire of contemporary American culture — OPM opined that "the scathing social commentary is, of course, present and correct". Destructoid called the sound design "impeccable" and praised the actors' performances, original soundtrack and licensed music use. IGN and Giant Bomb commended the music selection and felt that
22400-742: The "information was confidential" and should not have been published. In a settlement with Take-Two Interactive, Trusted Reviews agreed to donate £1 million ( US$ 1.3 million ) to charities chosen by Take-Two; Rockstar directed the funds be donated to the American Indian College Fund , the American Prairie Reserve, and the First Nations Development Institute . Neither Trusted Reviews nor Take-Two indicated any specific laws had been violated. Several journalists recognized
22680-436: The "utopia" that he wants for his gang and realizes that he does not want the same to happen to him. When Dutch does not have his best friend Hosea Matthews by his side, he is unable to hear criticism, according to Davis; when Arthur tries to help Dutch "see the light", Dutch begins to distrust him, instead turning to the "unwavering [...] support" of Micah". Davis felt that Dutch's dream paradise would be at Horseshoe Overlook, in
22960-536: The 2012 film Zero Dark Thirty , the underlying political commentary on torture in "By the Book" necessitated the violent content. The torture gameplay was cut from the Japanese release. Several reviewers found the game's portrayal of women misogynistic ; VG247 wrote the female characters were "either there to be rescued, shouted at, fucked, to be seen fucking, put up with, killed, heard prattling away like dullards on their mobile phones or shopping". Edge noted
23240-525: The 6th SXSW Gaming Awards , Red Dead Redemption 2 was named Trending Game of the Year and won Excellence in SFX and Technical Achievement. The game earned eight nominations at the 22nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards , seven at the 19th Game Developers Choice Awards , and six at the 15th British Academy Games Awards . Since the previous installment in the series was among the highest-reviewed and best-selling games of
23520-499: The FIB and Merryweather before going on to kill Cheng, Stretch, Steve, and Devin. Michael and Trevor reconcile, and the three protagonists cease working together but remain friends. Rockstar North began to develop Grand Theft Auto V in 2008, around Grand Theft Auto IV 's release. The development team totalled more than 1,000 people, including Rockstar North's core team and staff from parent company Rockstar Games ' studios around
23800-490: The IAA and steal an experimental nerve agent from an IAA lab. As Steve comes under increasing scrutiny, he forces Michael and Franklin to break into the FIB building and erase evidence against him from the servers. Michael takes the opportunity to wipe the data on his activities, destroying Steve's leverage over him. After reconciling with his family, Michael starts planning his final heist with Trevor, Franklin, and Lester: raiding
24080-652: The Kingdom (2023). Red Dead Redemption 2 was referenced several times in the South Park episodes " Time to Get Cereal " and " Nobody Got Cereal? " in November 2018. Game footage was used in the first music video for " Old Town Road " by Lil Nas X in December, which scholars saw as the impact of the game's influence on Western culture and country music . In April 2022, Joe Meizies won Virtual Photographer of
24360-560: The Native American Wapiti tribe whose land is targeted by the U.S. Army . After a botched ferry heist in 1899, the Van der Linde gang are forced to leave their substantial money stash and flee Blackwater. Realizing the progress of civilization is ending the time of outlaws, they decide to gain enough money to escape the law and retire. They rob a train owned by Cornwall, who hires Pinkertons to apprehend them. The gang perform jobs to earn money, as Dutch continually promises
24640-408: The O'Driscolls. Sometime later, when the gang is based at Clemens Point, Sadie becomes dissatisfied with her job of preparing food; Arthur takes her to town to run some errands, but they are attacked on their return, prompting the two to fight them off. Afterward, she seeks to be involved in the gang's heists. When the O'Driscolls assault the camp, Sadie refuses Arthur's orders to get to safety and helps
24920-632: The PC version had the "unintentional effect" of making such mods unplayable. They stated that mods are unauthorised and may cause unforeseen technical problems and instabilities. Grand Theft Auto V received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic , based on 50 reviews for the PlayStation 3 version and 58 reviews for the Xbox 360 version. The game is Metacritic's fifth-highest rated, tied with several others. Reviewers liked
25200-557: The Pinkerton name was strongly associated with the Wild West, and its use of the term did not infringe on the Pinkerton trademark. Take-Two sought a summary judgment to declare the use of Pinkerton in the game as allowed fair use . Game Informer ' s Javy Gwaltney agreed with Take-Two's claims, questioning why Securitas had not targeted other works depicting the Pinkerton agency in the past; he felt "the company likely just wants
25480-428: The Pinkertons or return to the camp to recover the gang's money. Micah ambushes Arthur, and Dutch intervenes in their fight. Arthur convinces Dutch to abandon Micah and leave. If the player has high honor, Arthur succumbs to his injuries and disease while watching the sunrise; if the player has low honor, Micah executes him. Eight years later, in 1907, John and his family are trying to lead honest lives. They find work at
25760-569: The PlayStation 4 version. Red Dead Redemption 2 was the third-fastest-selling non- FIFA game released in its generation, behind Call of Duty: Black Ops III and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare . In the United Kingdom, it was the second-best-selling game in 2018, fifth in 2019, eleventh in 2020, sixth in 2021, and ninth in 2022. Within its first week in Japan, the PlayStation 4 version sold 132,984 copies, placing it at number one on
26040-725: The PlayStation Awards 2013 and the Community Choice award from Destructoid . The game received the Platinum Award at the PlayStation Awards and was named the Best British Game from BAFTA. At IGN 's Best of 2013 Awards, it earned multiple wins, including Best Xbox 360 Graphics, Best Xbox 360 Sound, and Best Action Game on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and overall. The mission "By the Book", which requires players to use torture equipment in
26320-561: The Union Depository's gold bullion reserve. However, Trevor discovers that Brad was not imprisoned as he was led to believe, but killed during the Ludendorff heist and buried in the grave marked for Michael. Deducing the heist was a setup and that he was supposed to be killed in Brad's place, Trevor feels betrayed and leaves Michael for dead during a shootout with Cheng's henchmen. Although Franklin rescues Michael, Trevor's anger towards
26600-515: The United States. Sloyer attempted to emulate real-life Mexican bandit Joaquin Murrieta through the character of Javier, particularly in his quiet, brooding moments wherein he attempts to escape his dark past. Josiah Trelawny (Stephen Gevedon) is a conman and an associate of the Van der Linde gang. A flamboyant conman, Trelawny is allowed to move in and out of Dutch's gang as he likes. He helps Arthur, Javier, and Charles track down Sean, acting as
26880-497: The Van der Linde gang and put particular focus on the individual stories behind each character. The relationships between the characters received praise from several gaming publications , and the acting has resulted in multiple awards and nominations , including a win at The Game Awards . Red Dead Redemption 2 ' s recording sessions began in 2013 and lasted a total of 2,200 days, led primarily by motion capture director Rod Edge. The game features 1,200 actors, 700 of whom share
27160-409: The Van der Linde gang. After her mother died of typhoid, Mary-Beth lived in an orphanage at a young age but ran away to take care of herself. She soon became known as a highly skilled pickpocket despite her kind heart and good nature, and encountered the Van der Linde gang while being chased by several men she had pickpocketed. She enjoys reading and writing, and had dreams of becoming a novelist when she
27440-461: The Xbox One but thought both consoles rendered the game well and maintained mostly consistent frame rates. They praised the increased frame rate and graphics options offered in the PC version. VideoGamer.com called the console version's frame rate so consistent it was "scarcely believable", although GameSpot cited occasional frame rate dips. They opined that the PC version let players "witness
27720-624: The Year wins from independent journalist Tom Chick , CNET , Edge , the 31st Golden Joystick Awards , the 5th Annual Inside Gaming Awards , the Spike VGX 2013 Awards , Slant Magazine and Time . It was named the Best Xbox Game by Canada.com , GameSpot , and IGN , and the Best Multiplatform Game by Destructoid . Rockstar Games and Rockstar North won Best Studio and Best Developer from Edge , and
28000-787: The Year at the London Games Festival for his virtual photography in Red Dead Redemption 2 . Tombstone Redemption, a fan event organized by Kenney Palkow, was held in Tombstone, Arizona , on July 29–30, 2023, with an estimated 10,000 attendees, including fourteen cast members from the series. Tombstone was redressed to resemble the in-game Blackwater. The event returned the following year as Black Hills Redemption, held in Deadwood, South Dakota , on June 21–23, with twenty actors present as guests. In July 2021,
28280-411: The actors were unsure about the future of the characters during production; the writers continued to work on the script while the actors shot their scenes in segments. Rockstar wanted a diverse cast of characters within the Van der Linde gang. Senior creative writer Michael Unsworth noted that the ensemble was advantageous when writing the narrative, as it helped to craft the story and added complexity to
28560-512: The adapted controls, particularly when painting targets in Dead Eye, though felt they took longer to familiarize oneself with. PC Gamer ' s James Davenport found the first-person perspective superior on the Windows version due to the responsiveness of the mouse but noted the game crashed several times; Jeuxvideo.com ' s Jean-Kléber Lauret echoed similar criticisms, observing
28840-442: The age of 12, he was saved by Dutch van der Linde, who took him into his gang and raised him. When Abigail Roberts joined the gang, she and John fell in love and had a son, Jack. During the failed robbery in Blackwater, John is badly wounded. He gets lost after scouting ahead of the gang in the blizzard, and is saved by Arthur Morgan and Javier Escuella. Once he has recovered, he joins the gang on some tasks before planning and executing
29120-456: The all-format video game sales chart. In Australia, it was the best-selling game of 2018, and the fifteenth-best-selling of 2020. Worldwide, the Windows version sold 406,000 copies upon launch in November 2019, doubling to over one million after its release on Steam the following month. The online multiplayer component to Red Dead Redemption 2 , titled Red Dead Online , was released as a public beta on November 27, 2018, to players who owned
