Recently, Rockstar Games released a wild west game called Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2). It’s set in 1899 in fictitious states around the United States. The game is the third in the series and is a prequel to Red Dead Redemption (2010). Throughout the game, you play as a cowboy outlaw named Arthur Morgan who is a part of the notorious Van der Linde gang.

   After the chaos that happened in Blackwell, which details get revealed as you play throughout the game, the gang attempts to somewhat lay low while still acquiring supplies through mostly illegal activities. The Van Der Linde gang consistently has beef with an opposing gang, the O’Driscolls. A major part of the game is being able to make choices. These choices often affect how mission turn out and also affect how much honor you have. The higher the honor, the better the discounts you get at stores. The storyline itself is filled with plenty of main quest missions (side ones as well) that further develop Arthur’s character, along with the other gang members.

   RDR2 has six chapters along with two additional epilogue chapters. The first chapter is the start of the game and is quite a slow start. It gives you an introduction to the basic controls of the game. Each chapter is quite lengthy but adds on to the story with many twists and turns. The single player campaign itself takes around 60 hours to complete.

   Unlike other games, fast travel is quite limited in the game. Some individuals may have a disliking towards this but I somewhat appreciate it since the landscapes in the game are truly breathtaking. This brings me to the next element in the game worth highlighting.

Something to really take note of are the phenomenal graphics. The graphics are realistic and very much emphasized during the cinematic cutscenes.  Precision to detail is an understatement when it comes to how thorough Rockstar games were with this game. In fact, there even was controversy with the company pushing their employees to work 100 hour weeks, the hard work is definitely shown.
   
   The soundtrack reflects the mood of the moment of the story really well, especially for the outlaw era it takes place in. Whether it’s an intense shootout against the Pinkerton detective agency or a fond emotional moment between Arthur and someone dear to him, the music fits the story very well.

Watch out Fallout 76, because a new online game comes with this as well. Anyone who has RDR2 will be able to play. Your availability to play depends on when you initially played the game. Early access for Red Dead Online Beta will be going live today for those who purchased the ultimate edition. Following up on Wednesday, individuals who played RDR2 on October 26th will be able to play online. On November 29th, gamers who played the game between October 26th and October 29th. Finally, anyone who has had RDR2 at any point will be able to play on Friday, November 30th.

Overall, this game is a masterpiece in numerous ways. I truly believe there is something for nearly anyone. Before playing this game, I personally had never been a fan for the Western genre. But after devoting hours and hours on end to this game, you can catch me saying “Yeehaw”.