Red Dead Redemption 2 is a massive game that players can spend countless hours exploring to find new stories and activities. While playing through Red Dead Redemption 2's sprawling story campaign, players can also gamble, go hunting or fishing, tackle side quests, go clothes shopping, grow their beards, or master the art of cooking over a campfire. However, there are some activities and secrets in Red Dead Redemption 2 that many players don't find on their first playthrough.
Some of these secrets are tucked away as part of sidequests while others are small details or interactions that are very easy for players to miss. Whether it be one of Red Dead Redemption 2's NPCs being suffocated by a horse or alternate lines of dialogue that are hidden by the time of day that a player talks to a character to start a quest, there clearly was a lot of attention to detail by the developers at Rockstar Games that has led to players being able to do a lot in Red Dead Redemption 2. Here are some of the ones that many players still don't know about.
Updated on March 25, 2022, by Ritwik Mitra: Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game full to the brim with amazing content. The main story and the massive size of the sandbox might be the two biggest drawing points of the game, but it's the little details present in this world along with the various small actions that players can perform that put this game in a class of its own. It's easy to see why so many people consider this title to be Rockstar's greatest game to date, which is saying quite a lot.
In fact, the sheer number of things that players can accomplish in the game is so immense that most players might not even be aware of the many things they are missing out on. The most interesting and secretive acts of the lot are mentioned below.
Seek Out The Mysterious UFOs
Rockstar Games are notorious for flirting with the idea of an extraterrestrial life time and time again. It seems that someone at the studio absolutely loves the idea of UFOs, with Grand Theft Auto 5 being the most high-profile game from the studio that featured the most incredible and jaw-dropping inclusion of UFOs in the game.
This has been carried over to Red Dead Redemption 2 as well, where diligent players can try hunting down the two UFOs that can appear in this game if certain conditions are fulfilled. One of the places where these UFOs can be spotted is Hani's Bethel Cabin, while the other can be seen from the peak of Mount Shann.
Stare Down Bears To Intimidate Them
One of the coolest things in Red Dead Redemption 2 is the massive attention to detail seen in the complex wildlife ecosystem of the game. Each area in-game features a bunch of animals that coexist together, with the player being able to tail and hunt these creatures down in a surprisingly detailed and cohesive fashion.
Players can perform a rather awe-inspiring act in the game is when they encounter a bear. For the most part, these savage beasts can absolutely tear the player down and humble them with their massive claws. However, one thing that players might not be aware of is that they can employ certain intimidation tactics against this massive animal as well!
By simply standing still without showing any fear whatsoever, a bear that is charging down the player will stop in their tracks before slinking away in shame. It's an amazing detail that emulates real life, and something that most players won't discover since they'll be too busy either running away or emptying all of their bullets at this charging beast. Do keep in mind that, while this tactic works in real life, it's recommended only for black bears and not grizzlies.
Study Animals Instead Of Hunting Them
There is a variety of wild animals that players can hunt throughout Red Dead Redemption 2, including extremely valuable legendary animals. However, for any players that don't want to do the hunting for whatever reason, they can still complete the in-game journal of wildlife by studying them in the wild.
To do so, players simply have to track the animals down like they were going to hunt them, but observe them instead of killing them once they are found.
Solve A Mystery Throughout Saint Denis
Players undoubtedly spend a lot of time in Saint Denis throughout a playthrough of Red Dead Redemption 2. However, there is a hidden side quest in the city that many players don't know about.
To start the quest, players have to explore the city to locate five pieces of graffiti that will then lead the player to a final location that holds the secret. Spoilers will be avoided here, but the activity is a lot of fun and a great way to learn more about the city and discover one of its greatest hidden secrets.
Hunt For Dinosaur Fossils
If players do get tired of hunting down living creatures, however, they can also start a sidequest that sees them tracking down a variety of fossils. The quest is started by talking to an old woman Northeast of Flatneck Station, and it allows the player to track down 30 different fossils that are scattered throughout the map.
The sidequest can take quite a while for players to complete and requires a lot of hunter vision, but it is a fun way to see some more of the game's beautiful map. For players who finish it and still want more prehistoric discoveries, there is also an easter egg to find a Mammoth in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Hunt For Ghosts
If that still isn't enough hunting options for players, they can also put on their supernatural hats and hunt down multiple ghosts across the game. There are some creepy easter eggs in Red Dead Redemption 2, and players can track down ghost trains, animals, and people if they are diligent enough.
When and where the ghosts appear can be rather finicky, however, so players who really want to track them down may want to opt to use some guides to make sure they get it all right.
Set Prisoners Free
Of course, Red Dead Redemption 2 is about being an outlaw in the wild west. Players can make Arthur as evil or as good as they want in Red Dead Redemption 2, but players who want to help out their fellow criminals can do so with ease throughout the game.
As players travel across the plains, they will come across chain gangs of criminals frequently. Arthur can set these criminals free by killing the police escorting them and shooting the chains off their feet. A lot of times, Arthur will even get tips towards where to find secret stashes of valuables nearby.
Catch A Theater Show
For players who really want to take a moment to unwind, or just want to soak in some culture, Arthur can attend a variety of fully realized theatrical shows. The shows can be caught in Blackwater, Saint Denis, and even on the outskirts of Valentine, so there are a few different venues for players to seek out shows in.
There are some activities from Red Dead Redemption that are missing in Red Dead Redemption 2, but the theater shows are a great new addition to the game that really helps the world feel more alive.
Read About Themselves In The Paper
Players get up to all sorts of things throughout the many quests in Red Dead Redemption 2, and the world of the game reacts to their choices and activities. One fun, but more hidden, way that the world reacts is by local newspapers.
These papers will often report on what Arthur and his gang have gotten up to throughout the game. Periodically checking the newspapers is a great way to see other perspectives on what the player is doing, while the articles also have some great jokes and other stories throughout them as well for players who take the time to read them.
Feed Bodies To The Pigs
One of the darker things that players can do in Red Dead Redemption 2 is to feed corpses to pigs to cover up their tracks. The process is accompanied by some incredibly detailed animations, like any interaction in the game. Feeding a body to pigs can be a useful mechanic for players who are aware of it as long as they can stomach the visuals.
However, it is such an impressive detail that most players should do it at least once just to witness it for themselves. If players would feel too guilty doing it, however, they can also just look up a video of it to enjoy the show without having to question their morality.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.