29400-465: The arguments between Molly and Dutch, the director spoke with the actors separately about their motivations but did not reveal them to the other; O'Brien found that Davis' in-character ignorance to Molly frustrated her more, adding to the scene. O'Brien felt that Molly did not achieve redemption by the game's end; she stated that Molly left Ireland to move away from its working conditions and barren nature, but by affiliating herself with Dutch, denied herself
29680-620: The attention to detail and found the world felt more alive due to "an unrivaled dynamic weather system, ambient sound effects, and the most ambitious ecology of flora and fauna ever seen in games". Several reviewers lauded the level of detail in all aspects of gameplay — EGM ' s Plessas felt the attention to detail led to deeper immersion —though some found the sheer amount of realism restricted opportunities and unnecessarily prolonged some animations. IGN ' s Reilly felt Arthur's movement did not feel cumbersome despite being "heavier" than Grand Theft Auto V ' s protagonists, and found
29960-418: The character of Micah Bell as a "slimy opportunist", and found the character's villainous nature to be "liberating". He did not anticipate the hatred that the character would receive from players on social media. The recording of the final encounter between Micah and Arthur took place late in production, which Blomquist felt added to the emotions of the actors. Molly O'Shea (Penny O'Brien) is Dutch's lover and
30240-549: The character's honor rating through moral choices and deeds. A bounty system governs the response of law enforcement and bounty hunters to crimes committed by the player. The game's development lasted over eight years, beginning soon after Red Dead Redemption ' s release, and it became one of the most expensive video games ever made. Rockstar co-opted all of its studios into one large team to facilitate development. They drew influence from real locations as opposed to film or art, focused on creating an accurate reflection of
30520-430: The city of Los Santos under the alias Michael De Santa, having made a secret agreement with a Federal Investigation Bureau (FIB) agent, Dave Norton, to stay hidden. Across town, gangbanger Franklin Clinton works for a corrupt car salesman and meets Michael while attempting to fraudulently repossess his son's car. The two later become friends. When Michael finds his wife sleeping with her tennis coach, he and Franklin chase
30800-452: The city to help John build his house at his new ranch and later accompanies him and Sadie as they track down and kill Micah. Charles attends John and Abigail's wedding before departing the ranch. Dalal resonated with Charles as he is half-Japanese and half- Parsi . He drew experiences from his personal life when portraying the character. The original actor for Charles was recast as the team felt he did not fit. Hosea Matthews (Curzon Dobell)
31080-482: The coach to a mansion, which Michael heavily damages in anger. The owner of the mansion, drug lord Martin Madrazo, demands compensation, so Michael returns to a life of crime to obtain the money, enlisting Franklin as an accomplice. With the help of Michael's old friend Lester Crest, a disabled hacker, they rob a jewellery store to pay off the debt. Meanwhile, Trevor, who lives in squalor in rural Blaine County, hears of
31360-404: The company had made significant changes as a result of the publicity surrounding the work culture, and many were cautiously optimistic about Rockstar's future. In November 2018, YouTuber Shirrako posted several videos of his player character murdering a female suffragette NPC, including feeding her to an alligator and dropping her down a mineshaft . Critics noted the majority of comments on
31640-421: The couple's proposal scene, as both she and Wiethoff remembered their own proposals; she recalled only recording the scene twice, due to the emotion. She noted that both she and Wiethoff started crying during rehearsals for the scene. Moore also became emotional during the scenes in which Jack is returned to the camp, considering if the scenario was applied to her own children. Bill Williamson ( Steve J. Palmer )
31920-542: The cracks in his sweet facade show", such as when he mocks Catherine Braithwaite or pulls a pistol on Bill. They felt that Hosea's death signaled the gang's demise. Jack Marston (Marissa Buccianti and Ted Sutherland) is the son of John Marston and Abigail Roberts. Buccianti portrayed the character as a young child, while Sutherland portrayed Jack as a pre-teen. Jack was born into the gang, who go to great lengths to protect him. He wishes to spend more time with his father, and wants more children to spend time with at camp. During
32200-468: The cruelty of his surroundings", noting that he becomes more fleshed-out in the game's epilogue. Javier Escuella ( Gabriel Sloyer ) is a gunman in the Van der Linde gang. Born in Nuevo Paraíso, Mexico, Javier was forced to flee after killing a high-ranking army official. He joined Dutch's gang about four years before the events of the game, discovering a strong connection to Dutch's ideologies; as
32480-401: The current pinnacle of video game design". Keza MacDonald of The Guardian declared it "a landmark game" and "a new high water-mark for lifelike video game worlds"; IGN ' s Luke Reilly named it "one of the greatest games of the modern age". Peter Suderman, writing for The New York Times , considered Red Dead Redemption 2 as an example of video games as a work of art , comparing
32760-417: The day one record by selling 1.57 million copies and generating £65 million. In two weeks, the game sold more than 2.6 million copies and generated £90 million, which accounted for 52% of games sold in September 2013. After three weeks on sale, it beat Grand Theft Auto IV 's lifetime sales in the United Kingdom. In its fourth week, it became the fastest-selling title to break
33040-416: The decision, claiming it was hypocritical as in-game violence against men did not receive the same response. YouTube restored the channel and designated an age restriction to the suffragette videos, commenting "the reviewer will be educated on this outcome and on how to avoid repeating this mistake". Some critics questioned if Rockstar was partly to blame for the behavior, as the game does not limit attacks on
33320-514: The decline of the American frontier has a deep impact on Arthur, noting that the character is "caught between the nastiness of nature and the brutality of encroaching industrialization in civilization". Houser avoided meeting Clark on set to avoid hearing his real voice. John Marston ( Rob Wiethoff ) is the secondary protagonist and playable character of Red Dead Redemption 2 . When John was threatened to be lynched after being caught stealing at
33600-426: The depiction of women is inherently problematic, and that Target were within their rights to refuse to stock the game and were obligated to respond to the petition's wide support. Petit (writing for Kotaku ) and scholar Ben Colliver criticised the game's depiction of transgender characters as sex workers with primarily muscular bodies, describing it as harmful transphobic stereotypes; Colliver wrote that
33880-429: The driving mechanics to correct Grand Theft Auto IV 's awkward vehicle controls. After an audition process, Ned Luke , Shawn Fonteno and Steven Ogg were selected to portray Michael, Franklin and Trevor, respectively. Their performances were mostly recorded using motion capture technology, but dialogue for scenes with characters seated in vehicles was recorded in studios instead. The game's original score
34160-456: The edges". Gevedon described Trelawny's accent as a "bad Katharine Hepburn , partly because he was too uncomfortable to perform a true English accent around the British crew, as well as to keep the character mysterious. Rockstar told Gevedon that they enjoyed his performance enough to expand Trelawny's role within the game. The secret revelation of the character's wife and children was added in
34440-815: The eighth generation; editor Gerald Lynch felt it set the bar for believable open world games. In December, GamesRadar+ ranked it the fifth-best game of the generation, noting it had already begun to influence the open-world and role-playing genres. Since its release, Red Dead Redemption 2 has been cited as one of the greatest video games ever made . In March 2019, Popular Mechanics ranked it 24th on its list of greatest games. In October, IGN added Red Dead Redemption 2 to its list of top 100 video games, ranked 62nd in 2019 and promoted to 8th in 2021; editor Luke Reilly praised its "uncompromising detail" and wrote it "stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Grand Theft Auto V as one of gaming's greatest open-world achievements". In July 2020, Dylan Haas of Mashable considered
34720-722: The encroaching march of modern civilization. The gang includes Dutch's best friend and co-leader Hosea Matthews (Curzon Dobell), John Marston ( Rob Wiethoff ) and his partner Abigail Roberts (Cali Elizabeth Moore) and son Jack Marston (Marissa Buccianti and Ted Sutherland), the lazy Uncle (John O'Creagh and James McBride), gunslingers Bill Williamson ( Steve J. Palmer ), Sean MacGuire (Michael Mellamphy), Javier Escuella ( Gabriel Sloyer ), and Micah Bell (Peter Blomquist), Black-Native American hunter Charles Smith (Noshir Dalal), and housewife-turned-gunslinger Sadie Adler ( Alex McKenna ). The gang's criminal acts bring them into conflict with wealthy oil magnate Leviticus Cornwall (John Rue), who recruits
35000-401: The entire development staff of the game, comparable to similar accusations made by wives of Rockstar San Diego employees in regards to the development of the game's predecessor. The following day, Rockstar clarified in a statement the work duration mentioned by Houser only affected the senior writing staff for Red Dead Redemption 2 , and the duration had only been the case for three weeks during
35280-471: The entire development. Houser added the company would never expect or force any employee to work as long as was stated, and those staying late at the development studios were powered by their passion for the project. However, other Rockstar employees argued Houser's statements did not give an accurate picture of the "crunch-time culture" at the company many of its employees worked under, which included "mandatory" overtime and years-long periods of crunch. Due to
35560-479: The events of Red Dead Redemption in 1911, John tracks down Bill, Javier, and Dutch, before being killed. When developing John, who is also the protagonist of the original game, the writers felt that his previous appearance could be limiting to them, since players have already resonated with the character. Wiethoff, who reprises his role as John, looked to his own life when returning to the character; he always looked up to his older sister's male friends for approval in
35840-570: The events of Red Dead Redemption . Preliminary work on Red Dead Redemption 2 began shortly following the release of the original game, Red Dead Redemption (2010). Rockstar San Diego , the studio behind the original game, had a rough outline of the game by mid-2011, and by late 2012, rough scripts of the game had been completed. When Rockstar Games realized a group of distinct studios would not necessarily work, it co-opted all of its studios into one large team, presented simply as Rockstar Games, to facilitate development between 1,600 people;
