It's the dead of night. We're crouched in an oil field covered in blood with a bandana covering our face, a giant knife in hand and a corpse of the poor bloke we just punctured in the chest laying at our feet. We'll admit it, we're up to no good.

Seconds later Arthur Morgan's crime is spotted and Red Dead Redemption 2's new Wanted system snaps into action, there's a witness to our malevolence, aside from the two wincing reps from Rockstar in the room, and despite our face being covered, we're being hunted.

Rockstar Games

We could try to kill the witnesses in a bid to hide our crime, but there's too many, so we bolt for our nearby horse, which is already weighed down with a dead pheasant and a giant buck we offed earlier in the day, and charge for the horizon. Similarly to Grand Theft Auto 5, the mini-map flashes a giant red area for us to escape from, in order to lose our gun-toting pursuers.

Galloping at full-pelt towards a steam train heading for a tunnel, we pull alongside, balance a top the speeding horse and leap just in time to grab the carriage, narrowly missing the tunnel entrance. Sadly our horse isn't so lucky and smashes full tilt into the wall. It's brutal.

Rockstar Games

It's not an easy loss. Your horse is really important in Red Dead Redemption 2 - they'll carry your weapons and hunting spoils, and critically help you navigate through and away from trouble.

But you'll have to spend significant time brushing it, patting it and generally being a decent human to your nag to upgrade them through their very own progression system, which gradually increases their speed, stamina and unlocks unique abilities, such as rearing up or being able to whistle for them from further away.

Arthur's O.G. horse was given to us at level four and following the tunnel incident, all he was good for was making glue. So we were forced to pinch another, who was back at level one, and he was a nightmare; he was small, slow and crashed into fences. But this is just one of the ways Rockstar's return to the wild west is all about the consequences of your actions.

Rockstar Games

After our daring leap onto the moving train, we drop into a carriage and are met with an angry armed man. We fruitlessly employ the new conversation system, which allows you to escalate, or calm confrontations, just by talking. Rockstar tell us there's 1,000 pedestrians, with their own voice actors, who you can chat with.

This time our smooth talk doesn't work, so we knife the man instead and try to maintain some semblance of stealth by dropping the corpse unceremoniously off the moving train, but it's no use, - soon everyone on board is alerted.

Rockstar Games

While dual-wielding two revolvers - of different types - we launch into a heated gunfight on the cramped train, which soon grinds to a halt. We take down a dozen lawmen and Arthur racks up a hefty bounty of $250 dollars, before we're finally taken down.

We'll admit that we were very much looking for trouble when we stepped into Arthur Morgan's shoes, and while it didn't take us long to find it, Red Dead Redemption 2 punishes you hard with realistic consequences for being so brazen.

Whether that's witnesses noticing your crimes and running to tell the law, guns jamming after getting dirty or having pedestrians shun you for your previous actions - it seems that almost everything Arthur does has an impact.

We had just enough money to clear our hefty bounty, but in-game missions might only payout in cents, which means aside from the heist missions, hunting will become even more essential to Arthur's survival.

Rockstar Games

Shooting animals with guns will spoil the meat, meaning your bow is best for clean kills. You can either skin them, then collect the carcass, or leave them whole. Skinning them allows you to sell the pelts, but their exposed guts will attract predators and meat can even rot if left on your horse too long.

Meanwhile your prey is rated between 1-3 stars when you examine it, to inform you of the quality - and value - of the meat. You can also hunt legendary animals, there'll be one of each species and if you take them to trappers you can craft rare clothing.

Rockstar Games

Another repercussion of killing - or getting muddy - in Red Dead 2 is that people will notice. You can call to passers by to bring them over, but if you're covered in animal blood, they'll be wary. How are they to know it's not human blood?

If you need transportation, you don't have to grand theft horse your way back into town either, we're told that a passerby can offer you lifts on their horse or wagon, meaning you don't always have to resort to violence.

Rockstar Games

Hunting helps you contribute money and food to the gang's camp, but doing side-missions or having conversations with the 23 members will boost camp morale and the items available to the player.

We stocked up on a hot meal and ammunition, which were displayed on-screen with icons going from red, yellow to white, depending on how sparse supplies were. Chatting with gang members at the campfire will reveal hints to items hidden in the world and if you neglect to visit, they'll criticise you for it.

The repercussions for your actions extend to the returning honour system, a visual slider which moves from good to bad depending on how you play. Being dishonourable means more money from robberies, but playing honourably will make bounty payouts higher and your killshots will be framed heroically.

Aside from managing Arthur's relationship with the wider world, you'll also need to handle his core stats - strength, grit, dexterity and instinct, which affect things like health, stamina and his Dead Eye meter.

There's two meters for each of these stats, an outer circle that replenishes over time and an inner icon that needs items or serious rest to recover. We neglected Arthur's well-being while on our rampage and he looked exhausted. He dragged his feet, swayed from side to side and quite simply, looked like shit.

Necking three tins of peaches gave our cowboy enough energy for a fist fight in the town of Valentine. After our some snarky remark using the conversation system, a man punched us - and even knocked off our hat.

Unarmed combat allows Arthur to lock on to his foe, hold up his arms to block and even dodge their attacks, before landing punches, headbutts and grapples - although bigger enemies will need wearing down before you can do that.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is full of visual cues, which subtly relay information without screaming it with an on-screen prompt. Whether that's Arthur looking visually fatigued, his hair and beard growing longer or gaining weight, which can affect his movement.

Rockstar Games

The impressive visual notes even extended to the weather. It didn't just 'switch on', as it does it does in so many other games. The whole skyline gradually changed, stormed and cleared into a bright day and it all seemed so natural.

The weather even affects Arthur, as he'll need to wear less in the desert, as being too hot will drain his stamina faster. Meanwhile in snowy areas, he'll need more layers to preserve health.

These consequences encapsulate what Rockstar is trying to nail with its follow-up to their 2010 hit - which they're dubbing a "companion" to the previous game, rather than a prequel, despite it being set ten years prior to the first game.

Rockstar Games

Rockstar told Digital Spy the game takes place over weeks, as we see Arthur Morgan's ragtag gang - including Red Dead Redemption anti-hero John Marston and the last game's antagonist, Dutch Van der Linde - fall apart as the wild west gets tamed.

Our biggest takeaway from Red Dead Redemption 2 is the repercussions for your actions, right down to your horse's balls shrinking in the changing weather. Almost every action comes with a realistic consequence, which will surely make you think twice about drastic decisions - and $250 bounty rampages - that we're all so used to taking in many other games.

You can preorder Red Dead Redemption 2 here right now.

Red Dead Redemption 2 release date: October 26, 2018

Available on: PS4 and Xbox One.

Developer: Rockstar Games

Publisher: Rockstar Games

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