Rockstar has announced a delay to Red Dead Redemption 2, so here's the mandatory 'boo!'. Now we've got that out of the way, Rockstar has quelled our pouting somewhat by releasing a bunch of new Red Dead Redemption 2 screens to help placate sad fans. Screens that might have some information. Possibly. Regardless of whether they do or not, people have still been investigating every image for clues and it looks like a few things have popped out that have shed some light on what we can expect from the cowboy RPG sequel.
This might be Red Dead Redemption 2's main hero
This post makes a pretty strong argument that we might have a main character already. Mind you, he's possibly not the the only character as we did see a group of them riding around in the trailer, but he sure seems to be the most prominently-featured cowboy so far. There's a lot of talk about his build - he's a powerful-looking man, so there's some discussion that he could be Dutch van der Linde, the leader of Marston's gang in the last game. It's pretty thin, though. The only evidence seems to be that he's a bit stocky, and there's a ring in another image that has a vaguely 'D' shaped symbol.
It looks like you can dual wield different weapons
Whoever this guy is, a lot of people have noticed that he's holding two different guns. That suggests we might be able to dual-wield different weapons, like in Max Payne 3. It's hard to tell what the guns are but the suggestions are a Colt SAA and a Smith and Wesson Model 3. They both deal a hell of a lot of damage, and I bet this burly chap is just as likely to smack you over the head with them as he is to pull the trigger.
We're probably looking at a late 1800's setting
The Colt SAA and a Smith and Wesson Model 3 from above were mostly used between 1873 to 1892, and 1869 to 1915. The telegraph poles and the possibility that the lamps in the trailer are electric rather than gas would also point to a turn-of-the-century setting, maybe continuing on from (or around the same time as), the previous game's ending.
The trees might suggest at least one Red Dead Redemption 2 location
Lot's of people have noticed the size of the trees. I think the overall opinion is 'really f-ing big.' But what are they? Rockstar has previously mentioned the game would be "an epic tale of life in America's unforgiving heartland." That's relevant because if these are redwoods, as many people have suggested, that would be more towards a California/West Coast direction, which isn't really the 'heartlands'. Of course, give the scale of the game, this could only be one area you visit.
Could Red Dead Redemption 2 visit Blackwater again?
In the top left of this screen you can just make out the letters 'B... L... C...' which is obviously part of the way to spelling out Blackwater, a prominent location from the previous game. If that's the case it might well be an earlier period seeing as we previously saw Blackwater in a far more advanced and developed state.
What do the rings mean, though?
This is the screen I really want to see broken down. Those rings are very precise symbols - the top looks like a train or a gothic 'B'. If it's a 'B' and that's a woman, might it be Bonnie MacFarlane from RDR? Or if it's a man, Bill Williamson?
The second ring is some sort of face. Maybe a lion with rubies for eyes? Those glittering red gems surely mean that whoever's decked out in this much jewellery is affluent to say the least, so we could be looking at a businesswoman or a socialite. Whatever these rings mean, they're very prominent so must surely mean something.
Those hands and sleeve also look too feminine for the big guy in the shots. There was a lot of speculation that the cowboy on the far right below (first seen in the reveal trailer), was a woman. Might that be her? She could be living a double life - a person of considerable reputation during the day, and then masked cowboy when the fancy takes her. How intriguing.
While we wait to see what else anyone might discover, take a look at everything we definitely know about Red Dead Redemption 2.