36120-428: The events of the game, Jack is kidnapped by the Braithwaite family and given to Angelo Bronte, who treats him well and returns him to the gang when confronted. In the years that follow after the gang's dissolution, Jack and his family regularly move around the country. In 1907, they return to West Elizabeth, being briefly based at Pronghorn Ranch before Jack and his mother leave John. They return to John after he has bought
36400-400: The expanded firefights and races". The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series releases received tepid responses from critics, who questioned the value proposition of a new version of the ageing title. While the improved visual fidelity and quicker loading times were singled out for praise, reviewers generally found the core gameplay, storytelling and character models dated. Hardcore Gamer thought
36680-497: The exploits of Arthur Morgan , an outlaw and member of the Van der Linde gang, who must deal with the decline of the Wild West while attempting to survive against government forces, rival gangs, and other adversaries. The game is presented through first- and third-person perspectives, and the player may freely roam its interactive open world . Gameplay elements include shootouts , robberies , hunting , horseback riding, interacting with non-player characters , and maintaining
36960-433: The final years of development. Karen Jones (Jo Armeniox) is a thief and gunwoman in the Van der Linde gang. She is a keen scam artist who is not afraid to speak her mind. Karen orchestrates and participates in the robbery of the Valentine bank with Arthur, Bill, and Lenny, either pretending to be a drunk harlot or a lost girl. She has a brief love affair with Sean MacGuire; after his death, Karen's alcoholism worsens and she
37240-463: The first game for inspiration with his performance. A second love interest for Arthur was cut from the game during development. Vice President of Creativity Dan Houser was interested in subverting the trope of the protagonist starting as weak and becoming stronger as the story progresses; instead, Arthur is already tough at the beginning of the game, and is "taken on a more intellectual roller coaster when his world view gets taken apart". Houser felt that
37520-437: The form of the Van der Linde gang. The team was interested in exploring the story of why the gang fell apart, as frequently mentioned in the first game. Rockstar's Vice President of Creativity Dan Houser was inspired by film and literature when writing the game, though he avoided contemporary works to avoid being accused of stealing ideas. The team was not specifically inspired by film or art but rather real locations. The team
37800-432: The former French colony of Saint Denis, analogous to New Orleans . West Elizabeth consists of wide plains, dense forests, and the prosperous port town of Blackwater; the region is expanded from the original game with a northern portion containing the mountain resort town of Strawberry. New Austin is an arid desert region on the border with Mexico and centered on the frontier towns of Armadillo and Tumbleweed, featured in
38080-415: The full extent of Rockstar's admirable handiwork", but noted that it "retains evidence of its last-gen roots ... with simple geometry". VideoGamer.com praised the Rockstar Editor's accessibility on PC but criticised some of its limitations and camera angle restrictions. IGN appreciated the PC version's customisable controls, and GameSpot felt that constant switching between the mouse and keyboard and
38360-410: The game around three lead protagonists to innovate on the core structure of its predecessors. Much of the development work constituted the open world's creation, and several team members conducted field research around California to capture footage for the design team. The game's soundtrack features an original score composed by a team of producers who collaborated over several years. Grand Theft Auto V
38640-492: The game during development as their personalities failed to add to the narrative. Some lines of dialogue from the first game, Red Dead Redemption , in which gang leader Dutch van der Linde is described as an equitable leader, allowed the team to create a diverse group of characters in the gang. The developers often allowed the actors to take scenes in their own direction to develop the characters in new ways. The actors improvised some additional lines but mostly remained faithful to
38920-486: The game for Android and iOS devices, acts as a second screen wherein the player can view in-game items such as catalogs, journals, and a real-time mini-map. The game was released for Windows on November 5, 2019, and was a launch title for Stadia when the service launched on November 19, 2019. The Windows version has visual and technical improvements. Red Dead Redemption 2 received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic . It
39200-408: The game had shipped 205 million copies worldwide across all platforms. More copies were sold in 2020 than any other year since the game's launch in 2013. In the United Kingdom, the game became the all-time fastest-selling game, selling more than 2.25 million copies in five days. This broke the record set by Call of Duty: Black Ops at two million copies over the same period. It broke
39480-403: The game had surpassed one billion dollars in sales, making it the fastest-selling entertainment product in history. Six weeks after its release, Rockstar had shipped nearly 29 million copies of the game to retailers, exceeding the lifetime figures of Grand Theft Auto IV . On 7 October 2013, the game became the best-selling digital release on PlayStation Store for PlayStation 3, breaking
39760-557: The game his second favorite of all time, citing its realism, world, characters, and narrative. In November 2021, GamesRadar+ ranked it 28th on its list of top 50 games, describing it as "one of the best sandbox games ever made". In April 2022, GamingBolt ' s Ravi Sinha ranked Red Dead Redemption 2 the second-best game of all time, citing its characters, narrative, attention to detail, and visual fidelity, naming it Rockstar's "finest work". In September, USA Today ranked it 21st on its list of best games, praising Arthur as "one of
40040-1272: The game instead of other projects such as a new Grand Theft Auto game, as well as an lack of apparent new features demonstrated in the trailer. Developed in tandem with the single-player mode, the online multiplayer mode Grand Theft Auto Online was conceived as a separate experience to be played in a continually evolving world. Up to 30 players freely roam across the game world and enter lobbies to complete jobs (story-driven competitive and cooperative modes). The Content Creator toolset lets players create their own parameters for custom jobs, like racetracks and deathmatch weapon spawn points . Players may band together in organised player teams called crews to complete jobs together. Rockstar Games Social Club extends crews formed in Max Payne 3 's multiplayer mode to those of Grand Theft Auto Online . Players may create their own crews and join up to five total. Crews win multiplayer matches to earn experience points and climb online leaderboards . Grand Theft Auto Online launched on 1 October 2013, two weeks after Grand Theft Auto V 's release. Many players reported connection difficulties and game freezes during load screens. Rockstar released
40320-490: The game on 25 October 2011. They released its debut trailer one week later, with an official press release acknowledging its setting. Journalists noted the widespread industry anticipation ignited by the announcement, which they owed to the series' cultural significance. The game missed its original projected Q2 2013 release date, pushed back to 17 September to allow for further polishing. To spur pre-order game sales, Rockstar collaborated with several retail outlets to make
40600-406: The game treated its all-male lead characters in a similar vein through their stereotyped tendencies towards violence. After GameSpot ' s Carolyn Petit claimed the game was misogynistic, her review was met with backlash as users responded with 20,000 largely negative comments on the webpage and a Change.org petition for her firing. Many journalists defended her right to an opinion and lamented
40880-624: The game was "probably the Xbox 360's greatest technical achievement", and was surprised that the open world could render on the console. Reviewers lauded the open-world design and its streamlining of Los Angeles's geography into a well-designed city space. GameTrailers considered the Los Angeles emulation authentic and the open world "full of voice and personality". IGN and PlayStation Official Magazine ( OPM ) made favourable comparisons between Los Santos and Grand Theft Auto IV 's Liberty City. OXM felt Los Santos surpassed
41160-615: The game with Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering , signifying "the highest level of achievement for engineering artificial intelligence and related elements which contribute to a challenging game". The game received numerous other awards. It was awarded the title of Most Immersive Game at the Inside Gaming Awards. The general public voted for the game to win the User Choice Award at
41440-419: The game would sell 15 million copies in its first quarter, though noted investor expectations were at 20 million copies; Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities predicted 25 million. Michael Olson of Piper Jaffray projected revenue between US$ 400 and US$ 500 million in the first three days, while Doug Creutz of Cowen Inc. estimated between US$ 550 and US$ 600 million . Red Dead Redemption 2 had
41720-488: The game year-end accolades including Game of the Year awards. In retrospect, it is considered one of seventh and eighth generation console gaming 's most significant titles and among the best video games ever made . It is the second-best-selling video game of all time with 205 million copies shipped, and one of the most financially successful entertainment products of all time, with over $ 8.5 billion in worldwide revenue. Its successor, Grand Theft Auto VI ,
42000-436: The game's online multiplayer mode, lets up to 32 players engage in a variety of cooperative and competitive game modes. Red Dead Redemption 2 was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in October 2018, and for Windows and Stadia in November 2019. It broke several records and had the second-biggest launch in the history of entertainment, generating US$ 725 million in sales from its opening weekend and exceeding
42280-413: The game's online multiplayer mode, up to 30 players engage in a variety of different cooperative and competitive game modes. Shared between many of Rockstar's studios worldwide, the game's development began around the time of Grand Theft Auto IV 's release. The developers drew influence from many of their previous projects (such as Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3 ) and designed
42560-455: The game's 500,000 lines of dialogue. In addition to using motion capture to record the performances, Rockstar Games also used cameras to record their facial reactions for later animation; a total of around 60 or 70 cameras were used. The motion capture sets were typically accurate to the dimensions of the in-game setting, which could be demonstrated in a previsualization format. The secretive nature of Rockstar's development meant that Edge and
