RockstarGames' newly-released second trailer for Red Dead Redemption II highlights the game's story and gameplay. The long-awaited sequel to RockstarGames' rugged sandbox RPG has gone through several development hurdles and delays, but is on its way at long last. This open-world Western game will allow players to experience the Old West as no-holds barred outlaws in an unforgiving landscape.

As the gritty outlaw Arthur Morgan, players will hunt, kill, and steal their way towards survival, pushing aside heroics in favor of cruel lawlessness. Morgan is a member of the Van der Linde gang (as in Dutch Van der Linde, who plays a pivotal role in the series' previous release). Dutch shows up at the end of the new Red Dead Redemption II trailer to share some words with Morgan, proving that yes, this game is a prequel.

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Before delving into a more gritty side of gameplay, the trailer highlights some spectacular next-gen-friendly visuals, showing off a plethora of meticulously detailed midwest landscapes. However, the landscape eventually takes a backseat to Morgan's desperate attempts to outrun the law. The trailer features train and bank robberies, main street brawls, and a breed of wildlife that is considerably more "hands-on" in this entry than they were in the last. Alligators wait for prey on swamp shores and grizzly bears patrol the rivers - but seeing as Morgan can hunt this time around, the odds aren't completely against him.

Rockstar describes the game as "the story of outlaw Arthur Morgan and the Van Der Linde gang as they rob, fight and steal their way across the vast and rugged heart of America in order to survive." From the looks of it, Morgan doesn't appear to fall in line with the same sort of moral code that John Marston (Red Dead Redemption's protagonist) lived by. He's cold, unforgiving, and happy to lend out death sentences, and there's no telling whether this game will even bother backpedaling on his cruelty in favor of a more sympathetic character arc. However, given that Rockstar is no stranger to putting players into the shoes of anti-heroes, maybe this shouldn't come as much of a surprise after all.

Red Dead Redemption 2 was slated to release this fall, but some technical bumps forced Rockstar to delay the game until 2018. However, given the anticipation surrounding this game (even after eight years of waiting) a few delays are better than no release at all.

NEXT: How Red Dead Redemption II May Connect to Revolver

Red Dead Redemption 2 is available for pre-order now. It arrives in Spring 2018.

Source: RockstarGames