Red Dead Redemption 2’s release date is nearly upon us, but that’s not the only thing arriving on the magic date of October 26. Rockstar has confirmed the game’s official companion app is also launching then. The app is slated to go live on iOS and Android day-and-date with the main game this Friday. In the meantime, you can read our Red Dead 2 review.
Essentially, it appears the app will act as a second screen for you to use while playing the game on your PS4 / Xbox One and TV. That means you can look at the map and add waypoints or mark areas of interest all on your iPad, for example. In addition, the app will display “Arthur Morgan’s core info and stats in real-time on your device, allowing you to completely remove the in-game HUD from your television should you choose.”
Finally, the app contains the full digital game manual, provides stat tracking through Rockstar’s social club, and offers an optional digital version of the official Red Dead Redemption 2 guide, presumably for an extra cost.
The game’s map leaked just recently, and it appears to contain much of the original Red Dead Redemption’s playable area. Flat Iron Lake is visible in the leaked image, as are Tall Trees, Armadillo, and more. Mexico doesn’t appear to be included, but there are of course a number of new locations we haven’t yet explored.
Rockstar recently released RDR2’s launch trailer, which you can watch here. The company has also detailed the first Red Dead Redemption 2 DLC, which will have a period of exclusivity on PS4. For more, be sure to check out our latest Red Dead Redemption 2 impressions or our weekly Red Dead show, Quickdraw, which you can watch one episode of above.
Red Dead Redemption 2’s release date is almost upon us. After years of anticipation and multiple delays, fans will be able to get their hands on Rockstar’s new PS4 / Xbox One open-world game very soon, with launch set for Friday, October 26. But there’s one question on everyone’s lips: is it any good?
GameSpot’s Red Dead Redemption 2 review awarded the game a 9/10. Critic Kallie Plagge called the open-world title an “excellent prequel” and an “emotional, thought-provoking story in its own right.” For more on the game’s critical reception, take a look at GameSpot sister site Metacritic or scroll down for a selection of other outlets’ reviews. Its Metacritic average stands at 97 on PS4 and 98 on Xbox One at the time of this writing, either tying or breaking the existing record for the two platforms.
“While Red Dead Redemption was mostly focused on John Marston’s story, Red Dead 2 is about the entire Van der Linde gang–as a community, as an idea, and as the death rattle of the Wild West. It is about Arthur, too, but as the lens through which you view the gang, his very personal, very messy story supports a larger tale. Some frustrating systems and a predictable mission structure end up serving that story well, though it does take patience to get through them and understand why. Red Dead Redemption 2 is an excellent prequel, but it’s also an emotional, thought-provoking story in its own right, and it’s a world that is hard to leave when it’s done.” — Kallie Plagge [Full review]
CNET
“Red Dead Redemption 2 has undoubtedly raised the bar for narrative open-world games and will likely have a lasting impact on how they are made in the future. It pushes the envelope of what we understand is possible in a video game. It seems that every time we get something new from Rockstar, things inevitably change. With Red Dead 2 it feels like this shift will be defined by an experience that works hard to convince the player they aren’t necessarily inside a video game, or beholden to a set of rules that a specific genre dictates.” — Jeff Bakalar [Full review]
USGamer — 4.5/5
“Is Red Dead Redemption 2 better than the first game? Very much so. Is Red Dead Redemption 2 perfect? No. Rockstar Games has crafted this huge, beautiful world with an attention to detail that’s astounding. There’s a high level of craft here, but that’s also why some of those small annoyances or more obtuse systems stick out more. Despite those small issues, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a fantastic game that should keep players satisfied for another eight years.” — Mike Williams [Full review]
Eurogamer — Recommended
“Is this Rockstar’s greatest game, a new masterpiece alongside the original? There are one too many caveats, and one too many flaws at its heart, to leave me totally convinced. Is this its richest, most beautiful open world? Of that there’s not a single doubt.” — Martin Robinson [Full review]
IGN — 10/10
“Red Dead Redemption 2 stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Grand Theft Auto V as one of the greatest games of the modern age. It’s a gorgeous depiction of an ugly period that’s patient, polished, and a huge amount of fun to play, and it’s combined with Rockstar’s best storytelling to date. Even after finishing the lengthy story I can’t wait to go back and play more. This is a game of rare quality; a meticulously polished open world ode to the outlaw era. Looking for one of this generation’s very best single-player action experiences? Here’s your huckleberry.” — Luke Reilly [Full review]
