Red Dead Redemption II is one of the most technically proficient and gorgeously detailed video games of all time. That much is certain. No matter your opinion on the reductive mission design or slow pace, we can all agree that the game is a technical marvel rivaled by none.
It is also filled with an unbelievable amount of content, and seeing it all is next to impossible. Luckily, we're here to show you both visual tricks and some deeply-hidden content you may have missed. These are ten hidden details everyone missed in Red Dead Redemption II.
10 Pearson's New Job
We don't know why you'd want to return to Rhodes following the conclusion of the game, but the opportunity is always there. Should you go there while playing as John, you will see that Pearson is now running the general store.
The two will acknowledge each other, but aside from some brief pleasantries, they seem to recognize that each have moved on from their past lives. It's still a great little detail, and it's nice to have some closure regarding the tertiary characters of the story.
9 Arthur Can Get Punched
Everyone plays Arthur a little differently. Some are benevolent peacekeepers who just want to live their lives. Others are pure, bloodthirsty psychopaths. And some tow the line in the fuzzy area of gray morality.
One thing left up to player agency is Arthur's relationship with the camp. Should you speak kindly, everyone will treat Arthur with respect. However, should you antagonize the group too much, Arthur will be clocked and knocked out by a random person, including Charles and John. You all know the Golden Rule...
8 Arthur And John's Journal
It's amazing how a simple detail can add so much to someone's character. Throughout the game, Arthur keeps a journal and will both write and draw within it. His writing is somewhat poetic and contemplative, and his drawings are nicely detailed and shaded. It's clear that he has a poetic personality.
This changes when John gets his hands on the journal. His writing is more straightforward and literal, and his drawings are little more than quickly-drawn sketches and doodles that thinly resemble the thing he is transcribing. Arthur is poetic; John is more driven and grounded.
7 Face Dirt
The Wild West is a dirty place, and sometimes a bath wasn't too easy to come by. Throughout Arthur's adventures, his skin, horse, and clothes will all be caked in mud and dirt, and you are required to both clean him and his horse throughout the game.
If the horse remains dirty, his health core will slowly drain. And if you fail to bathe Arthur, people will comment on his dirty appearance and stink. Luckily, you don't need to take a full bath to clean yourself off - a mere swim in a body of water will do!
6 Changing Spirit Animals
You wouldn't know about this one unless you perused the internet or replayed the game with an entirely different play style. Throughout the game, Arthur gets contemplative and begins to envision his spirit animal. This spirit animal changes depending on your morality.
If Arthur has high honor, he will see a deer and the lighting will be a warm yellow. If Arthur has a low honor, the animal will be a wolf and the lighting will be much darker and colder. It's a great detail that nicely mirrors Arthur's personality and the overall tone of the story.
5 Blood Spots
And now let's talk about animals in a much less poetic light. Throughout the game, you have the option of killing animals, skinning them, carrying their corpses over your shoulder, and storing them on your horse. Should you sling the body over your shoulder, Arthur will have a patch of blood where the body rest, forcing you to change clothes or walk through water.
If you place the body on your horse, your horse will have a blood spot on its hind until you clean him with the brush. Just one more detail that helps the player become fully immersed within the game's world.
4 Possums Play Dead
The game's world is littered with unique animals. One of these animals is the possum, and just like in real life, they will play dead if you get too close. If you're lucky, you can spot the possum flopping over.
Otherwise, you may just mistake it for a random dead animal. To make the detail even more convincing, you cannot lock-on to the animal when raising your weapon, which makes sense in-game seeing as how Arthur believes that the possum is dead. Rockstar really does think of everything, don't they?
3 Cattleman Revolver Description
Very few people actually take the time to read the things that this game presents, and this includes the weapon descriptions. However, there's a cheeky little Easter egg within the store catalog that is well worth reading.
The description of the Cattleman Revolver reads, "It is made by skilled laborers who work tireless hours each week and on the weekends for little pay in order to bring you the finest revolver in the field today." Considering the overworking controversy that surrounded the release of this week, this CAN'T be a coincidence. A frustrated Rockstar employee getting something off their chest, perhaps?
2 Moving Hair
It truly is incredible when a video game includes HAIR PHYSICS of all things. The game forces you to manage your hair, as you need to visit a barber in order to keep both your head hair and beard at a reasonable length.
However, should you decide to grow them out, you will be treated to a glorious little detail. Arthur's hair has its own physics, and both his beard and head hair will weave and move with Arthur's movements, just as long hair does in real life.
1 Changing Elements
The thing with mud, blood, and snow is that they don't stay in their state for very long. Luckily for the detail-oriented amongst us, Rockstar hasn't' forgotten about this. If you forgo bathing or changing your clothes, mud will eventually harden and flake off your body.
Similarly, blood will dry and become caked on, forcing you to change clothes. And should you venture into the northern section of the map and get snowed on, the snowflakes will melt off your body and clothes once you enter a warmer territory.