Rockstar Games debuted a new trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2 that gives insight into the upcoming title, such as its themes and story. Now the game's box art has begun to circulate, which can now be seen in about every major online store, along with the Rockstar Games website.
Anyone who has watched the trailer or seen various online promotional material will notice that the box art is just a rearrangement of those images. Like John Marston in the original, protagonist Arthur Morgan is front and center, pointing a revolver.
Beneath Morgan are the silhouettes of, presumably, the other members of the Van der Linde gang; and behind them is a setting sun, perhaps to symbolize the coming end of the era of cowboys and outlaws, a prominent theme in the game. Just below that is the Red Dead Redemption 2 logo on top of the stars of the American flag.
The sequel takes players back to 1899, 12 years before the events from the original game. The story of Red Dead Redemption 2 will begin with a robbery that doesn't go quite as planned, leaving Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang to go on the run, with a group of federal agents hot on their heels. While the full details of their adventure hasn't been fully disclosed yet, expect a lot of classic western antics, such as robberies and gunfights. Of course, it isn't all action, there will be a lot of focus on the members of the Van der Linde gang and their stories. If the narrative is anything like the original, it will have its share of tender and heart-wrenching moments.
While the bulk of the Van der Linde gang are made up of new characters, there is at least one familiar face among them. The original game's protagonist, John Marston, will be featured in Red Dead Redemption 2. He can be spotted at least three times in the trailer, with one moment showing a closeup of Marston in a headlock, where freshly stitched wounds on his cheek can be seen. These will eventually become his signature facial scars, and it appears the sequel will reveal how he received them.
Red Dead Redemption 2 releases October 26, 2018 for PS4 and Xbox One.