GamesRadar+ — 5/5
“Just how good is Red Dead Redemption 2? Over the past few years, I’d argue the only games that deserve to be considered at this same ultra elite level are GTA V, Metal Gear Solid V, and The Witcher III. This is a stone cold 5/5 classic that combines brilliant writing–Rockstar’s Houser brothers deliver another affecting, scythe-sharp script–amazing tech, and one of the most boldly structured plots to ever grace a triple-A title. The story is so well told, you’ll emotionally invest more in a horse during one crucial scene than you did even for Kratos in this year’s stellar God of War revival. If you only buy one game this year, it absolutely has to be this wondrous Wild West quest.” — David Meikleham [Full review]
The Guardian — 5/5
“There can be no doubt that this is a landmark game. It is a new high water-mark for lifelike video game worlds, certainly, but that world is also home to a narrative portrait of the wild west that is unexpectedly sombre and not afraid to take its time. With very few exceptions, the many stories that Rockstar’s writers have set out to tell about this group of outlaws land perfectly, the enjoyable twists and turns of individual missions and chapters feeding into an exciting, sophisticated and absorbing larger narrative–and the stories that you discover yourself within its world are no less compelling. Around 2,000 people worked very hard (probably too hard, in some cases) to make this game possible. Every last one of them should be proud of their contribution.” — Keza MacDonald [Full review]
Game Informer — 10/10
“Rockstar Games has outdone itself again with Red Dead Redemption II. The up-close portrayal of the outlaw Van der Linde gang’s unraveling is a compelling companion story that blends seamlessly with the original game, and depth and breadth of the open world is a technical triumph that every gamer should experience.” — Matt Bertz [Full review]
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a massive game, both in terms of file size and its sheer scope. The title features a variety of side activities to steal your attention, from hunting and fishing to old-fashioned robberies. Even if you plan on ignoring these ancillary tasks and just focusing on the story, however, you’re going to need to devote a lot of time to the game.
We’ve been playing through Rockstar’s western for our Red Dead 2 review, and we now know how long its main campaign is. By our estimates, it takes approximately 45-50 hours to clear the story, if you focus primarily on completing story quests and largely ignore its side activities. Of course, individual playtimes will vary, so you can expect to sink considerably more time into the game if you plan on pursuing its many side missions.
Red Dead Redemption 2 casts players in the role of Arthur Morgan, one of the members of the Van der Linde gang, who are traveling across the American frontier to escape the law. During the journey, Arthur will encounter many new and familiar faces, including the protagonist of the first Red Dead Redemption, John Marston. He’ll also be able to wield more than 50 weapons, each of which has a range of customization options that affect their performance and appearance.
On top of that, Arthur will be able to visit many of the same areas featured in the previous game; an image of RDR2’s full map leaked ahead of the game’s release, showing that the world encompasses a fair chunk of the original Red Dead Redemption’s map. As a result, the game will require quite a bit of storage space on your console of choice, as it weighs in at approximately 100 GB.
Red Dead Redemption 2 launches for PS4 and Xbox One on October 26. The game will be available in several different editions, many of which come with various bonus items; you can learn more in our Red Dead Redemption 2 pre-order guide. Those who pick the game up on PS4 will also receive early access to some items 30 days before they arrive on Xbox One. The first batch of timed-exclusive content includes an outfit, horse, and gun.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is due out in mere hours, and those who haven’t put down their pre-order may still be wondering which platform to play it on. To that end, tech specialists have completed their analysis and concluded that, pound for pound, Xbox One X delivers the most picturesque version of the Old West.
According to the Digital Foundry analysis, the Xbox One X runs natively at 4K while the PlayStation 4 Pro uses a reconstruction technique to output in 4K. If you don’t own either of those high-end machines, though, the PlayStation 4 runs at standard 1080p, versus 864p for the Xbox One S. The lower-end Xbox is the worst performing console in the test, with textures that are said to be blurry and grainy.
