In an unexpected move from Rockstar, some book retailers and Amazon seem to be listing an art book called “The Art of Red Dead Redemption II”! As known to everyone, Rockstar does not like releasing pre-release art or assets from their games, they like being secretive and leaving all the intricacies of their games’ designs a secret.
Not this time it seems.
Starting today, several Amazon branches (US, UK, Germany) and even Barnes & Noble have started listing a book named “The Art of Red Dead Redemption II”, to be released four days after the game releases, on October 30 2018. According to the page, this is the description of the book: Quote
Makers of the groundbreaking Grand Theft Auto series, award-winning Bully, Max Payne, L.A. Noire, and many others, Rockstar Games crafted for Red Dead Redemption II 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 at the turn of the twentieth century in order to survive.
The Art of Red Dead Redemption II is the official visual companion to Rockstar Games’ highly anticipated game release, and is a peek behind the curtain of Rockstar Games and its intensely guarded approach to the creation of the lush, Old West open-world gameplay. A first for this secretive company, Rockstar Games has released storyboards and behind-the-scenes inner workings of the game’s creation, with a mix of detailed original art, concept, story, and character studies, sketches, and actual screengrabs of the end result that led to the creation of this spectacular game. The Art of Red Dead Redemption II is equal parts a collection of behind-the-scenes art of this epic adventure and a pictorial love letter to the western genre, and Red Dead Redemption II is sure to captivate both a new gaming audience and devoted fans of Rockstar.
Promising huh? The book will apparently contain storyboards (hand-drawn comic-book like strips to conceptualise scenes in the game), concept art (used to define a certain vision for an area, or a character, which the 3D artist will then use to transpose the art to the game), story and character studies, sketches and everything, which is an extremely welcome first from the oh so secretive Rockstar Games!
UPDATE: More websites are starting to list the book. It has also been listed in the Netherlands and in Belgium. Book Depository reports 150 illustrations for the book!