A large part of what makes Red Dead Redemption 2 so memorable for players is the world. With so many lush, detailed environments for players to explore, Red Dead Redemption 2 oftentimes feels less like a virtual video game world, but rather a living, breathing one. One such aspect that attributes to this is having animals perform actions independent from player interactions, which can often be quite bizarre.
In most other games, animal interactions tend to occur only when the player appears to give context to the interaction. Although, in games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Far Cry 3, players will often see animals attack enemy NPCs, making the world feel less centered around the player and one that's more autonomous. However, in Red Dead Redemption 2, animals can often interact with other animals in different ways.
A Reddit user by the name of JdogTheGreatOne spotted a hawk flying in the sky carrying what looks like a rattlesnake. Quite the uncommon sight, while at the same time falling in line with the expansive, sentient nature of Red Dead Redemption 2's open world. Rockstar Games likely programmed it so that the hawks and other animals are able to hunt and do other activities independent from idle animations in order to make the world of the game feel more dynamic.
It really is impressive to see how much of a step-up Red Dead Redemption 2 is on a technical scale compared to Red Dead Redemption 1. In the original game, dynamic interactions with animals did occur outside of player interactions, but to randomly see a hawk carrying a snake is something that is not likely to occur very often in Red Dead Redemption 2 or any game for that matter.
It's interesting to see how even after being out for nearly three years, players are still making new discoveries in Red Dead Redemption 2. It truly goes to show how large and multi-faceted the world of the game is if players can still manage to uncover new moments and encounters that no one else has seen thus far, long after the game's initial release.
Not to mention how much effort has been put into Red Dead Online, with new content being consistently added. However, what makes new discoveries in the story mode of Red Dead Redemption 2 so special is that other than bug fixes and software updates, the world of the game has remained fairly unchanged since it first launched. Perhaps, one day Red Dead Redemption 3 will be able to top the rich, inviting world that its predecessor has created, should the game ever release.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and Xbox One.