*Cover Art Not Official

Rockstar is known as the king of open-world gameplay thanks to the Grand Theft Auto franchise. But when Red Dead Redemption appeared in 2010, it changed the game. A fully robust score was needed, and it couldn't hide behind the radio stations of licensed music that Grand Theft Auto had. Rockstar went out on a limb and hired Bill Elm and Woody Jackson from the band, Friends of Dean Martinez. And while Bill and Woody formed a great duo for Red Dead Redemption, it was Woody who carried the weight of that score, including the Undead Nightmare expansion.

Rockstar noticed it too, and Woody went on to become Rockstar's go-to composer. Woody scored all the in-game music in L.A. Noire and then co-scored Grand Theft Auto V with Tangerine Dream, The Alchemist and Oh No.

When Red Dead Redemption 2 was announced, Woody's involvement was anticipated but not official till the release. And with Red Dead Redemption 2, Woody Jackson has given us the best-scored open-world game of all-time. Red Dead 2 is also a quintessential entry in the western genre. The music in Red Dead 2 is so vital at every moment, and it brings the world to life like no other open-world game before it. From gentle strums on a guitar as you ride in the open country, to perfectly crafted set pieces on the more intense story missions. You have a bold new theme, but also references to that theme from Red Dead Redemption since the events in this game happen prior to Red Dead Redemption.

Red Dead Redemption 2 hits you hard. The music not only supports the richly animated and acted characters in the story, but the world around them. The score feels alive, and you barely recognize tracks repeating. Even in brilliant games like Fallout 4 or Breath of The Wild, you have certain tracks that are triggered and repeated on end throughout your 80+ hours in the game. Here, while there are certain cues that repeat, there's so much space between them. And Woody has crafted these cues knowing how long players will be with this game, he has truly perfected the open-world approach. Also, his voice as a composer shines through so much more here. Red Dead Redemption wasn't shy in its love for inspired sounds. Of course, Morricone is still one of Woody's big influences, but Red Dead Redemption 2 is truly its own unique voice in the genre. From all the unique side mission encounters to the focused main storyline, the music in Red Dead Redemption 2 is on a level that will be hard to top.

As of this writing, no official soundtrack has been released. We have been told it's in the works, and Woody Jackson did collaborate with a lot of other fantastic musicians here. But the core of the musical storytelling is Woody, and he is truly the voice of this franchise. Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the best open-worlds to get lost in, and much of that is owed to the music.