While more money and better drop rates may sound tempting, players should keep in mind that every action in the world of _ Red Dead Redemption 2 _ comes with a price. Often, quite literally. In the same way that the _ Grand Theft Auto _ series has treated crimes within its cities, _ Red Dead Redemption 2 _ makes sure to punish offending players by sending lawmen and designating players with the "Wanted" label, which can be paid off via bribes. These are likely to occur more so in populated towns, but even along the lonely trail, NPCs might witness a player’s deed and speed off to report the crime. Players can choose to try and stop the witness by either threatening them or by taking them out through more violent means. This brief encounter is a simple, yet effective detail that provides a genuinely fun feeling of panic. And ultimately, that is what _ Red Dead Redemption 2 _ does b

Likewise, some interactions with characters may have effects (or repercussions) that may not immediately take effect, but pay off later on in the game. In one instance, I encountered a pair of men out on the road that had escaped from prison and let them go on their way; I wound up encountering them again many hours later in my travels, and when sparking a conversation with them, I ended up hearing about the hardships that they endured on their own since I first saw them escape.

One of the spookier finds thus far has been the discovery of a woman chained inside of an outhouse. She's been disfigured and continues, with apparent difficulty, chanting off numbers in a specific order. If you'd like to see or hear her for yourself, you can head to the Braithwaite Estate. On the outer edge is the outhouse with the inmate in question. What's her story? What do the numbers lead to? Is she locked in there for good reason? Or is it simply because she's differ

If you're like me and usually seem to have a rather large bounty on your head, then you might need to make (or loot) a quick buck. If you're in the vicinity of Fort Wallace, then head West, cross the river, and go up the mountain pass at Window Rock. You'll find some cave paintings. Arthur will make a note of them in his journal, Elemental Damage Boost and from there, cross the river and head just Southeast of the "I" in Ambarino on the

Customization is also greatly expanded upon in Red Dead Redemption 2 with just as much (if not more) detail as in the rest of the world, in everything from altering Arthur's hair style and facial hair length, to the features and styling of his weapons, and even down to his clothing and whether his shirt sleeves are rolled up or down, or if his pants are tucked in or out of his boots. The weapon customization in particular is incredibly extensive; while each weapon can be upgraded with better rifling, sights, and more, the layers of customization that players can put into how the weapons look -- from the colors of their steel to the engravings and decoration on each part of the weapon -- add that much more to the experience of letting the player fill Arthur's shoes in the way that they see fit. You can see for yourself with a few of the weapons and gear that I've customized along the way:

Another spooky location can be found North of the Grizzlies, just above the "N" in Ambarino. Searching the woods around there reveals an apparently abandoned shelter that appears to have previously housed a witch. One that has not been abandoned for too long, either, because inside is a seemingly fresh cauldron full of some sort of bubbling liquid. If you're capable of mustering the courage required to take a swig, you'll black out and reawaken a distance away from the cauld

Red Dead Redemption 2 brings with it new realistic gameplay mechanics for maintaining Arthur’s well-being. Failing to eat for a few hours results in Arthur becoming hungry and sluggish. Horses must be groomed and cared for in order to be most effective for speed and travel. While this sim-style element might seem like a chore, it ultimately aids in pulling players into the world and grounding their experience with a sense of real

This may seem a little selfish, but I really want support for PS3 and Xbox 360 to end. It’s not that I don’t like the systems. I love them both and have cherished my time with both, but it is time for the industry to move. Continuing development on these old systems continues to hold back games like Call of Duty, Destiny, Battlefield, and Far Cry. Developers can’t properly take advantage of the extra power in these new consoles if they’re being tied down by PS3 and Xbox 360. Now, developers can make last-gen exclusive games like Assassin’s Creed: Rogue, but cross-gen development needs to stop in 2015.

_ Red Dead Redemption 2’s _ visuals are astounding. Considering the size of the map – which takes 16 minutes to cross on horseback from one end to the other – and keeping in mind that the game features a vastly underdeveloped western world, it should come as no surprise that traveling from one point to another comes with a lot of wide, open terrain. While this may make travel seem boring and tedious (admittedly, one of my own personal gripes from the original game ), _ Red Dead Redemption 2 _ does a stellar job of keeping players engaged with ever-changing weather, authentic architecture, and gorgeous, sprawling landscapes and scenery. While it may seem like there is not much to do in such a vast open-world, the game does a superb job in balancing random interactions and mini-games along the tra