Red Dead Redemption 2 - Live play: Tips, tricks and reviews for the Xbox One and PS4 sequel

We're live, roaming the game fans have been waiting years for

Red Dead Redemption 2 Trailer

Red Dead Redemption II finally hits doormats and inboxes this morning, the latest title from Grand Theft Auto developers Rockstar Games and a prequel to 2010’s Red Dead Redemption.

The Western game has stunned critics, achieving almost unwavering five-star reviews across the board (including The Independent‘s verdict), and will be feverishly installed by millions this morning – some hardened gamers even taking time off work to play it.

We’ve had RDR2 for 10 days now, and will be roaming the plains this morning, offering up any tips, tricks and things we wished we’d known when we started, along with updates on the release, the reviews and the reaction.

The game centres on Arthur Morgan, an outlaw at the end of the age of outlaws, trying to scrape out a living in the country at a time when America is becoming increasingly urbanised.

Please allow a moment for the live blog to load:

The Red Dead series isn’t a household name in the way Grand Theft Auto is, but a new instalment is a huge event in gaming nonetheless, and the Wild West offshoot goes for a more sedated, atmospheric effect than its largely city-based cousin.

RDR2 is available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and you can read more about installing and pre-loading the game, and how much space it will take up on your console, here.

Key Points

• Download codes and physical copies are released today
• The game is achieving universal acclaim from critics 

[26 October 2018 08:40 · Christopher Hooton]

The weapon customisation in the game is incredibly detailed, but you might want to hold off for a bit.

As with a lot of games, it's easy to go rushing to buy a more powerful gun, only to find you could have recovered it from a dead guy or been gifted it through a mission.

The customising is very cool – taking in engravings, leather grips and more – but the cost can soon rack up. I'd advise keeping your starting weapons pretty basic, and only going fancy once you've brought, borrowed or stolen a weapon you know you're going to be using for some time.

[26 October 2018 08:43 · Christopher Hooton]

When it comes to the cutscenes, I implore you to stick with them. There is the option to skip, but this is the sort of game that you experience much more richly if you roll with it. Plus, there are some long conversations on horseback or on top of wagons that you won't be able to skip, so it makes sense for you to keep track of the story and the characters.

[26 October 2018 08:45 · Christopher Hooton]

[26 October 2018 08:58 · Christopher Hooton]

Oh, a simple but pretty severe mistake to make: make sure your weapon is holstered when you go to talk to someone.

LT with weapon holstered targets a character so you can interact with them, LT with a weapon in your hand will auto-aim.

I can't tell you the number of times early on that I tried to help poor old men with their broken down wagons, only to accidentally point a shotgun at their heads and send them running for the horizon. 

[26 October 2018 09:10 · Christopher Hooton]

Movie inspirations I have felt so far in RDR2: The Hateful Eight and a little bit of The Assassination of Jesse James.

[26 October 2018 09:18 · Christopher Hooton]

Quite happy with my guy's look right now. You don't want to get too fancypants town gentleman, you know? I've gone more for 'desert rat'.

[26 October 2018 09:28 · Christopher Hooton]

A lot of people ask me is it possible to be a vegan on Red Dead? The answer is yes, but boy are you going to be eating a lot of yarrow.

[26 October 2018 09:31 · Christopher Hooton]

As the game progresses, you'll see more from the female characters.

[26 October 2018 09:47 · Christopher Hooton]

It's an easy thing to forget to do, but guns must be maintained in the game or their effectiveness will rapidly diminish.

Periodically, take a look at your guns' condition in the weapon wheel and press the R stick to maintain them. Cleaning them is a quick and simple job, involving gun oil that is pretty easy to loot, and will significantly increase the damage your gun can do and its accuracy.

[26 October 2018 10:00 · Christopher Hooton]

Nothing like a cup of joe first thing in the morning. Talk to the others at your camp – sometimes there won't be an icon on the map signalling that they have something to say, but they may have surprises or items or requests nonetheless.