Pretty much any and everyone eagerly awaiting the release of Rockstar’s sequel/prequel to Red Dead Redemption has gone crazy over the leaked image that has been doing the rounds recently.
Its Not What You Think
I’ve read articles that have analysed the image over and over. “That’s definitely a young John Marston.”, “That’s Armadillo. It just looks different because its a prequel.” and so on. Some sites have compared the image to the official trailer released last year and made direct connections as proof that the said image is definitely from Red Dead Redemption 2.
There is a slight problem with all of these articles that are making these comparisons. That ‘leaked’ Red Dead Redemption 2 image is not from Red Dead Redemption 2 at all. In fact – the image comes from an all new game called Wild West Online being developed for the PC and there are other images too.
The Wild West Gets Social
Wild West Online will be an open world PvP MMO game. A countdown on the official site is promising more info in a few days but some features of the game are already known. Being inspired by Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption – Wild West Online will give players the chance to explore an open world map all while forming a posse of other real players. You can also decide to either defend or break the law as you try to make a name for yourself and your fellow cowboys or you could just sit around in a saloon and play some cards.
612 Games, the developers of Wild West Online are made up of some of the talent behind games like Crysis and League of Legends are set to launch a Kickstarter at the end of this month to help fund the project and include stretch goals for an added bonus. Yet even without the Kickstarter campaign, the team say that they are already so far along in development that the game will see a release later this year regardless of the Kickstarter.
While the game takes in main inspiration form Red Dead Redemption – particularly the multiplayer/online element. The development team want to bring a very different game with this MMO and that it won’t be a typical grind-fest and repetitive quests and promise a very different MMO with more variety and depth. It seems there will be more to the game than just being a cowboy as you can forge an alternate career and specialise in various vocations such as a gatherer, prospector or even a farmer. Then use your wares to inject fuel into a player-driven in-game economy.
Gathering resources and even building camps will be a big social aspect of the game that will be coupled with a crafting system which will rely on discovering new creations, recipes and weapons. All will help build and grow your posse as you add more and more real life players. The team also say the game will be more story, character, and gameplay-driven than other MMOs and they are working on a unique progression system that will add depth and keep players coming back for more.
The Good, The Bad And The Lawless
If you do chose the wrong side of the law path for your posse, then you will soon find yourself becoming a wanted gang. As you earn wanted starts and the infamy of your gang grows, you’ll find yourself being sought out by bounty hunters, sheriffs and deputies all played by real people. Rivalries will be formed between the right and wrong side of the law as the intricate gang system in the game starts to grow with each new player.
The developers are promising many, various way to break the law and become a known outlaw if you wish. From simple robberies and bigger bank heists to outright murder. As you and you gang raise their lawless profile, you’ll find that you will become exiled from towns – and this is where you can set up your very own bandit hideouts and where the previously mentioned resource system will play a big part. As you’ll be able to build and upgrade your hideout trough the course of the game.
Its looking and sounding great. Seeing as Rockstar seem to have no intention of bringing either the original Red Dead Redemption or its sequel/prequel to the PC – then this game seems the be the closest PC gamers are going to get to a multiplayer wild west game.
More details of the game will be released soon, stay tuned to the official Wild West Online site.
Sources: playwwo.com, pcgamer.com.
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