42840-411: The game's abilities to "[tell] individual stories against the backdrop of national and cultural identity, deconstructing their genres while advancing the form" to the current state of film and television with similar works like The Godfather and The Sopranos . Regarding its narrative, Meikleham of GamesRadar called Red Dead Redemption 2 "perhaps the boldest triple-A game ever made", praising
43120-420: The game's combined development and marketing budget at more than £ 170 million ( US$ 265 million ), which would make it the most expensive game ever made at that time. The open world was modelled on Southern California and Los Angeles , and its design and in-game render constituted much of the game's early work. Key members of the game world production team took field research trips throughout
43400-439: The game's production. A fundamental design goal from the outset was to innovate on the series ' core structure by giving players control of three lead protagonists instead of one. The idea was first raised during Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ' development, but contemporaneous hardware restrictions made it infeasible. Having developed two Grand Theft Auto IV episodic expansion packs featuring new protagonists in 2009,
43680-439: The game's second chapter, where he was constantly looking to the future. Davis says that Dutch "was a dreamer. The journey was more important than any arrival". Davis felt that, by the end of the game, Dutch was also seeking redemption for his mistakes, which is why he does not harm John or his family. IGN ' s Jared Petty compared the strength and downfall of the Van der Linde gang to that of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch and
43960-467: The game's slow opening hours and its lengthy epilogue. EGM ' s Plessas found the journey of redemption for Arthur "far more redeeming" than John's in Red Dead Redemption , noting his sins heightened his sympathy for the character. Conversely, Eurogamer ' s Martin Robinson considered Arthur less compelling than Marston, resulting in a confusing narrative. GameSpot ' s Plagge felt
44240-440: The game, but also "such an innocence ... because if someone tells you that how do you even take that all in?". Micah Bell (Peter Blomquist) is a gunman and hitman in the Van der Linde gang. Both Micah's father and grandfather, also named Micah Bell, were criminals; his father was once wanted for murder in five counties. Micah joined the Van der Linde gang about five months before the game's events after he saved Dutch's life during
44520-463: The game. Though Red Dead Online and Red Dead Redemption 2 share assets and gameplay, Rockstar viewed them as separate products with independent trajectories, reflected in its decision to launch the multiplayer title separately. Player progression in the public beta carried over when the beta ended on May 15, 2019. A standalone client for Red Dead Online was released on December 1, 2020, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. Post-release content
44800-414: The game. The writers put particular focus on the individual stories behind each character, exploring their life before the gang and their reasons for remaining with the group. Unsworth felt that the gang is a "family" that offers "a sense of belonging and purpose", and analyzing each story—and each character's relationship with the protagonist —was important for the narrative. Several characters were cut from
45080-427: The gaming community's defensiveness towards criticism. Australian department stores Target and Kmart pulled the game from their stores in December 2014 after a Change.org petition against depictions of violence towards women in the game amassed over 40,000 signatures. Take-Two Interactive chief operating officer Strauss Zelnick publicly expressed the company's disappointment that the game had been pulled from
45360-401: The gang begins to fall apart, Trelawny quietly leaves the gang permanently with Arthur's blessing. When Gevedon was cast in the role, he initially did not know that the project was a game, and suspected that recording would take around a week. He was told that Trelawny was much different to the other gang members, wearing better clothes and acting more professionally, but was still "rough around
45640-435: The gang come into direct conflict with several opposing forces, including wealthy oil magnate Leviticus Cornwall, crime lord Angelo Bronte, Dutch's nemesis Colm O'Driscoll, and Pinkerton agents Andrew Milton and Edgar Ross. The game's epilogue focuses on John's relationship with his family—wife Abigail and son Jack—as well as the elderly Uncle, leading into the events of the first game. Rockstar used motion capture to record
45920-399: The gang into the heart of a blizzard. With the gang, Dutch orchestrates a robbery of a train owned by oil tycoon Leviticus Cornwall. Once the blizzard clears and the gang moves camp to Horseshoe Overlook, Dutch is confronted in the nearby town of Valentine by Cornwall, whose hired guns attack the gang and force them to move to Clemens Point. Dutch befriends Leigh Gray, the sheriff of Rhodes, and
46200-460: The gang kill and drive away from the O'Driscolls. Red Dead Redemption 2 Red Dead Redemption 2 is a 2018 action-adventure game developed and published by Rockstar Games . The game is the third entry in the Red Dead series and a prequel to the 2010 game Red Dead Redemption . The story is set in a fictionalized representation of the United States in 1899 and follows
46480-483: The gang members to escape the country. During their absence, Charles and Sadie unite and relocate the gang. Upon their return, Charles and Arthur help the Native Americans in their fight against the army; Charles eventually chooses to stay at the reservation to help protect the Native Americans. Eight years later, in 1907, Charles is participating in fighting tournaments to earn money in Saint Denis. He leaves
46760-451: The gang that she informed the Pinkertons about their botched bank heist. She is killed by Susan Grimshaw for disobeying the gang's rules. Arthur later discovers that Molly did not reveal any information to the Pinkertons while interrogated. O'Brien's audition took place on Saint Patrick's Day in 2015. She was told to audition with a "really Irish" accent and personality. She had not played the original game, but watched videos after receiving
47040-418: The gang to Saint Denis where a failed bank heist forces some members of the gang out of town; they soon shipwreck on Guarma, but fight alongside a revolutionary in exchange for a ship back to the mainland. Reuniting with the rest of the gang, Arthur and Sadie save the captured John, much to the disdain of Dutch. Arthur reveals his growing doubts about Dutch. Arthur is soon diagnosed with tuberculosis . Shocked by
47320-410: The gang's focus changed from helping others to being focused on its survival in violent ways, Hosea began to feel disillusioned with the group but remained a loyal member. By the events of the game in 1899, Hosea is Dutch's most senior lieutenant, often voicing his disapproval of Dutch's methods and preferring to rob peacefully. Hosea barters with Catherine Braithwaite in an attempt to double-cross her and
47600-426: The gang's history, Dutch took in street kids and orphans, teaching them how to read and establishing the importance of independent thinking and self-worth as they completed tasks for him. Around 1899, Dutch reluctantly begins to realize that his ideals are becoming unrealistic. Shortly before the events of the game, Dutch kills an innocent woman during a botched ferry robbery in Blackwater organized by Micah Bell, forcing
47880-543: The gang, including distracting the guards during the gang's robbery of the bank in Lemoyne and stealing Hosea's body from police after his death. She also attempts to join Arthur and Sadie as they rescue John from prison, but they refuse. Abigail is later kidnapped from the camp by Agent Milton. Arthur and Sadie attempt to rescue her, but the latter is captured and the former is held at gunpoint by Milton; Abigail breaks free and kills Milton. After they escape, Abigail gives Arthur
48160-493: The gang. Upon their return, Bill continues to assist with robberies and, when Arthur confronts Dutch, Bill sides with the latter, eventually escaping. Twelve years later, during the events of Red Dead Redemption in 1911, Bill is hunted down by John Marston and later killed. Palmer was inspired by a comment made by Abigail in the original game, where she claims that Bill was harmless when she knew him; he found her viewpoint to be interesting and decided to approach his performance in
48440-466: The general store in Rhodes, and is married. Reverend Orville Swanson (Sean Haberle) is a minister and a member of the Van der Linde gang. Once a clergyman , Swanson began to use morphine to ease his pain a few years before the events of the game, eventually leading to his addiction to alcohol. Over time, he has lost his sense of direction, religion, and self-esteem. He once saved Dutch's life, and thus
48720-868: The graphical and technical enhancements required advanced hardware. Polygon ' s Samit Sarkar criticized the port's technical issues and declared it unplayable at the time. One week after release, PCMag ' s Tony Polanco said the technical issues had been mostly solved. Red Dead Redemption 2 won over 175 Game of the Year awards , receiving wins at the Australian Games Awards, Brazil Game Awards, Fun & Serious Game Festival , and Italian Video Game Awards, and from outlets such as 4Players , AusGamers , Complex , Digital Trends , Edge , Electronic Gaming Monthly , Gamereactor , GameSpot , The Guardian , Hot Press , news.com.au , The Telegraph , USgamer , and Vulture . On Metacritic, Red Dead Redemption 2
49000-415: The greatest in video games; EGM ' s Plessas said it "pushes industry boundaries in both size and detail", and The Guardian ' s MacDonald praised the imitation of real American landscapes. IGN ' s Reilly considered the world "broader, more beautiful, and more varied" than its predecessor's, due in part to how each environment feels alive. GameSpot ' s Plagge felt compelled to explore
49280-442: The grim reality of his imminent death, he contemplates his decisions and reflects on his morals, driving his desire to protect the remnants of the gang. When Dutch ignores Arthur's plea to rescue Abigail, Arthur disavows the gang. He discovers that Micah Bell has been betraying the gang. He informs Dutch, but the latter turns on Arthur and the newly returned John. Arthur and John flee, and Arthur begs John to return to his family. Arthur
49560-420: The group secure transport back to the United States and reunite with the rest of the gang, though they are soon assaulted by Pinkertons whom they repel. Dutch, paranoid that a gang member is working as an informant, obsesses over one last heist. He doubts Arthur's loyalty after he disobeys him by liberating John earlier than planned, naming Micah his top lieutenant in Arthur's place. Arthur becomes concerned Dutch
49840-426: The group's return to America, Javier continues to assist with robberies and, when Arthur confronts Dutch, Javier sides with the latter, eventually escaping. Twelve years later, during the events of Red Dead Redemption in 1911, Javier is hunted down by John Marston and captured or killed. Sloyer wanted players to fight against any preconceived notions about Javier from the first game, so his eventual fight against John