The frame-rate for Red Dead 2 also stands out on Xbox One, with a locked 30 FPS that outpaces the occasional dropped frames in busy areas like towns. Both of the base consoles are said to hit the low 20s at times when visiting high-density cities. In this respect a base PlayStation 4 performs slightly worse than Xbox One. The two more powerful consoles deliver higher quality textures on characters and clothing, and there doesn’t appear to be a difference in terms of foliage and landscapes. On the whole the analysis concludes that the Xbox One X wins by a “considerable margin.”
Meanwhile, RDR2 reviews have started to roll into town. GameSpot’s Kallie Plagge praised the prequel as surprising all on its own. “Red Dead Redemption 2 is an excellent prequel, but it’s also an emotional, thought-provoking story in its own right, and it’s a world that is hard to leave when it’s done,” she wrote.
The digital PC storefront Fanatical has a big Halloween sale going on between now and November 4. It features over 1,000 games that are available for up to 90% off their normal prices. And if you’re feeling particularly frugal (and perhaps a bit demonic), you can enter promo code SCREAM666 to get an additional 6.66% off the sale price. As usual, the games are delivered in the form of Steam codes. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of the sale.
If a horror game is what you’re after, you’ll find some chilling options in the lineup of deals. Alien: Isolation Collection, which is on sale for $11.50, locks you on a space station with a nearly invincible extra-terrestrial that stalks you relentlessly. On sale for $20 is Dying Light: The Following – Enhanced Edition, a zombie brawler that offers parkour action, dirt buggies, and lots of enemies to kill in an expansive rural area.
A few recently-released games are on the list as well. Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle, which ropes together seven classic arcade brawlers, is on sale for $17. The weapons-based fighting game SoulCalibur VI is down to $54. And the survival game Frostpunk, which takes place in an icy apocalypse, is on sale for $22. Naturally, you’ll also find plenty of excellent titles from previous years for cheap, including Bayonetta for $6, Sim City 4 for $5, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic I & II Pack for $3.50.
In addition to the sale, if you import your Steam wishlist over to Fanatical in October or November, you’ll be entered for a chance to win $100. You can find more of our picks below, or head here to see all of the discounts. And don’t forget to use Satan’s promo code (SCREAM666) at checkout.
Fortnite‘s early-access Save the World campaign mode might not get as much attention as its Battle Royale sibling, but you can play it in the PS4, Xbox One, and PC versions of the game. However, unlike Battle Royale, it’s not not free-to-play. If you’re itching to drop in and light up some beasties in the co-op campaign mode, now is a good time to buy. Through the end of October, all four paid editions of Save the World are half off. You can find out what comes with each version below.
Epic had been planning to bring Save the World out of early access this year and make it free for everyone, but it has announced that update is now delayed to 2019. So if you want to see what PvE is like in Fortnite now, you have to pony up some cash. But if you do buy one of the Founder Packs and log in during the Fortnitemares Halloween event, you’ll also get Brainiac Jonesy and Skull Ranger Ramirez for free.
Fortnite – Standard Founder’s Pack
The Standard Founder’s Pack comes with the Save the World campaign, as well as seven loot piñata packs and four in-game banner icons.
Fortnite – Deluxe Founder’s Pack
The Deluxe Founder’s Pack comes with the Save the World campaign, a Rare Starter Weapon Pack, an exclusive Revolt pistol, and a Starter Hero pack that comes with eight heroes (two from each class). Also included are 33 Piñata Packs, 50 extra vault inventory slots, 10 in-game banner icons, 10 XP boosts for you, and 10 XP boosts to share with friends.
Fortnite – Super Deluxe Founder’s Pack
The Super Deluxe Founder’s Pack comes with everything in the Deluxe Founder’s Pack, plus two exclusive in-game defenders. It also includes even more of the extras, so you get 52 Piñata Packs, 100 extra vault inventory slots, 15 banner icons, and 20 XP boosts for you as well as 20 for a friend.
Fortnite – Limited Edition Founder’s Pack
As you might expect, the most expensive version of of the game comes with even more in-game goodies. In addition to everything that comes in the Super Deluxe Founder’s Pack, you’ll also get an exclusive Legendary Hero pack that grants you two Legendary Heroes for your class of choice, as well as a Legendary weapon for that class. Once again, you also get a flood of extras, with 109 Piñata Packs, 200 extra vault inventory slots, 10 extra backpack inventory slots, 20 banner icons, and 40 XP boosts for you and 40 to give away.
