A prequel to the 2010 game Red Dead Redemption, the game is set in 1899 in a fictionalized representation of the Western, Midwestern and Southern United States and follows outlaw Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang.

Arthur must deal with the decline of the Wild West whilst attempting to survive against government forces, rival gangs, and other enemies.

Red Dead Redemption 2 received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic;[5] it is one of the highest-rated games on Metacritic,[6] and the highest-rated PlayStation 4 and Xbox One game alongside Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V.[7][8] The game had the largest opening weekend in the history of entertainment,[9] making over US$725 million in three days,[10] and had the second highest-grossing entertainment launch (behind Grand Theft Auto V).

[47] The game garnered awards and nominations in a variety of categories with particular praise for its story, performances, music, and graphical design.

[48] At IGN's Best of 2018, the game garnered seven nominations;[49] it won two awards[50][51] and was named runner-up in four (behind God of War).