"We are trying to make a world that's both expansive and deep at the same time," Garbut says. "We've always tried to create worlds that feel like places as much as games, and we've been able to use the latest technology to push that idea forward in ways we never have before."
That includes not just the physical surroundings, but also the people that inhabit it. "The contrast between rich and poor, between weak and strong and between civilization and the wilderness really spoke to us," says Garbut.
"We're trying to create a world where everything is more cohesive, so that both the player's actions and the way the world reacts to your actions feel consistent no matter what you do or where you do it," he continues. "It's persistent and alive, but also more deliberate and intimate in ways which makes sense for a world where you were still mostly getting around by horse or on foot. You can exchange stories with a barman in a saloon, talk yourself out of trouble with a local lawman, hijack a train or simply rummage through the drawers of an old homestead hoping to find cash or just some food to help the gang survive — and seamlessly transition between these things in ways that are both fun and in keeping with Arthur as a character."