Thanks to the sheer ubiquity of Red Dead Redemption 2, video game fans are seeing a lot of cowboy imagery these days. But you don’t need to buy Rockstar’s open-world blockbuster to indulge your inner cattleman. Between now and November 17, anyone with an Amazon/Twitch Prime account can pick up some free cowboy-themed loot for the PC version of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
To get your PUBG freebies, head over to Twitch and click on the crown-shaped icon at the top. That opens a dropdown menu with all of the free items you have available. Among them is the PUBG Gunslinger’s Crate. This loot set contains five gunslinger outfit items and two weapon skins (Engraved R45 and Engraved S686). As usual, the items don’t affect gameplay, but they sure do make you look stylish.
To make the items appear in your game, you’ll need to open PUBG and sign in, then click the Twitch “Glitch” icon in the upper right corner of the lobby screen. There, you can link your PUBG account to Twitch, after which you’ll find the loot in your inventory.
Other recent Twitch Prime freebies include a monthly set of free PC games, a Golden Loot Box for Overwatch, colorful outfits in Rainbow Six Siege, as well as freebies for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Warframe. All of the free items are available for a limited time, so make sure you collect the ones you want before they vanish forever.
Each Wednesday, GameStop drops prices on a whole new set of games, accessories, and collectibles. This week’s sale is now live, featuring some attractive deals on all kinds of games for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, plus some trade-in bonuses and a collectible sale. Let’s take a look at the deals you can find between now and October 30.
First and foremost, GameStop’s weekly ad would like to remind you that Red Dead Redemption 2 arrives on PS4 and Xbox One on October 26. It’s not on sale, but you can head to your local GameStop at 9 PM the previous day and pick it up then. If you hurry home, you might be able to play it before the digital version becomes available shortly after midnight. And if you buy RDR2 starting October 26, you can save $100 on any Xbox One console–including the GameStop-exclusive white Xbox One X that comes with Fallout 76.
If you can find four pre-owned games you want that are $9.99 or under, you’ll get all four for $20. All statues and figures are 25% off this week. And if you’re looking to upgrade to an Xbox One X, you can get a nice credit bonus by trading in a current-gen console.
Black Friday 2018 will be here before long, and if you want to save money on holiday gifts (or, ahem, gifts for yourself), you’ll want to be prepared for the year’s biggest shopping event. Because if you’re not prepared, you could miss out on some of the best deals available. To get you ready for Black Friday–and Cyber Monday–we’ve compiled everything you need to know about this year’s day of sales. Let’s get to it.
When Is Black Friday 2018?
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, which places it on November 23 this year. But assuming this Black Friday plays out like ones in recent years, many of the sales will begin on Thanksgiving or even earlier in the week. You can also expect to see sales continue over the weekend, plus even more discounts on Cyber Monday, which falls on November 26.
Because these sales have been expanding in recent years, it’s worth paying attention to retailers’ ads and social media posts to see when, exactly, the discounts will begin. We’ll have lots of coverage for all of this year’s Black Friday deals on video games, consoles, movies, and electronics, so keep your eyes here as well.
Which Retailers Participate in Black Friday?
If you’re after items related to video games and movies, you’ll want to pay attention to Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Kohl’s, Newegg, Target, and Walmart. You’ll also see big sales on digital video games through the PlayStation Store, Nintendo Eshop, Microsoft Store, Steam, the Humble Store, and Fantastical.
What Games Will Go on Sale?
You can expect to find discounts on just about every video game from the past few years this Black Friday, including recent releases. As usual, older games will generally get the biggest discounts, but doorbuster sales can drop prices surprisingly low even on newly released games.
For instance, games that came out in January and February of last year–like Resident Evil 7 and For Honor–dropped down to as low as $15 during Black Friday. Some games that were only a couple of weeks old, like Call of Duty: WWII and Need for Speed Payback, dipped as low as $30 or $40 at certain retailers.
Assuming this year’s Black Friday deals plays out similarly, you can expect to see huge discounts on games from earlier in 2018, like Monster Hunter World, Sea of Thieves, Far Cry 5, and God of War. For games from recent months, like Octopath Traveler, Madden NFL 19, Spider-Man, and Forza Horizon 4, you might see price drops to the $30 range. Don’t be surprised if you see discounts on games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Red Dead Redemption 2 at some retailers, too.
