Red Dead Redemption 2’s World Will Feel Both Expansive and Deep at the Same Time

When Rockstar dropped Red Dead Redemption 2’s debut gameplay trailer last month, one of the things they leaned on most heavily was a living, breathing world, one that would be completely interactive and thoroughly detailed. That definitely seems to be a theme with every piece of pre-release information being released for the game.

In an interview with Hollywood Reporter, Aaron Garbut, director of art at Rockstar North recently spoke about the world Rockstar presents in Red Dead Redemption 2, and how it’s not just going to be an expansive and deep one, but also one that’s cohesive and feels like it is consistent with the story, as well as with the character of Arthur Morgan, the game’s protagonist.

“We are trying to make a world that’s both expansive and deep at the same time,” Garbut said. “We’ve always tried to create worlds that feel like places as much as games, and we’ve been able to use the latest technology to push that idea forward in ways we never have before.”

“We’re trying to create a world where everything is more cohesive, so that both the player’s actions and the way the world reacts to your actions feel consistent no matter what you do or where you do it,” he continued. “It’s persistent and alive, but also more deliberate and intimate in ways which makes sense for a world where you were still mostly getting around by horse or on foot. You can exchange stories with a barman in a saloon, talk yourself out of trouble with a local lawman, hijack a train or simply rummage through the drawers of an old homestead hoping to find cash or just some food to help the gang survive — and seamlessly transition between these things in ways that are both fun and in keeping with Arthur as a character.”

Rockstar, more than most developers out there, are masters of building open worlds, but they seem to be taking it a step further with Red Dead Redemption 2. Mechanics such as its dynamic NPCs and its system of wildlife, for instance, are just two of the many systems that seem to be working together to create this world, and it has to be one of the biggest draws for this game.

We’ll be finding out for ourselves soon enough. Red Dead Redemption 2 launches for the PS4 and Xbox One on October 26. Recently, Rockstar dropped a massive info dump on the game’s cast of characters, which features both new faces, as well as familiar ones, including the likes of Dutch van der Linde and John Marston. Read more on that through here.