Rockstar Games has a penchant for placing mysterious entities throughout their titles, even if they're not immediately apparent or serve any major purpose. In the case of Red Dead Redemption 2, they're a vital part of exploring the world. The American Wild West was always known for spawning various tall tales, myths, and horror stories, something Rockstar Games understood very well when developing its western open world. Red Dead Redemption 2 in particular has several different and unique mysteries spread throughout the game's world, some of which have been solved and some still left unresolved.
The latter mysteries are a bit subjective, as some mysteries in Red Dead Redemption 2 may simply not have definitive answers to the questions they pose. In a lot of cases, unsolved mysteries are the result of cut content or ambiguous files in Red Dead Redemption 2 that don't have any particular scripting or behaviors. However, there are mysteries in the game that are blatantly and purposefully vague, left to keep players guessing as to what's the purpose of them. Players are left wondering if there's a part of a quest or event they're missing, or if these mysteries are simply meant to confuse or creep players out.
The Enigmatic Strange Man
Of course, mentioning any mysteries about Red Dead Redemption 2 always brings up the Strange Man, who lives up to his namesake quite well. The Strange Man is easily one of the game's most vexing mysteries, just as much as he was in the first Red Dead Redemption. Players have been racking their brains attempting to explain the Strange Man's purpose, whether he's an allegory for death or the devil, or some kind of purposefully enigmatic and omniscient God. The Strange Man's closest resemblance to other fiction is Satan in Mark Twain's The Mysterious Stranger, which is likely where his inspiration and resemblance comes from.
In the context of the game, the Strange Man is supposedly capable of deeply horrifying acts and terrorizing others. He allegedly cursed the town of Armadillo with a plague, all because of the Strange Man making a deal with local shopkeeper Herbert Moon. The Strange Man also tangentially has a relationship with Sister Calderon, a nun who spoke with Arthur towards the end of the game, causing him to reflect on himself and his morality. Whether he's an allusion to God or the Devil, the Strange man's presence is still up to interpretation.
The Gruesome, Manmade Mutant Experiment
This particular mystery is a bit strange, and not just the creation itself, but the story behind it. Players can explore an abandoned mansion near Van Horn to find a creation that's affectionately been called the Red Dead "ManBearPig," or otherwise known as the mutant. On the second floor is a body of some kind, with the head of a boar, the body of a bear, and various bits of other animals in between. That horrifying sight is surrounded by other taxidermy abominations, but what's more interesting are the notes strewn about the room as well. All of these notes are diagrams of various animal parts, as well as a logbook detailing the mutant's anatomical origins as a human.
However, there's next to no evidence of who could've possibly made the mutant. The only possible evidence of the creation inside this abandoned mansion is the dead stranger outside, but he doesn't have any letters/paperwork that link him to the mutant. So far, there's no concrete evidence as to who created the monster, which has become one of Red Dead Redemption 2's famous easter eggs.
Rockstar Games' Token Aliens Easter Egg
Much like the Grand Theft Auto games, it wouldn't be a Rockstar-developed game without an aliens easter egg. Red Dead Redemption 2 is no exception to this, as there's a secret alien cult worshipping the extraterrestrial beings. If players travel to Hani's Bethel in Red Dead Redemption 2, players will discover a dilapidated shack filled with all sorts of candles and robed skeletons. There's a mysterious sermon players can find, talking about an alien "savior" by the name of Kuhkowaba, who is a great "voyager of time and galaxies."
Of course, if players return to this shack anywhere between midnight and 4 AM, the iconic flying saucer will investigate players before flying away. That's really all there is to it, players aren't abducted and there's no other quest to follow. Regardless, there's not really an answer to be found as, just like in real life, alien sightings continue to be unexplained phenomena.
The Wise-Cracking Cave Giant
Speaking of unexplainable phenomena, even more insane than aliens showing up in Red Dead Redemption 2's world is Bigfoot. Well, not actually Bigfoot, but rather a similarly person that supposedly exists. Players can find a supposed "giant" up in the northernmost part of the game's world, though it's never actually seen by the player. The giant speaks to players about how he's an outcast, and nobody accepts him because he's abnormal. Conversations with the giant, either between Arthur or John, are extremely awkward and don't really reveal much about the giant other than his strange demeanor and loneliness.
Supposedly, the cave giant was supposed to be a more involved character, but it appears cut content relegated him to behind the cave wall. Dialogue suggests players could've interacted with him in the game's world as a quest, but if anything the giant is even more strange with the vague dialogue instead.
The Search for the Three Meteorites
Red Dead Redemption 2's most curious mystery has to be the three meteorites, inspired by a real-life incident. Back in 1908, in a remote portion of Siberia, a meteor struck the Earth and flattened several million trees in the surrounding region. Known as the "Tunguska blast" or "Tunguska event," a microcosmic version of this event can be found in a crater northwest of Annesburg in Red Dead Redemption 2. There are supposedly three meteorites that can be found in the game, one at the crater, one in the "meteor house" that struck three people (a reference to the three victims of the Tunguska event), and a third that's yet to be found.
Players can pick up individual "meteorites" from these two locations, but the inventory states that there's "two of three" in the game. Many have taken it upon themselves to search for the third meteorite, but there's still been no discovery of a third. As to whether there actually is a third meteorite, or if it's just a random item cap, only time will tell if players do eventually find one more.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.