And if you’re not into physical copies of games, don’t worry: there’s a good chance some retailers will sell digital versions of the games at the same sale prices as the physical versions.
Consoles and Accessories Will Get Discounts Too
It’s not just games that get discounted. Big retailers will be dropping prices on consoles and accessories as well. Last year, all the big retailers offered $50-$100 discounts on Xbox One and PS4 models, often throwing in a $25-$50 gift card as an added bonus. The Nintendo Switch was less than a year old during last year’s Black Friday, so it didn’t get discounted, but we may see that change this year. Also, most retailers offered $20 discounts on PS4 and Xbox One controllers last year.
If You See a Great Deal, Jump On It
Deals that seem too good to be true usually don’t last long. Retailers only have a limited amount of stock, and with doorbuster prices, items move fast. So if you manage to find a great game at an incredible price that’s in stock, buy it quickly. Otherwise you’ll likely miss out.
We’ll have lots of Black Friday and Cyber Monday coverage to point you toward the best deals on the biggest games and movies, as well as consoles, accessories, and electronics. Stay tuned.
You won’t see much that you haven’t already when you dive into The Heist, the first of three pieces of downloadable content for Marvel’s Spider-Man on PlayStation 4. By and large, The Heist offers more of the same thing that Spider-Man did: a smattering of fun, quick open-world activities, coupled together with a more character-focused storyline.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t play it, though, or even that The Heist reiterating what worked previously is much of a negative. It adds more of what made Spider-Man an engaging, reliable,, and very fun experience. Sure, it fills its open world with activities that are pretty much what you have seen already–almost all new crimes to stop in New York are just slight spins on offerings in the vanilla package. But after a break following Spider-Man’s release, it’s great to get back into Insomniac’s beautiful rendition of New York and punch some bad guys, sling some webs, and uncover the first part of a new and affecting story.
That story is what really makes The Heist interesting, as the rest is just open-world window dressing to take advantage of Spider-Man’s solid systems. After being teased in the main game, Spider-Man’s old friend-slash-former-lover-slash-semi-nemesis Black Cat is back in town. She’s both up to no good and potentially in trouble, since her arrival coincides with the resurgence of a mafia crime family in the wake of Spidey’s removal of the Kingpin at the start of the main game.
Like the base game, what makes the story work is the personal connection of it all. Peter Parker and Black Cat have a deep and fraught history together, and it clouds his judgment from the jump.The relationship between Pete and MJ is already complicated–and that was before his ex showed up and started robbing museums. That Black Cat has seemingly thrown in with the mob, which makes her dangerous, might put her in danger, and messes with Peter’s head even more. Mission by mission, the best part of The Heist is watching Peter grapple with how he feels about Black Cat and what exactly her return means for his life going forward.
Apart from the story, it’s not all a rehash of the main game’s glories. The story missions offer some great, refreshing takes on elements that have shown up in Spider-Man before, like an opening museum heist in which Spidey has to save the art from grabby mafiosos, or a later tag-team scenario in which Spidey and Black Cat stealth-beat down a bunch of bad guys. Insomniac capitalizes on just how well-designed Spider-Man is, and these ideas are especially engaging when they’re added to the unfolding story.
The Heist won’t keep seasoned spider-folk busy for long–it’s easy to wrap up everything it has to offer in a handful of hours–but that’s also part of the appeal of the game itself. Spider-Man does a good job of avoiding the feeling of your time being wasted, and the story campaign clips along so that it feels substantial without being an investment in busywork.
Apart from the story, a new slate of challenges offer some tougher activities to master. This time, they’re geared around one of the main game’s better side activities, created by the online streaming psycho Screwball. Again, they’re not terribly different from Taskmaster’s challenges from the main game, but they carry some fun twists, like “photobomb areas” where Spidey can earn bonus points for performing cool moves, or requirements like only using a certain set of gadgets in a fight.
Insomniac’s strong character work and solid storytelling are combined with a few new fun activities in New York, making The Heist an engaging return and a meaningful addition to what is already an impressive open-world title. The biggest bummer of the whole thing is that it ends on a cliffhanger that leaves you wishing November, and the next chapter of The City That Never Sleeps, would hurry up and get here.
