IGN and the Torygraph got some kind of exclusive coverage of the game to go along with the release of the latest trailer but let’s be honest with ourselves, who really wants to click through eight articles?
Thankfully, someone else already did and summarized the new information.
I’ve compiled the details mentioned in this first look video from IGN, as well as some other sources.
the leaked map was indeed real, but keep in mind it was unfinished.
poker is back (https://i.imgur.com/FFCqyWi.jpg), nothing concrete about liar’s dice and blackjack yet but I’d say they’re likely coming back as well.
Blackwater and the surrounding area are confirmed to be back (Tall Trees, Manzanita Post, Beecher’s Hope, the mountains)
walking to NPCs and some enemies with your gun unholstered will unsettle them whereas being holstered will yield a more friendly or passive response
the way you use the firing trigger determines what you do with your gun. for example, holding the trigger on a revolver and not letting go will just raise the hammer. mashing it will do the famous rapidfire you see in so many westerns.
that is indeed Uncle in the trailer.
you can even rob people by just intimidating them with an unholstered weapon
many more details at play to make the world more lively such as more NPC-to-NPC interaction, stocking your gang’s camp with food affects their mood in-game, etc
the gang’s camp, a hub of sorts, is full of characters, and everyone has a role. some will be sleeping depending on the time of day. you can keep it stocked with food, talk to people in camp, tell stories around the campfire, etc.
more than just food needs to be stocked. there’s a bit of a camp upkeep mechanic, in that you can get wood, water, supplies and horses. the more you have, the more lively, bonded and successful you and your camp are.
judging by the way they describe the demo, there’s no indication that anyone but Arthur Morgan is playable
horses have far more importance and emphasis. you can build a ‘bond’ of sorts with them over time, which will allow them to carry more for you (such as killed animals, or ammo), or be less scared of things like hostile animals and explosions. they can even get injured and you get a chance to save them with medicine. if you lose one it’s gone forever and there is a permanence to the consequences of losing one. every time you get a new horse the whole bonding thing starts over. horse breaking looks to be back as well.
it also appears that your horse can carry your weapons for you, in addition to ammo. this could mean you can only carry 2-3 weapons at once while your horse carries the rest. this also means that weapon wheel is likely gone.
various different types of areas like the last game from swamps, snowy areas and deserts to the more bustling towns and campsites.
hunting and skinning are also obviously back. you can skin animals after killing them or haul them on your horse and take them back to towns to sell.
you can lose your hat in shootouts and, what I assume at least, you’ll be without one until you get another. it’s kinda implied that clothing is back as something you can do, ala GTA V rather than outfits in RDRedemption.
animal AI seems to be more advanced. for example, if you happen to shoot a deer in the shoulder with an arrow they’ll struggle and limp, and you can finish them off.
depending on the weapon you use, the value of the corpse/skins will change. arrows will deal cleaner kills and get you good money, while a shotgun will leave things messier and net you less money.
skins and corpses do indeed rot and decompose if you don’t get them sold in time.
the honor system is back and more advanced.
it seems like smalltime robbery missions are in this game, similar to gas station robberies in GTA V. you can either do it solo or bring on your gang members to help, some of which seem to have their own perks or abilities kind of like the recruitment in GTA V heists. for example, the woman of the gang can either play the role of a scared lost woman or a sleazy harlot as distractions. it’s implied there’s quite a lot of different choices to make in these robberies.
depending on the severity of the robbery, or how well you’ve done in keeping things quiet, you could attract a lot of law and end up in a shootout.
seems to be a killcam of some kind? the guys said that every now and then a kill would show a different angle with some dramatic flair.
more focus on interiors compared to previous Rockstar games. examples include taking things from drawers in homes, thieving from shelves in general stores, stealthily taking bags from train cars, etc.