50120-406: The hanging of his rival Colm O'Driscoll, and helps a group of Native Americans fight against the Army to distract the government from the gang. After most of the gang leaves, Dutch orchestrates the robbery of a train carrying army payroll but leaves John for dead and Abigail captured at Micah's recommendation. Dutch is later confronted by Arthur, who accuses Micah of betrayal. Dutch turns on Arthur and
50400-489: The heist and recognises Michael's work; Trevor had believed the FIB killed Michael in the Ludendorff heist. Trevor finds Michael and reunites with him, forcing the latter to reluctantly accept the former back into his life. As time goes on, the protagonists' lives spiral out of control. Michael's criminal behaviour prompts his family to leave him. When he later becomes a movie producer , he comes into conflict with Devin Weston,
50680-436: The heist missions a welcome deviation from series typical mission structure. Eurogamer likened them to "blockbuster set-pieces", and GameSpot cited the 1995 film Heat as a stylistic influence on their design. Joystiq felt creativity and methodical approaches were encouraged. Polygon likened rapid character switching during heist missions to "film editing, with the player serving as editor, switching rapidly to
50960-554: The impact of Grand Theft Auto V 's violence, which made him reflect on morality and character motivation more than before. VideoGamer.com opined that players feel like inhabitants of the world, rather than "guns attached to a floating camera". The first-person view, in IGN ' s opinion, aided immersion and created a "surprisingly different experience". VideoGamer.com praised the "finer details" in first-person animations like camera lean when players take corners on motorcycles, or
51240-443: The improvements, auto-aim was "twitchy and unreliable" and cover mechanics "still come off as dated and unwieldy". Some reviewers felt the game solved a persistent problem by adding mid-mission checkpoints . The story and characters—particularly Trevor—polarised reviewers. Some found the narrative inferior to previous Rockstar games and cited Grand Theft Auto IV and Red Dead Redemption 's plot strengths. Others thought
51520-463: The incident reflects a newer issue of open world games: granting freedom without penalties promotes disinhibition . In The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era , scholars Hilary Jane Locke and Thomas Mackay wrote it "points to a sharp contrast between the game's portrayal of Progressive Era politics ... and how some players have responded to its depictions thereof". Securitas AB ,
51800-446: The individual stories behind each character, exploring their life before the gang and their reasons for remaining with the group. Several characters were cut from the game during development as their personalities failed to add to the narrative. The actors sometimes improvised some additional lines, but mostly remained faithful to the script. The team decided the player would control one character in Red Dead Redemption 2 , as opposed to
52080-420: The interactive world. They may engage in combat with enemies using melee attacks, firearms, bow and arrow , throwables, or dynamite , and can dual wield weapons. The player can swim as Arthur but not as John. Red Dead Redemption 2 ' s world features different landscapes with occasional travelers, bandits, and wildlife, and urban settlements ranging from farmhouses to towns and cities. Horses are
52360-493: The intimate battles more exciting. Polygon ' s Plante considered the conversation options limited but still an improvement over the violence of other action games. Eurogamer ' s Robinson voiced frustration at the lack of freedom in some story missions. Some reviewers criticized the controls and found its button layout and user interface inconsistent and confusing. Red Dead Redemption 2 ' s Windows release received "universal acclaim" according to Metacritic; it
52640-420: The key to the gang's money, which she had found at camp, before departing to meet up with Jack. Eight years later, in 1907, Abigail finds honest work with John, but when John fights back against outlaws threatening his employer, Abigail believes he is unwilling to give up his old ways and leaves with Jack. She returns after John takes out a bank loan and purchases a ranch, but berates him for continuing to work as
52920-415: The lack of new content made the upgrade difficult to recommend to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One players. GamingBolt was apathetic towards the visual enhancements but praised the increased accessibility for Online newcomers. Jeuxvideo.com thought the release offered the supreme console experience and highlighted the improved graphics and load times. Push Square faulted the antiquated humour but thought
53200-429: The largest opening weekend in entertainment history, making over US$ 725 million in revenue in three days, and over 17 million copies shipped in two weeks, exceeding the lifetime sales of Red Dead Redemption . Additionally, Red Dead Redemption 2 was the second-highest-grossing entertainment launch (behind Grand Theft Auto V ) and set records for largest pre-orders, first-day sales, and three-day sales on
53480-627: The largest settlement being the Wapiti Native American reservation ; New Hanover encompasses a sweeping valley and woody foothills that feature the cattle town of Valentine, the riverside Van Horn Trading Post, and the coal town of Annesburg; and Lemoyne is composed of bayous and plantations resembling the Southeastern United States , and is home to the Southern town of Rhodes, the village of Lagras, and
53760-400: The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including the frontier myth , Jim Crow laws , settler colonialism , and women's suffrage , inspired by the lack of academic discourse surrounding the game's history. Olsson found the class attracted larger enrolments than other history subjects. He published a book about the topic, titled Red Dead's History , in August 2024; the audiobook
54040-403: The latter causes friction within the group and threatens to undermine their plans. Meanwhile, Steve attempts to arrest Michael, but they, alongside Dave, become caught in a Mexican standoff between the FIB, the IAA, and Merryweather. Steve escapes while Michael and Dave are saved by Trevor, who believes only he has the right to kill Michael. The Union Depository heist is successful, but Franklin
54320-421: The latter's path to redemption. Sometime over the next eight years, by 1907, Swanson had moved to New York and become a preacher. GamesRadar ' s Paul Walker-Emig noted the egalitarianism of the gang to offer Swanson a home and supplies while recovering from his addiction. Polygon ' s Campbell criticized the trope of Swanson as the gang's "drunken, self-loathing padre". Sadie Adler ( Alex McKenna )
54600-411: The lifetime sales of Red Dead Redemption in two weeks. The game received critical acclaim, with praise directed at its story, characters, open world, graphics, music, and level of detail, but some criticism at its control scheme and emphasis on realism over player freedom. It won more than 175 Game of the Year awards and received multiple other accolades from awards shows and gaming publications . It
54880-430: The location of one of their safehouses. During the raid on the safehouse, Kieran shoots an O'Driscoll, saving Arthur's life. He soon becomes a full member of Dutch's gang, but several of its members never truly support him. After some time with Dutch's gang, Kieran is captured by the O'Driscolls and tortured until they discovered the gang's location at Shady Belle. Kieran is decapitated and his eyes gouged out, and his corpse
55160-439: The main forms of transportation, of which there are various breeds with different attributes. The player can steal horses and must train or tame wild horses to use them; to own a horse, they must saddle or stable it. Repeated use of a horse begins a bonding process, increased by leading, petting, cleaning, and feeding it, and the player will acquire advantages as they ride their horse. Stagecoaches and trains can be used to travel;
55440-674: The maximum five-star level, police helicopters and SWAT teams swarm to lethally dispatch players). Officers will search for players who leave the wanted vicinity. The meter enters a cool-down mode and eventually recedes when players are hidden from the officers' line of sight that displays on the mini-map for a period of time. In the single-player mode, players control three characters: Michael De Santa, Trevor Philips and Franklin Clinton—criminals whose stories interconnect as they complete missions. Some missions are completed with only one character and others feature two or three. Outside
55720-472: The missions, players may switch between characters at will by a directional compass on the HUD, although this feature is restricted at certain points during the story. During missions, characters may automatically switch to complete specific objectives. A character's compass avatar will flash red if he is in danger and needs help, and flash white if he has a strategic advantage. Though players complete missions with
56000-488: The most interesting perspective for any moment". Computer and Video Games felt that overall mission design was more diverse than and lacked the escort errands of its predecessors. Edge praised the game's graphical fidelity and absence of load screens . Play complimented the draw distances and weather and lighting systems. In Eurogamer ' s view, the lighting system was the game's most significant advancement. Official Xbox Magazine ( OXM ) thought that
56280-541: The most likable protagonists in games" and describing the world as "the real star of the show". In May 2023, over 200 developers, journalists, and content creators surveyed by GQ ranked Red Dead Redemption 2 the 15th-best game; GQ ' s Sam White and Robert Leedham called it "perhaps the greatest flex in video game history" which set a "benchmark for cinematic storytelling and attention to detail". Producer Eiji Aonuma said open world games like Red Dead Redemption 2 inspired developers of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of
56560-446: The mother of Jack. Abigail was an orphan as a child and later earned her money as a prostitute. She was introduced to the gang around 1894 by Uncle and fell pregnant with John's son, Jack, soon afterward. Abigail cares deeply for John and Jack: when John is missing early in the game, she asks Arthur to search for him; and when Jack is abducted by the Braithwaites, she is visibly distraught until his return. She often commits crimes alongside
56840-442: The multiple lead character formula, heist mission design and presentation, but some did not agree on the quality of the story and characters. IGN called Grand Theft Auto V "one of the very best video games ever made", and Play considered it "generation-defining" and "exceptional". Edge wrote that it is a "remarkable achievement" in open-world design and storytelling, while The Daily Telegraph declared it
57120-491: The music for the game. Daniel Lanois produced the original vocal tracks for the game, collaborating with artists such as D'Angelo , Willie Nelson , Rhiannon Giddens , and Josh Homme . Director of music and audio Ivan Pavlovich engaged saxophone player Colin Stetson , experimental band Senyawa , and musician Arca to work on the score. Rockstar Games first teased Red Dead Redemption 2 on October 16–17, 2016, before
