Red Dead Redemption 2’s special editions revealed

Red Dead Redemption 2 will be available in two different versions offering troves of extra in-game content — and there’s also a third package that consists solely of physical items themed to the game, publisher Rockstar Games announced today.

Pre-orders are now available for Red Dead Redemption 2 itself, and for its Special Edition and Ultimate Edition. All pre-order customers will receive two free pieces of bonus content for the story mode. One is the War Horse, which bears “greater courage and stamina than the average steed,” according to Rockstar. (The name is identical to that of perhaps the best horse in the original Red Dead Redemption, which offered high speed, stamina and health.) The other is the Outlaw Survival Kit, which comes with items that refill various stat meters.

Red Dead Redemption 2 costs $59.99 by itself. The Special Edition goes for an extra $20 at $79.99, while the Ultimate Edition will set you back an extra $40 at $99.99. They’re available digitally, but note that physical versions of both editions come with a printed map of the game world. In addition, the Ultimate Edition is packed in a Steelbook case.

Rockstar Games

However, digital copies do offer their own bonuses on top of the War Horse and Outlaw Survival Kit. All digital pre-orders will come with a pile of in-game cash that provides Morgan with “enough to buy a weapon, some food, a handful of useful items and ammunition,” according to Rockstar. And if you pre-order a digital copy by July 31, you’ll get a second in-game bonus: a treasure map that will help Morgan find the loot that’s hidden all over the game world. Rockstar says this item is “exclusive” to digital pre-orders.

All digital pre-orders of Red Dead Redemption 2 from the PlayStation Store or Xbox Store will also provide a bonus in a different Rockstar game: a batch of GTA$ for Grand Theft Auto Online in Grand Theft Auto 5. Pre-ordering will get you half a million GTA$ (Red Dead Redemption 2 itself), 1 million GTA$ (the Special Edition) or 2 million GTA$ (the Ultimate Edition).

The Special Edition of Red Dead Redemption 2 features a long list of “exclusive” content for the story mode, such as a mission, horse, outfit, weapons and gameplay bonuses. Paying an extra $20 for the Ultimate Edition will get you a bunch of content for the game’s online component — including costumes, weapons and a progression bonus — in addition to everything in the Special Edition. (Head to the Rockstar Newswire for a complete accounting of the contents of each package.)

Rockstar Games

Rockstar is also offering another bundle of Red Dead Redemption 2-related content, although it’s a different kind of package. The Red Dead Redemption 2 Collector’s Box, which is up for pre-order for $99.99 at the Rockstar Warehouse and various retailers, does not include a copy of the game. Instead, it contains what Rockstar calls “outlaw essentials” — an assortment of physical goods inspired by the world of Red Dead Redemption 2.

One of the items is a physical version — printed on “durable, unrippable paper,” according to Rockstar — of the in-game treasure map that’s a digital pre-order bonus. Another is a 100-piece wooden jigsaw puzzle of an illustration of the city of Saint Denis. There’s also the Rawson, Wheeler and Co. Catalogue, a 150-page book that’s a replica of the one seen in the game. (The name is a reference to Sears, Roebuck & Co., which began as a mail-order catalog at the turn of the 20th century.) All of the items are packed into a metal “tithing box” with a lock and key; the set brings to mind the Special Edition of Grand Theft Auto 4, which came with a metal lock box.

Rockstar Games

Note that Rockstar is still promising something exclusive for Red Dead Redemption 2 players on PlayStation 4 — PlayStation Store listings for the game mention that players will be able to “play select content first on PlayStation 4.” That sounds less specific than what Sony originally said: When the company announced the deal in October 2016, it said PS4 players would get “first access to earn select online content.” We’ve asked Rockstar for clarification, and will update this article with any information we receive.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is scheduled to launch Oct. 26. For more details, check out our compilation of everything we know about the game, and our breakdown of its third trailer.

Source: Polygon – Full