The game is presented through both first and third-person perspectives, and the player may freely roam in its interactive open world. Gameplay elements includ e shootouts, heists, hunting, horseback riding, interacting with any non-player character (NPC), 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.

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 shipping over 24 million copies in retail. 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.