Just when we thought we would be drawing pistols and riding horseback again with Red Dead Redemption 2 later this year, Rockstar Games went and pulled the horse out from under us.
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The team confirmed via a blog post today that the game won’t be making its intended fall 2017 release window as intended. Instead, it’ll now be arriving sometime in spring 2018, although it’s still likely to be shown off at the Electronic Entertainment Expo – probably during Sony’s pre-E3 presentation – in just a few weeks.
“Red Dead Redemption 2 is now set to launch Spring 2018 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One,” the team noted in its post. “This outlaw epic set across the vast and unforgiving American heartland will be the first Rockstar game created from the ground up for the latest generation of console hardware, and some extra time is necessary to ensure that we can deliver the best experience possible for our fans.
“We are very sorry for any disappointment this delay causes, but we are firm believers in delivering a game only when it is ready. We are really excited to bring you more details about the game this summer.”
At least we’ll be hearing about the game sooner rather than later. On top of that, we have a bunch of new screenshots from the game that showcase its dramatic style, which we’ve posted in the attached gallery.
While the delay may be a bit of a bummer for some, it’s still going to be one hell of a sequel when it arrives next year.
Looking For Trouble
There’s no doubt this hombre means serious business with his guns drawn. No doubt he’s either one of the characters you play in the game, or someone you’re likely to come across. Either way, you may want to keep some ammo on hand, just in case things go sideways in the middle of a gunfight.
Note the articulate attention to the smoke in this screenshot. This shows that a lot of work is going into the game’s engine, making it look even more incredible than what the first Red Dead Redemption had to offer. If the delay means more attention to detail like this, we’re totally down.
A Peaceful Forest
Looks like an ideal place to get some hunting in, maybe. There’s a good chance your character will find some small game in the forest, and perhaps even a few bears to match wits with. Make sure you have plenty of ammunition on hand! And chances are you’ll find other places to hunt and explore as well, as Red Dead Redemption 2‘s world will likely be a lot bigger than the one you checked out in the original game. Of course, there’s also a good chance to run into some human opposition as well, like banditos that want nothing more than to rob you like crazy.
A Stagecoach Ride
This might play well into the game’s story, as the stagecoach is a traditional means of travel for all sorts of goods, like people, mail and, of course, money. Chances are you’ll run into a bunch of ne’er-do-wells wanting to rob it blind — but will you be with that group, or the group that protects it in the hopes of collecting a big reward? The choice is yours, but no matter which side you take, expect a lot of bullets to be flying and bodies to be dropping. Hey, no one ever said that stagecoach robbery would ever be easy, right?
Taking the Train
The train appears to be making a comeback in the Red Dead Redemption sequel, and we’re all for it. Not only does it represent a great way to get around, but it may also provide a challenge in terms of attempting to rob it like mad, or take control of it and run rampant across the tracks. For that matter, it may bring back an old favorite trick from the original game, where we could tie someone down to the train tracks and then watch them get run over, just for the sake of saying that they’re out of the picture. Maybe we could tie up a group this time. Hmmmm…
A Stroll Into Town
The towns that you’ll be able to ride into in Red Dead Redemption 2 are looking pretty good based upon this screenshot. Notice the attention to detail in the lighting that’s involved here, particularly when you get closer to one of the livelier buildings in the city. For that matter, there’s a lot of life as well, with people walking around and doing their day-to-day business, adding to the overall ambience of the game. The real question is just how much trouble you’ll be able to get into. Maybe it’ll be like Grand Theft Auto V, where you can pick fights, get in trouble, and maybe even lasso someone and drag them around the city.
A Pair of Six Shooters
This game will have guns. Lots and lots of guns. But more importantly, like the original Red Dead Redemption, they’ll be authentic to the era. No further proof of that comes than with these elegant six-shooters, which look like they mean serious business when it comes to shooting someone dead in their tracks. This is just a glimpse of the weapons we’ll see in the games as well, which could also include shotguns, gatling guns and other authentic weaponry from the Wild West days. Hell, we’d be happy with a large selection of knives as well.
Red Dead Redemption 2 releases in spring 2018 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
