In 2018, Rockstar’s revolutionary westernRed Dead Redemption 2was met withuniversal acclaim from critics and fans alike. The game is still being praised for its gripping story and incredible visuals, but one thing that really keeps fans coming back is the amount of secrets and Easter eggs to be found within the game’s massive world.
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The game’s protagonist, Arthur Morgan finds himself constantly on the run from the law with his gang that he treats like family. Gunfights, bar brawls, and horse taming are daily occurrences for Arthur, however, lurking in the mysterious biomes are some surprising encounters most players may not have seen. From aliens and ghosts to serial killers and monsters,Red Dead Redemption 2is filled with events you might not expect in the wild west.
8The Donkey Woman: A Glitch Made Real
The firstRed Dead Redemptionrevolutionized the western genre in video games.John Marston made his debutin 2010 as the loving but ruthless family man we’ve now spent so much time with between the two games. Like Arthur Morgan, John came in contact with lots of strange characters and adventures. One part of the game that quickly became viral in the early days of Youtube was something that Rockstar never actually intended to be in the game.
Youtuber WhereDaBootz posted a video of their game glitching and the 3D model of a woman was given the abilities of a donkey. Almost 10 years later, Rockstar decided to feature a little nod to this moment in the second game. Located near Cholla Springs in New Austin, players can find a skeletal woman with the head of a donkey working on a nearby well. It’s nice to see that Rockstar has a sense of humor about mistakes in their previous games.
7House In The Hill: Arthur Visits The Shire?
Rockstar games are known for putting in lots of pop culture references in their work. One neat example fromRed Dead Redemption 2comes from a little house in the Grizzlies near Ambarino. With the house seemingly constructed inside a hill, it’s hard not to see it as one of the hobbit homes found inThe Lord of the Ringsfranchise. Frodo and all his hobbit friends live in these tiny homes built into the hills of their village known as The Shire. Unfortunately in Red Dead you may’t go into the house to explore what’s inside.
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However, there’s actually some other evidence that solidifies this as a reference to the series. Nearby you’ll find the body of a woman who seems to have attempted to go down a waterfall in a barrel. This is a nod to a scene in one of the Hobbit films where the heroes escape orcs by dropping a waterfall in barrels.
6The Giant Skeleton: Sasquatch Or Man?
In the Big Valley region of West Elizabeth, players can find something quite unsettling if they look carefully while traversing the mountains. Inside a small cave on the side of a cliff, Arthur comes across the remains of what appears to be a massive humanoid creature. After examining it closely Arthur will write in his journal that he found a large skeleton of a man and wonders if it is human at all.
This event could possiblya reference to theUndead Nightmareexpansion from the firstRed Dead Redemption. In this expansion is a side quest that requires John to hunt down a number of sasquatch roaming the forests. The sasquatch are around 10 feet tall, and it’s not a stretch to assume this skeleton could’ve once belonged to one of them.
5The Ghost Train: Can’t Rob This One
One of the spookiesteaster eggs players can findis located in the northern part of Lemoyne. If Arthur heads near the train tracks at around 3:00am, his horse might start to get a little frightened and noticeably worried. Just after, the apparition of a speeding train will appear on the tracks.
This could be just one of the many ways the game tries to include some scary secrets, but it also could be a reference to another classic video game.Final Fantasy 6for the SNES famously featured a phantom train as one of its boss battles. The train in Red Dead 2 is eerily similar to this one, so perhaps it is an homage to video games of the past.
4The Tree Hermit: Man or Cat?
During the game’s epilogue, players take on the role as John and are able to roam the area of New Austin. New Austin was featured heavily in the first game but Rockstar managed to add lots of new encounters to be found this time. In the southwest of Hennigan’s Stead, John can find a strange man living in a house built high up on a tree. If John comes too close, the man simply shouts at him to leave.
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A closer inspection will reveal that the man’s face is slightly disfigured. His upper lip seems to curl up towards his nose like a cat. Players were able to find out that the man is listed in the game files as COUGAR_MAN. This could mean he is areference to a glitchin the first game that was very similar to the donkey woman. The glitch featured a human model using the attributes of a cougar. No one is sure if this man in the tree is indeed part cougar, if only he let John learn more about his condition.
3The Tiny Church: Small Church For A Small Congregation
The swamp like Bayou NWA features loads of enemies and wild animals trying to kill Arthur. But beyond all the death and darkness lies a little church just sitting lonesome in the swamp. The church is more than just small, it is significantly tiny. Arthur can just barely fit inside, and the benches there are clearly designed for someone much smaller. Not much else is known about this church.
Perhaps it is simply an art project made by a local or was built for small children to attend? A more interesting conclusion could be that it was made for someone or some being that we haven’t met. Withall the strange encountersArthur comes across, it wouldn’t be a surprise if there’s a group of tiny people roaming around somewhere.
2The UFO: Cowboys And Aliens
North of Emerald Ranch, players may come across a disturbing scene in one of the cabins. Inside is a plethora of skeletons situated in what appears to be some sort of ritualistic act. After reading a note left on one of the bodies, it reveals that it was indeed a mass suicide ritual.
It also mentions something will happen at the second hour under the half moon. If Arthur decides to return here at this time, a bright light will appear in the sky. Looking closely will reveal that it is in fact a flying saucer. Luckily these guys decide not to abduct Arthur if he steps under their light.
1The Strange Man: AKA The Grim Reaper?
In the originalRed Dead Redemption, John meets someone simply known as the strange man. This man seems to know an awful lot about John and asks him many cryptic questions. John becomes enraged by his bizarre demeanor and opens fire on him. Amazingly the bullets go right through him. InRed Dead Redemption 2, an abandoned shack in Lemoyne features an unfinished painting.
In the cabin is also strange writings and maps alluring to the plague ridden town of Armadillo. Coming back to this location a few times will make the painting become more and more “complete” until eventually it is finished to reveal the strange man. He will then appear in a mirror behind Arthur or John only to disappear as soon as they turn around. One of themost interesting secretsin this game, players have created many theories as to who this man can be.
Red Dead Redemption 2was released on October 26th, 2018 and is available for PC, Playstation 4 and 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.
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