America, 1899. The twilight of the Wild West has begun. After a disastrous botched robbery in the town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde Gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the nation's best bounty hunters hot on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight to survive as they make their way through the rugged terrain of America's heartland. As internal divisions grow and threaten to tear them all apart, Arthur must choose between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang that raised him.
Weapon selection and customization
There are a variety of customization options, ranging from visual upgrades (new metals, woods, varnishes, and engravings) to performance upgrades (new barrels, grips, sights, and scopes). You can design a completely unique weapon that looks and handles exactly how you want. Each weapon's performance varies depending on its damage, range, rate of fire, accuracy, and reload speed, so it's important to choose wisely for the situation.
The high rate of fire of a double-action revolver is good for shooting while on horseback. If you are carrying something in one hand, such as a lamp or a small animal, try using a sawed-off shotgun, whose bullets pack a bigger punch at close range compared to other one-handed weapons. The Lancaster Varmint rifle is perfect for hunting small game, because it is much less likely to damage the quality of hide and meat than if you were using a larger-caliber weapon.
When you're only facing one or two enemies, you might want to use a Springfield rifle, which has a slower rate of fire but deals much more damage. If you need to shoot from a distance, any sniper rifle will obviously be a good choice, but you can also put scopes on other types of rifles, allowing you to switch between normal and scoped sights at any time.
Wild fauna
Red Dead Redemption 2's diverse habitats and climates are home to some two hundred species of land animals, birds, and fish. All respond to their environment and behave in unique ways.
Deer, bison and pronghorn roam the plains in herds, scavengers are quick to smell carrion, sockeye salmon leap upstream, wolves attack by circling their prey, geese fly in fixed formations, opossums play dead, rodents hide in tree holes, grizzly bears attack when threatened, and birds of prey soar above the streams. They are all part of a complex ecosystem and are in a constant struggle to maintain their place in the food chain. Nature is bountiful, but also dangerous to man and beast, and any predator can quickly become prey.
Hunting and fishing
Hunting and fishing are essential skills for surviving in the wild, providing food, materials and income. The various rivers, lakes and streams are home to a variety of fish species, so choosing the right bait or lure is key to a successful day of fishing. Tracking an animal requires focus and patience – proceed with caution and pay attention to the direction of the wind or you will alert your prey. Choosing the right weapon and shooting position is also very important, as they will affect the quality of the hide and meat and therefore the price traders will pay for it. Make sure you choose a rifle of the appropriate calibre for the size of the animal you want to hunt, or become an expert archer to take it down stealthily and cleanly.
After hunting an animal, you can skin and butcher it on the spot or take it whole, but don't linger or scavengers will come looking. Load hides, parts, meat and whole carcasses onto your horse to sell to the butchers in town, cook at camp or craft clothing and other items. Nature provides and you don't have to go cold or hungry.
