"Red Dead Redemption" was released in 2011 to critical acclaim and success. It has sold over 15 million units and is widely perceived as one of the best games ever made. Rockstar had yet again created the gold standard for gaming with its epic cowboy ‘em up. A report by Trusted Reviews provides most of the information for this article.

In 2016, Rockstar announced that "Red Dead Redemption 2" was in the works. Expectations rose at this news, with these expectations now bubbling due to Rockstar announcing a release date of October 2018.

Over the last few days, there have been leaks released detailing various aspects of "Red Dead Redemption 2," and it makes for some very interesting reading.

Let’s go over them one at a time.

Online multiplayer - Bad news for 'Player Unknown: Battleground' and 'Fortnite?'

The biggest news to be leaked is the Multiplayer mode called "Battle Royale." Whether this mode will operate the same as "Player Unknown: Battleground" or "Fortnite" remains to be seen. With the finance and expertise of Rockstar, not to mention the name recognition of "Red Dead Redemption," they could give the two games a run for their money.

There were also two more online modes revealed. "Revive and Survive" is a team based game where you kill the opposing team while reviving your fallen teammates. You only have so long to revive downed teammates before they are eliminated, which could be reminiscent of the way the Borderlands series handles team deaths.

The other online mode is "Money Grab." Another team based game, you must grab bags of money from a location on the map and return it to your home base. It sounds like a variation of the popular online mode "Capture the Flag" with a "Red Dead" twist.

A day and night cycle is said to be implemented into the online and offline world hub, with store owners packing away their wares from outside when it gets dark.

Whether the day/night cycle runs in real-time or in game-time is yet unknown.

The online world hub is going to be a vast open world experience, much like what "Grand Theft Auto 5" has to offer. Whereas "Grand Theft Auto 5" had apartments, "RDR2" will have tents that are fully customizable and upgradeable. This writer hopes to see veritable campgrounds littering the online world by the end of the year.

Story - New playable character, Dutch returns

Not much was released about the story, although we know that you play as a character called Arthur Morgan. We also know Dutch Van Der Linde is in the game, showing us that "Red Dead Redemption 2" is a prequel to the original "Red Dead Redemption." This could also lead to John Marston, the protagonist of the original "RDR," being in the game to some aspect. Perhaps we will see the rise and fall of Dutch’s gang?

New features - Fishing, morality, first-person

Unlike the original "Red Dead Redemption," you can choose to play "RDR2" entirely in first-person rather than third-person. Perhaps it would be like "Fallout 4," where you can switch between the views with a press of a button?

The first-person view could lead to a more intense focus on the gunslinging aspect of the game.

There are also new activities to be added alongside the plant gathering and horse taming from the first game. You can now go fishing, with each area of the map having different fish. You can also change the bait and tackle of your fishing rod, with different stores selling different items. You can also buy a can of worms, though my hope of having to pick the worms yourself out of the ground has not been confirmed just yet.

Horsemanship challenges are also available. They can increase your rider rank, which hints at the possibility of having different skills. Shooting skills and horse riding skills could be trained throughout the game, almost like "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." This could also apply to weapons, gaining more ability with a particular weapon as you level up its skill.

There will also be a morality aspect to the game. Your characters’ actions determine what kind of person they are. This can have an effect on dialogue, mission objectives, and even changing the missions themselves. This could expand the replayability of the game dramatically, with different playthroughs varying greatly according on your choices.

What else could be revealed before the game is released? Rockstar is just as likely to hold back surprises until the game is launched as they are to tell us. One thing is for sure: October can’t roll around fast enough.
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