Red Dead Redemption 2 is a Western-themed action-adventure game developed and published by Rockstar Games. It was released on October 26, 2018, for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles.
The game is the third entry in the Red Dead series and is a prequel to the 2010 game Red Dead Redemption. The story is set in 1899 in a fictionalized representation of the Western, Midwestern and Southern United States and follows outlaw Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang.
Arthur must deal with the decline of the Wild West whilst attempting to survive against government forces, rival gangs, and other adversaries. The story also follows fellow gang member John Marston, the protagonist of Red Dead Redemption.
The game is presented through both first and third-person perspectives, and the player may freely roam in its interactive open world. Gameplay elements include shootouts, heists, hunting, horseback riding, interacting with non-player characters (NPCs), and maintaining the character's honor rating through moral choices and deeds.
A bounty system similar to the "wanted" system from the Grand Theft Auto franchise governs the response of law enforcement and bounty hunters to crimes committed by the player. Red Dead Online, the online multiplayer mode of the game, was released as a beta version in November 2018 before a full release in May 2019.
Broadly anticipated and marketed before release, Red Dead Redemption 2 broke several records and had the second-biggest launch in the history of entertainment, generating $725 million in sales from its opening weekend, and selling a total of more than 25 million copies. It was universally acclaimed by critics, who praised the story, characters, open world, and considerable level of detail.
It received a number of perfect scores and awards, including the "Critics' Choice Award" at the 2018 Golden Joystick Awards, and honors such as "Best Narrative" and "Best Score/Music" at The Game Awards 2018.