Red Dead Redemption 2

The playable protagonist, Arthur, is a White male anti-hero. In supporting roles, his gang mates include strong female, Black, Latino, and Native American characters. Some stereotypes do exist -- e.g., Charles has a Black father who abused alcohol and a Native mother who was taken by soldiers. Several women are depicted stereotypically as one-dimensional sex workers who cater to men. In Red Dead Online mode, you can build a custom avatar with binary gender options (male or female) and a variety of appearances and skin tones.

Players engage in first- and third-person combat using Old West weapons (revolvers, rifles, shotguns, hunting knives, tomahawks). Slow-motion sequences show bullets penetrating enemies, blood gushing from wounds. A mission with a Gatling gun results in characters' limbs, faces exploding with gore. Scenes of torture, carnage, including people who've been hanged from trees, dry and rotting bodies long abandoned, a bleeding torso strung up under a bridge with viscera dripping into a red mess on the ground.

Characters discuss sex frankly. Several women are depicted as sex workers, and some appear to be in danger of suffering sexual assault. While taking baths, the player character's arms, legs, and back can be scrubbed and cleaned by clothed women.

Dialogue includes strong language reflecting the era and setting, including "f--k," "s--t," and the "N" word.

Many characters, including player's, are shown smoking cigars and cigarettes, drinking to excess. In one lengthy mission, player's character gets drunker and drunker in a saloon, vision becoming distorted, blacking out several times as behavior deteriorates. Consumable alcohol and tobacco items have both healing and damaging properties. Player's character can purchase, chew a candy called cocaine gum for stimulating effect.

Parents need to know that Red Dead Redemption 2 is an open-world Western adventure for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game has lots of bloody gunfights, some very strong language, and mature narrative themes. Missions typically end in shoot-outs involving revolvers, rifles, shotguns, and other period weaponry. Slow-motion effects highlight head shots and critical wounds, with sprays of blood hovering in the air. Scenes of carnage and torture, including hanged and eviscerated people, can be stumbled upon in your journeys. The player's character, Arthur, is an anti-hero. He does terrible things, including murder and theft, but he feels a powerful sense of guilt over them. These deeds are counterbalanced, to a degree, by his clear and innate understanding of right and wrong. This often leads him to help random strangers, including coming to the defense of victims of racism and sexual assault, which helps Arthur become more honorable in the eyes of those he meets. But he continues to choose to be an outlaw out of a sense of duty and obligation to his fellow gang members. The game strives to accurately depict its setting and era, which means plenty of drinking and drunken behavior, as well as characters who regularly use tobacco and chew cocaine gum. Strong language -- including "f--k," "s--t," and the "N" word -- frequently appears in dialogue. Characters discuss sex frankly, and prostitution can be found in towns. One mission involves Arthur attempting to extract a sex worker from her perilous profession. Red Dead Online mode allows players to create their own avatars, selecting from two genders and altering skin tone. Online play also allows players to purchase gold bars using real-world money. These gold bars function as in-game currency for the purchase of cosmetic upgrades to characters, weapons, and gear.