Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 was crafted by a team of approximately 1,600 individuals over several years, with Rockstar Games overseeing the development. The action-adventure game, initially released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in October 2018 and later for Windows and Stadia in November 2019, delves into the year 1899 in a fictionalized depiction of the Western, Midwestern, and Southern United States. The narrative revolves around Arthur Morgan, an outlaw associated with the Van der Linde gang, navigating the challenges of the Wild West's decline while contending with government forces, rival gangs, and various adversaries. The storyline also follows John Marston, a fellow gang member and the protagonist of the preceding game, Red Dead Redemption (2010).
To bring the characters to life, Rockstar utilized motion capture to record performances and face cameras for capturing facial reactions for subsequent animation. The game's development involved a unified effort, with all of Rockstar's studios converging into one large team to streamline the process. The studio aimed for a diverse cast of characters within the Van der Linde gang, emphasizing the individual stories behind each character. Unlike the original game's theme of protecting family at all costs, Red Dead Redemption 2 explores the disintegration of the Van der Linde gang, portraying the breakdown of a surrogate family.
History and overview
This installment marked Rockstar's first game tailored specifically for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with lessons learned from testing the technical capabilities of these consoles during the porting of Grand Theft Auto V. The game boasts an original score composed by Woody Jackson, featuring contributions from artists like Colin Stetson, Senyawa, and Arca. Renowned figures such as D'Angelo, Willie Nelson, Rhiannon Giddens, and Josh Homme collaborated on the vocal tracks, produced by Daniel Lanois.
Officially announced in October 2016, Red Dead Redemption 2 faced multiple delays for further refinement, generating significant anticipation and media attention. Various special editions were released, and the online multiplayer mode, Red Dead Online, entered beta in November 2018, concluding in May 2019.
Story and setting
The game's inception began shortly after the release of its predecessor in 2010. Rockstar Games received internal pitches for a sequel during the production of the first game and decided to explore a gang narrative. Vice President of Creativity Dan Houser and a key team of developers worked on the game's concept, leading to a collaborative effort across all Rockstar studios. The development process, involving around 1,600 developers, faced scrutiny due to reports of extensive working hours and a culture of "crunch." Rockstar clarified that the intense work mentioned by Houser primarily affected the senior writing staff and was not representative of the entire development team. Despite conflicting accounts from employees, Rockstar made efforts to address concerns and reported changes to working conditions by April 2020.