57400-493: The narrative and overshadowed Michael and Franklin's character development. Joystiq faulted the protagonists' perceived lack of likability, as the conflict between Michael and Trevor grew into a "seemingly endless cycle". The Escapist had difficulty connecting with the characters' emotions since they acted out of greed with no sense of morality and thus gave players little reason to support them. Grand Theft Auto V 's re-release, similarly, received critical acclaim. It
57680-463: The narrative rarely suffered from repetition, an impressive feat considering the game's scope, though expressed desire for more passive, quiet moments. Conversely, GameSpot ' s Kallie Plagge was frustrated by the predictability later in the narrative though acknowledged its importance to Arthur's story. Alex Navarro of Giant Bomb felt the narrative suffered in its clichéd Native American portrayal and side missions. Some reviewers commented on
57960-411: The navigational instruments in plane cockpits. Reviewers found playing the game more difficult in first-person, but Game Informer preferred the challenge. GameSpot thought the improved graphics and spatial anti-aliasing made the open world "even more spectacular". They said that in first-person "everything looks bigger and more imposing". IGN favoured the PlayStation 4 version's graphics over
58240-459: The new characters contributed to the story's quality and Mike Williams of USgamer wrote they "feel like actual people" due to their varied personalities. IGN ' s Reilly praised the cultural variety and avoidance of caricatures, and Giant Bomb ' s Navarro noted the characters possess humanity often lacking in other Rockstar games, particularly in the thoughtful portrayal of Arthur's internal conflicts. MacDonald of The Guardian found
58520-411: The newly returned John. Dutch intervenes in a fight between Arthur and Micah, and Arthur convinces him to abandon Micah and leave. In 1907, Dutch meets with Micah before John and Sadie attack Micah's new gang. In a Mexican standoff , Dutch shoots Micah, letting John finish him off, before leaving. During the events of Red Dead Redemption in 1911, John tracks down Dutch, who commits suicide by backing off
58800-665: The next heist will be their last. Following a shootout with Cornwall's men in Valentine, the gang relocate to Lemoyne, where they work simultaneously for the Grays and Braithwaites in an attempt to turn them against each other. However, the families double-cross them: the Grays kill Sean during an ambush in Rhodes, while the Braithwaites kidnap and sell Jack to Bronte. The gang retaliate and destroy both families before retrieving Jack from Bronte, who offers them leads on work but eventually double-crosses them. Dutch kidnaps and feeds him to an alligator as revenge, which disturbs Arthur. The gang rob
59080-413: The next". Three days after its release, the game ranked second on IGN ' 's "Top 25 Xbox 360 Games" list. They considered that the open world's scale and detail succeeded the majority of other Xbox 360 games. They called the game "a triumph both for gamers and for the medium itself, and it deserves its runaway success". In November 2013, Hardcore Gamer placed the game third on their "Top 100 Games of
59360-426: The official announcement on October 18, 2016. Originally due for release in the second half of 2017, the game was delayed twice: first to Q1/Q2 2018, and later to October 26, 2018. According to Rockstar, the game required extra development time for "polish". To spur pre-order sales, Rockstar collaborated with several retail outlets to provide special edition versions of the game. A companion app, released alongside
59640-467: The open world due to its variety, reactivity, and surprises. GamesRadar ' s Meikleham called Red Dead Redemption 2 "the best looking video game of all time" with some of the most impressive lighting and weather systems, and USgamer ' s Williams considered it one of the best-looking on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. IGN ' s Reilly praised the lighting engine, facial animation, and level of granular detail. Game Informer ' s Bertz lauded
59920-415: The opportunity to reach redemption. O'Brien's inspiration for Molly's final moments was a cry for help and a need for Dutch's attention. Simon Pearson (Jim Santangeli) is the cook and butcher of the Van der Linde gang. His father and grandfather were both sperm whale hunters; Pearson wished to follow in their footsteps, but the occupation was obsolete by the time he finished school. For a brief period, he
60200-457: The original game about six months into production. Dobell did not take specific information from other media or characters for Hosea, though he used his own acting experience as basis for portraying Hosea's conman theatrics. He found that Hosea was more "reflective" than characters such as Arthur. Dobell felt that Hosea's death left Dutch "exposed", and ultimately led to the gang's demise. Game Informer staff considered Hosea "most interesting when
60480-439: The original game. Parts of New Austin and West Elizabeth were redesigned to reflect the earlier time: Blackwater is under development, while Armadillo is a ghost town as a result of a cholera outbreak. The player controls Arthur Morgan ( Roger Clark ), an enforcer and veteran member of the Van der Linde gang, led by Dutch van der Linde ( Benjamin Byron Davis ), a charismatic anarchist who extols personal freedom and decries
60760-407: The original score enhanced dramatic tension during missions. GameSpot wrote that the score "lends missions more cinematic flavour". Edge said that the licensed music enhanced the city's "already remarkable sense of space" and that the original score improved the atmosphere of the gameplay. They summarised the game as "a compendium of everything Rockstar has learnt about the power of game music in
61040-460: The original version. According to them, the "grind of just doing PvP until co-op Jobs arrive with regularity" was lost, and newcomers would likely find multiplayer enjoyable and balanced. However, they wrote of frequent server disconnection, especially during load screens. GameSpot thought the online mode was fun but "still suffers from a lack of direction" for its open-ended and frenetic gameplay. Game Informer reported "minimal lag or issues in
61320-416: The parent company of the modern-day Pinkerton agency, issued a cease and desist notice to Take-Two Interactive on December 13, 2018, asserting Red Dead Redemption 2 ' s use of the Pinkerton name and badge imagery was against their trademark and demanded royalties for each copy of the game sold or they would take legal action. Take-Two filed a complaint against Securitas on January 11, 2019, maintaining
61600-494: The part. O'Brien began to understand the character of Molly around a year into production; she worked on the game for about three years. She described Molly as "a very desperate character set in very extreme circumstances". She found that Molly's relationship with Dutch is echoed in her relationship with the latter's actor, Benjamin Byron Davis. "Some jokes that were made while we were in our tent ... we'll still make together when we're sitting at dinner", she said. When recording one of
61880-462: The past decade". Many reviewers found the land-based vehicles more responsive and easier to control than in previous games. Game Informer explained that "cars have a proper sense of weight, while retaining the agility necessary for navigating through traffic at high speeds". In addition to the vehicle handling, most reviewers noted the shooting mechanics were tighter than they had been in previous games, but Destructoid felt that in spite of
62160-499: The performances led to more believable characters. Polygon ' s Chris Plante found the political commentary shone when focusing on the Braithwaite and Gray families but considered the portrayal of Native American characters insensitive and confusing. Eirik Gumeny, writing for Polygon , praised the realistic and unfiltered depiction of tuberculosis, including the misguided and hostile reactions from others. Several critics considered Red Dead Redemption 2 ' s open world among
62440-406: The performances of the cast, as well as cameras to capture their facial reactions for later animation. The secretive nature of Rockstar's development processes meant that the actors and the director were unsure of the future of the characters during production; the writers continued to work on the script while the actors shot their scenes in segments. Rockstar wanted a diverse cast of characters within
62720-679: The player can hijack a train or stagecoach by threatening the driver and rob its contents or passengers. The player may witness or partake in random events in the world, including ambushes, crimes, pleas for assistance, ride-by shootings, public executions, and animal attacks. They may be rewarded when helping others. They may partake in side activities, including tasks with companions and strangers, dueling , bounty hunting , searching for collectibles such as rock carvings, and playing poker , blackjack , dominoes , and five finger filet . Hunting animals provides food, income, and materials for crafting items. The choice of weapon and shot placement affect
63000-434: The player can interact with other characters. The team ensured the characters maintained the same personality and mood from cutscene to gameplay to make the world feel more alive and realistic. Woody Jackson , who worked with Rockstar on the original game and Grand Theft Auto V , returned to compose Red Dead Redemption 2 ' s original score . Red Dead Redemption 2 has three different types of score: narrative, which
63280-400: The player can surrender if they are unarmed and on foot. They can remove their bounty by paying it off or spending time in jail. The world of Red Dead Redemption 2 spans five fictitious U.S. states: New Hanover, Ambarino, and Lemoyne are located to the immediate north and east of New Austin and West Elizabeth, which return from Red Dead Redemption . Ambarino is a mountain wilderness, with
63560-418: The player escapes the law, bounty hunters track them down. After committing enough crime, the U.S. Marshals will be sent to the player's location. To escape law enforcement, they can evade the wanted vicinity, hide from pursuers, or kill them. The bounty will remain on their head, lawmen and civilians will be more vigilant, and regions where crimes have been committed will be on lockdown. When caught by lawmen,
63840-484: The player has cores, which affect the rate at which their health and stamina regenerate. Freezing or overheating rapidly drains cores, preventable by wearing weather-appropriate clothing. The player can gain or lose weight depending on how much they eat; an underweight character will have less health but more stamina, while an overweight character can better absorb damage but with less stamina. Eating and sleeping replenishes cores. The player can bathe to remain clean and visit
64120-441: The player has low honor, Micah executes Arthur. Eight years later, in 1907, Micah has formed a gang of his own. John, Sadie, and Charles later track him down at his camp. In a Mexican standoff, Dutch shoots Micah, letting John finish him off. For his audition, Blomquist was required to perform a monologue, which was not related to the game's era but reflected Micah's violent tendencies. About four or five months passed until Blomquist
