When Rockstar revealed Red Dead Redemption 2’s debut gameplay video a month ago, one of the things that they notably did not talk about was its combat, and how weapons will function in the game. Thanks to the new recent round of hands-on previews, there’s been an explosion of information on the game, and we now know a lot more about combat and weapons than we did earlier.
The first thing that catches attention is the fact that you can no longer carry an entire arsenal of weapons with you the way you might be used to doing in Rockstar games. Arthur can only carry two sidearms and two rifles (or one rifle and one bow) with him at any time (in addition to things like knives, throwable weapons, and a lasso), while his other weapons are stored on his horse. These weapons are also always physically present and visible in the game, so you won’t see huge rifles magically being pulled out of tiny bags or pockets either.
Weapons can also degrade over time. For instance, if they get wet after you’ve been in a body of water, they’ll get damaged, while they can also get dirty, jammed, or clogged up over time. As such, repairing, cleaning, and maintaining your weapons will be important in the game. Additionally, you’ll also be able to customize your guns. For example, you can get detailed engravings on your weapons to make them look cooler. Oh, and you can shoot weapons out of enemies’ hands, to really make you feel like a badass cowboy. Doubling down on that, press L1 twice, and Arthur will put away his weapons with a flashy flourish.
Dead Eye, of course, is making a return- what’s a Red Dead Redemption game without Dead Eye, after all? Apparently, it’s been changed up significantly from what it was like in the 2010 title, and now has five Levels. The first level does the most basic stuff, which is slowing down time. The second level allows you to pain targets, while the third level lets you manually pick and mark your targets yourself. What levels 4 and 5 do isn’t something we know yet. Something cool, I assume. Also, how this progression will be handled in the game is something else we don’t know much about.
Loads of new details have also emerged on the game’s horse riding mechanics- which is something that is apparently going to be a core part of the game’s gameplay loop. Building a relationship with horses will be vital, and can be done by feeding them, cleaning them, petting them, or just spending more time with them (a lot of this we knew already). Horses can be customized by going to stables, where you can change their saddles, stirrups, reigns, and other things. You can also name your horse, by the way. Tragically, if your horse dies, it remains dead, so you have to get a new horse and rebuild that trust. So, you know, don’t get too attached- or just take better care of your horse. You can also tell your horse to basically run for its life if you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation.
We’ve also got a lot of new information on some incredible attention to detail in the game. For starters, much like The Witcher 3’s Geralt, Arthur’s beard in Red Dead Redemption 2 will grow gradually overtime, but you can shave it away whenever you want. Things such as snow, mud, and blood, will also appear on his skin and clothes realistically- snow will gradually melt away, mud will solidify and get hard and cracked, blood will dry up over time. Arthur can also look at his reflection in mirrors, and depending on what he sees, he will have different remarks each time. You can also customize Arthur’s clothing, and will have a wide range of options, from changing up your wardrobe entirely, to something as simple as rolling up your sleeves.
Thanks to this information blowout, we’ve also recently learned that Red Dead Redemption 2 will have a customizable HUD and a first person mode. Read more on that through here. Additionally, the game will also include an in-game camera, which you can use to take photographs.
Red Dead Redemption 2 launches on October 26 for the Xbox One and PS4 (but “absolutely not” on PC), while Red Dead Online launches in November as a public beta (initially, at least).
Via ResetEra
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