64400-495: The player's actions are perceived: morally-positive choices and deeds like helping strangers, following the law, and sparing opponents in a duel will increase Honor, while negative deeds such as theft and harming innocents will decrease it. Dialogue and outcomes often differ based on Honor level, and attaining milestones grants unique benefits: high Honor provides special outfits and store discounts, while low Honor grants more items from looting. In addition to health and stamina bars,
64680-543: The previous record set by The Last of Us , though numerical sales figures were not disclosed. It broke seven Guinness World Records on 8 October: best-selling video game in 24 hours, best-selling action-adventure video game in 24 hours, highest-grossing video game in 24 hours, fastest entertainment property to gross US$ 1 billion , fastest video game to gross US$ 1 billion , highest revenue generated by an entertainment product in 24 hours, and most viewed trailer for an action-adventure video game. A digital version
64960-407: The protagonists' contrasting personalities tightened the narrative's pacing. GamesRadar thought the game negated the story inconsistencies and muddled morality of previous series entries. Trevor was considered a particularly "horrible, terrifying, psychotic human being—and a terrific character" by GameSpot . Eurogamer found Trevor "shallow and unconvincing", and that his eccentricities hurt
65240-485: The protagonists, the more difficult heist missions require aid from AI -controlled accomplices with unique skill sets like computer hacking and driving. If an accomplice survives a successful heist, they take a cut from the cash reward and may be available for later missions with improvements to their unique skills. Some heists afford multiple strategies; in a holdup mission, players may either stealthily subdue civilians with an incapacitating agent or conspicuously storm
65520-513: The quality and value of meat and pelt, and the player can skin the animal or carry the carcass, which will rot over time, decrease its value, and attract predators. Some story moments give the player the option to accept or decline additional missions and lightly shape the plot around their choices. They can choose different dialogue trees with non-player characters (NPCs), such as being friendly or insulting. If they choose to kill an NPC, they can loot their corpse. The Honor system measures how
65800-526: The re-released version. By April 2018, MarketWatch reported the game had generated about $ 6 billion and was the most profitable entertainment product of all time; it had nearly sold around 100 million copies by July 2018, and by July 2021, it had shipped over 150 million copies. By late 2023, Barron's reported the game's lifetime revenue figures had increased to $ 8.5 billion , consistently generating over $ 500 million annually with about 22 million monthly active players; by September 2024,
66080-401: The region and documented their research with photo and video footage. Google Maps projections of Los Angeles were used by the team to help design Los Santos's road networks. To reflect and reproduce Los Angeles's demographic spread, the developers studied census data and watched documentaries about the city. The team considered creating the open world the most technically demanding aspect of
66360-444: The removal after reading Petit's article. The group praised Rockstar's decision to remove the content. In October 2013, rapper Daz Dillinger issued a cease and desist letter to Rockstar Games and Take Two Interactive for allegedly using two of his songs without authorisation. In February 2014, television personality Karen Gravano of the reality television programme Mob Wives filed suit against Rockstar Games in allegation that
66640-469: The representation "does not reflect the complex, nuanced structures that often regulate transgender people's lives". The April 2022 re-release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S removed the content from all portions of the game except Director Mode, meaning their models are accessible but without dialogue options. Some journalists recognised the removal may have been prompted by an open letter written by LGBTQ+ advocacy group Out Making Games, who requested
66920-478: The rest of the gang due to his short temper and small mindedness, but remains loyal to the group. He assists the gang on several outings, later coordinating a successful bank heist with Karen Jones in Valentine. Bill accompanies high-ranking members of the gang on several occasions, including a party at the mayor's mansion, the attack on Angelo Bronte's mansion, and the failed Saint Denis bank robbery, after which he becomes shipwrecked on Guarma with some other members of
67200-579: The retailers, and affirmed that he "stand[s] behind our products, the people who create them, and the consumers who play them". IGN called the Change.org petition "misinformed", stating that its complaints about incentives for committing sexual violence in the game are untrue. Sexual violence in games is forbidden by the Australian Classification Board , meaning the game would have been refused classification. Kotaku said that
67480-402: The robberies of the Valentine bank and the Saint Denis trolley station, and the ambush on Angelo Bronte's mansion. During the Saint Denis bank robbery, Lenny is gunned down and killed by Pinkertons while leading the gang's escape. Game Informer ' s Jason Guisao praised Lenny's role in Red Dead Redemption 2 , describing him as "a vocal reminder of the heightened racial tensions that plagued
67760-401: The robbery of a lavish riverboat in Saint Denis. After being tasked with more loansharking tasks, Arthur decides to banish Strauss from camp for ruining lives with his business. He is later captured by the Pinkertons and interrogated, but is said to have died in custody without revealing any information about the gang. Mary-Beth Gaskill ( Samantha Strelitz ) is a young pickpocketing thief in
68040-439: The salary-based nature of employment contracts, many employees were not compensated for their overtime work and instead depended on year-end bonus payments that hinged on the sales performance of the game. Nonetheless, a sentiment echoed across many employee statements was the observation that working conditions had somewhat improved since development on the original Red Dead Redemption . By April 2020, several employees reported
68320-427: The same way that John looks up to the rest of the gang for validation. He also took inspiration from the "pretty tough dudes" in his home town for John's personality. Game Informer staff felt that, by the end of the game, John had developed into "the man we knew him to be in the original game: loving, faithful, honorable, and tragically doomed". Abigail Roberts (Cali Elizabeth Moore) is the wife of John Marston and
68600-458: The script. The team decided that the player would control one character at a time in Red Dead Redemption 2 , as opposed to the three protagonists simultaneously in Rockstar's previous title Grand Theft Auto V (2013), in order to follow the character more personally and understand how the events impact him. They felt that a single character felt more appropriate for the narrative structure of
68880-456: The second game with this in mind. Palmer often referenced his portrayal of Bill in the original game during the production of Red Dead Redemption 2 . He considered Bill to be internally insecure, having a lot to say but unable to express himself properly; he found that the most emotionally draining moment of his portrayal was during a campfire scene where Bill manages to express his emotion when explaining how Dutch saved him. Palmer also expanded on
69160-402: The sequence's impact beyond the violence depicted in previous Grand Theft Auto games, and considered the sequence lacking enough context to justify its violence. The mission received criticism from politicians and anti-torture charity groups. Independent journalist Tom Chick defended the torture sequence, and wrote that unlike Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 ' s " No Russian " mission or
69440-401: The story of Arthur Morgan ; Unsworth noted that Arthur is neither controlled by the storytellers or by the player, but by "a delicate push and pull between the two". The team attempted to give the player more freedom with Arthur's relationship with other characters; when the narrative begins, Arthur has already formed relationships with the other gang members, so the team aimed to develop them in
69720-504: The suffragette as it does other characters, such as children; scholars Kristine Jørgensen and Torill Elvira Mortensen, writing in Games and Culture , acknowledged this concern, but recognized the responsibility ultimately lay with the player, and limiting attacks could be interpreted as both a political statement from Rockstar and a restriction on the player's freedom of expression . Writing for Public History Weekly , Moritz Hoffman noted
70000-450: The switching mechanic, Game Informer noted that players are kept "in the thick of the action" during shootouts. Eurogamer wrote that switching added a tactical element to shootouts as characters set up in strategic outposts would cause fewer "shooting gallery" situations than previous instalments. IGN felt the switching feature gave players more choice in their approach and made missions less predictable. Giant Bomb considered
70280-499: The targeting sequence ends, they fire to every marked location in a very short space of time. The Dead Eye system upgrades progressively and grants abilities such as targeting fatal points. When the player commits a crime, witnesses alert the law; the player can stop them to avoid repercussions. Law enforcers investigate once alerted. When the player is caught, a bounty is set on their head; as they commit more crimes, their bounty grows higher and more lawmen will be sent to hunt them. If
70560-427: The team wanted to base Grand Theft Auto V around three simultaneously controlled protagonists. The team viewed it as a spiritual successor to many of their previous games (such as Grand Theft Auto IV , Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3 ) , and designed it to improve upon their gameplay mechanics. They sought to improve the action gameplay by refining the shooting mechanics and cover system and reworked
70840-559: The three million barrier in the UK, thus overtaking Black Ops II 's lifetime sales. In November 2014, the game became the best-selling game of all time in the UK, overtaking Black Ops . The game was similarly successful in North America: it was the best selling game in September, representing over 50% of software sales and boosting overall software sales by 52% compared to September 2012. Critics agreed that Grand Theft Auto V
71120-491: The three protagonists in Rockstar's previous title Grand Theft Auto V (2013), to follow the character more personally and understand how the events impact him. They felt a single character is more appropriate for the narrative structure of a Western. Red Dead Redemption 2 is the first game from Rockstar built specifically for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One . Rockstar had tested these consoles' technical capabilities when porting Grand Theft Auto V , initially released on
71400-481: The time with the game's characters and world. The game was Rockstar's first built specifically for eighth-generation consoles , having tested their technical capabilities while porting Grand Theft Auto V . The game's soundtrack features an original score composed by Woody Jackson and several vocal tracks produced by Daniel Lanois . Development included a crunch schedule of 100-hour weeks, leading to reports of mandatory and unpaid overtime . Red Dead Online ,
71680-401: The uniqueness of successful legal action against media outlets; Seth Barton of MCV/Develop called the outcome "an incredible development for games industry journalism" and felt it would result in hesitancy to leak information regarding Rockstar in future. Kotaku ' s Keza MacDonald similarly described the events as "extraordinary" as it likely meant Take-Two argued the information was
71960-426: The unpredictability of the narrative and comparing its epilogue to The Last of Us (2013). The Guardian ' s MacDonald praised the story's twists, applauding the writers' ability to feed smaller stories into the overall narrative. Nick Plessas of Electronic Gaming Monthly ( EGM ) noted the best stories "are to be found in the margins", discovered and written by the player. Game Informer ' s Bertz felt
72240-600: The venue with guns drawn. Each character has a set of eight skills that represent their ability in specific areas such as shooting and driving. Though skills improve through play, each character has a skill with expertise by default (e.g. Trevor's flying skill). The eighth "special" skill determines proficiency in an ability that is unique to each respective character. Michael enters bullet time in combat, Franklin slows down time while driving, and Trevor deals twice as much damage to enemies while taking half as much in combat. A meter on each character's HUD depletes when an ability
72520-505: The videos were sexist and misogynistic. Shirrako claimed the actions were apolitical and he did not support the sexist comments but did not wish to censor them. Matt Leonard of GameRevolution called Shirrako's response "plain bullshit", noting he continued to post similar videos encouraging the same behavior. In response, YouTube suspended the channel for violation of their community guidelines, citing its graphic nature for shock purposes and for promoting violence. Shirrako protested
72800-445: The visual and technical enhancements gave the "sunny sandbox a new lease of life". Grand Theft Auto V received multiple nominations and awards from gaming publications . Before release, it won Most Anticipated Game at the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards . The game was review aggregators Metacritic and GameRankings's highest-rated for the year 2013. The game appeared on several year-end lists of 2013's best games, receiving Game of
73080-409: The widespread technical issues present at launch, many reviewers bemoaned their Grand Theft Auto Online experience but generally recognised its open-ended exploration and dynamic content as strengths. Post-release content is continually added to Grand Theft Auto Online through free title updates. Some updates add new game modes and features, and others feature themed gameplay content, such as
73360-532: The wild frontier". Slate ' s Jonathan S. Jones appreciated Lenny's "overt commentary about the brutality of life under slavery and Jim Crow ". Leopold Strauss (Howard Pinhasik) is the bookkeeper and accountant of the Van der Linde gang. He grew up poor in Vienna during the Austro-Hungarian Empire , suffering from health problems during childhood. At the age of 17, Strauss was sent on
73640-511: The world is much larger in area than earlier entries in the series. It may be fully explored after the game's beginning without restriction, although story progress unlocks more gameplay content. Players use melee attacks, firearms and explosives to fight enemies, and may run, jump, swim or use vehicles to navigate the world. To accommodate the map's size, the game introduces vehicle types absent in its predecessor Grand Theft Auto IV , such as fixed-wing aircraft . In combat, auto-aim and
73920-454: The world. The proprietary Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE) was overhauled for the game to improve its draw distance rendering capabilities. The Euphoria and Bullet software handle additional animation and rendering tasks. Having become familiar with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 hardware over time, Rockstar found they were able to push the consoles' graphical capabilities further than in previous games. Analyst estimations place
74200-447: The year. In 2019, it maintained its placement in the nation's top charts, and was the twelfth-best-selling game of the year. It remained in the charts for the first half of 2020. In the United Kingdom, Red Dead Redemption 2 was the best-selling retail game in its first week of release and the second-fastest-selling game of 2018 (behind FIFA 19 ). The opening week physical sales doubled its predecessor's, with 68 percent of sales from
74480-519: Was "even more painful". Sloyer felt that Javier is "looking for home, somewhere to belong", feeling torn between grasping at the American Dream and longing for his home in Mexico. Sloyer considered Javier to be a romantic, calling him the " Brad Pitt of the gang". When portraying the character, Sloyer considered the life of his own father, also named Javier, and his experience with immigrating to
74760-406: Was accepted for the role. He was not aware that Micah was one of the game's main antagonists until late in production. He opted to develop the character from scratch, instead of taking specific inspiration from others. Blomquist felt that his chemistry with other actors, particularly Davis as Dutch and Clark as Arthur, was crucial to the development of the characters' relationships. Blomquist described
75040-465: Was added to the game through free title updates. In July 2022, Rockstar announced Red Dead Online would not receive more major updates, instead focusing on smaller missions and the expansion of existing modes as development resources were withdrawn to focus on Grand Theft Auto VI . In February 2018, online technology publication Trusted Reviews published an article leaking several features due to be included in Red Dead Redemption 2 , including
75320-631: Was also nominated for Biggest Disappointment by Game Revolution and Hardcore Gamer . Grand Theft Auto V won Best Technical Achievement in the Telegraph Video Game Awards, and Best Technology at the 14th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards . The graphical and artistic design received awards from IGN , The Daily Telegraph and BAFTA, and a nomination at the Game Developers Choice Awards. The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awarded
75600-411: Was among seventh-generation console gaming 's best and a great closing title before the eighth generation 's emergence. Polygon observed that the game would "bridge between games' present and the future", and declared it "the closure of this generation, and the benchmark for the next". VideoGamer.com considered it "the ultimate swansong for this console cycle" that would "cast a long shadow over
75880-414: Was among the best games of the eighth generation of video game consoles . GQ ' s White described it as "a generation-defining release", and VG247 ' s McKeand named it "a benchmark for other open world games to aspire to". IGN ranked the game as the third-best Xbox One game and eleventh-best PC and PlayStation 4 game. In November 2020, TechRadar listed it among the greatest games of
76160-518: Was composed by a team of producers who collaborated over several years. Licensed music provided by an in-game radio is also used. The team licensed more than 241 tracks shared between fifteen radio stations, with an additional two stations providing talk radio . Some of the tracks were written specifically for the game, such as rapper and producer Flying Lotus ' original work composed for the FlyLo FM radio station he hosts. Rockstar Games announced
76440-407: Was focused on creating an accurate reflection of the time, with people and locations. The citizens in the game feature a contrast between rich and poor, while the locales contrast between the civilization and the wilderness. Red Dead Redemption 2 ' s recording sessions began in 2013. Rockstar wanted a diverse cast of characters within the Van der Linde gang. The writers put particular focus on
76720-400: Was motivated by a "noble drive", believing in the greater good; he described the character as a "principled man", but felt that he began to evolve into a villain particularly when faced against characters who were powerful figures in their areas, such as Catherine Braithwaite and Angelo Bronte. Davis felt that Dutch's downfall takes place when he witnesses the corruption of other people achieving
77000-485: Was part of the United States Navy . When he moved out west, he encountered financial trouble; Dutch discovered him and invited him into the gang. He sends Arthur to retrieve food and supplies several times and is responsible for setting up the camp with Susan Grimshaw upon each relocation. When the gang begins to collapse, Pearson becomes unhappy and decides to leave. Eight years later, in 1907, he owns and runs
77280-741: Was released in September 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 , in November 2014 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One , in April 2015 for Windows , and in March 2022 for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S . Extensively marketed and widely anticipated, the game broke industry sales records and became the fastest-selling entertainment product in history, earning $ 800 million in its first day and $ 1 billion in its first three days. It received critical acclaim, with praise directed at its multiple-protagonist design, open world, presentation and gameplay. However, its depiction of violence and women caused controversies. Several gaming publications awarded
77560-437: Was released on 18 October for the Xbox 360, which went on to become the highest-grossing day-one and week-one release on Xbox Live . By May 2014, the game had generated nearly US$ 1.98 billion in revenue. As of August 2014, the game had sold-in over 34 million units to retailers for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. By December 2014, the game had shipped 45 million copies, including 10 million copies of
77840-400: Was the best-selling game of the latter half of the 2010s, and the decade's seventh-best-selling overall. It is among the best-selling video games . In the United States, Red Dead Redemption 2 was the second-best-selling game of October 2018, behind Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 . It was the nation's best-selling-game in November, third-best-selling in December, and overall best-selling of
78120-427: Was the highest-rated game of 2018. The game was named among the best games of the 2010s by Entertainment.ie , The Hollywood Reporter , Metacritic, National Post , NME , Stuff , Thrillist , VG247 , and Wired UK . At The Game Awards 2018 , the game received eight nominations and won four awards: Best Audio Design, Best Narrative, Best Score/Music, and Best Performance for Clark as Arthur. At
78400-455: Was young. During the events of the game, she assists Arthur on some occasions, including finding a lead on a train robbery and distracting a driver during a stagecoach heist. She often talks with Arthur about his life and gives him encouraging words when he tells her about his tuberculosis. As the gang begins to fall apart, Mary-Beth eventually leaves. Eight years later, in 1907, she encounters John Marston in Valentine, revealing that she has become
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