Red Dead Redemption 2 was an incredible game, just like everyone expected it to be prior to its release. It may not have reinvented the wheel when it comes to the standard Rockstar open-world formula, but it did bring the organic exploration of the game's world to a whole new level. Riding a horse around the Western plains has never felt so good, and there is plenty to uncover all throughout Arthur's journey.
One of the more varied regions that players get to explore in the game is West Elizabeth, with the bustling town of Blackwater, a classic, Western-style settlement of Strawberry, and a whole lot of beautiful forests, valleys, and grasslands that hold secrets, not every RDR2 fan has managed to uncover.
10 Dead Bear And The Antler Knife
Just above the Little Creek River, near the Hanging Dog Ranch (northwest of it), players may come across a dead body of a hunter and a carcass of a giant bear. Aside from being a gruesome scene, there's also some interesting loot to pick up.
In the bear carcass, players will find the Antler Knife, a Unique Weapon, which can't be customized or bought anywhere else in the game. It does not differ from other knives found in Red Dead Redemption 2, but it does look pretty cool and is a must-find for players who set out to collect every Unique Weapon in the game.
9 Mine In Beryl's Dream
Beryl's Dream is a natural rock formation players can find south of Vetter's Echo, in the Big Valley region of the West Elizabeth commonwealth. Its most characteristic place is a blocked-up mine entrance. What many players missed, though, is the fact that the rocks blocking the mine can be blown up.
Once inside, fans can find a corpse with a Miner's Hat and a Wide Blade Knife, which is another elusive Unique Weapon to find for every achievement hunter.
8 Pagan Ritual Site
In the Big Valley, just northwest of the Owanjila lake, almost at the very edge of the map, players will come across a gory Pagan Ritual site. It is a quite disturbing sight, but it isn't the only ritual murder to be found in Red Dead Redemption 2.
The mask donned by the corpse central to the whole ritual can be picked up and worn by the player. At the altar behind the body, there is also a bottle of Valerian Root. There are many theories as to who is behind the murder, and the most probable one states that it is the Night Folk, a creepy faction that is known for their affection for voodoo and other dark arts.
7 Airship Wreckage
This is one of the classic easter eggs Rockstar throws in the majority of their open-world games. This wreck of a flying machine prototype does not have an in-game explanation, and its environment tells the only story players are going to get.
It was clearly supposed to be a proto-airplane, but it did not work, and its creator lost his life as a result. There is nothing to be found around the airship, but it does get noted as a Point of Interest by Arthur/John in his journal.
6 Circus Wagons
When venturing out just east of the Manzanita Post, players will find a site with a few abandoned circus wagons. There is no backstory leading up to this discovery, so the only way one can find it is by chance. The writing on the carts suggests that this circus' main attraction was female conjoined twins.
If you do a little digging around the site, you will find the skeletal remains of these twins inside one of the wagons. This point of interest proves once again that Rockstar Games are masters of environmental storytelling, and including tiny details in their games that most players won't even bother to find.
5 Mysterious Obelisk
Just north of the Pagan Ritual Site that was already mentioned in this list, players can find a tall, three-sided obelisk. Just like with many intriguing things to find in RDR2, this monument doesn't get too much of an explanation, either.
The Latin inscription on one side of the obelisk says "hora fugit, ne tardes", which can be translated to "the hour flees, don't be late". The date next to the writing is 1771, which means that by the time the players find it, the monument would be over 100 years old.
4 The Cave Hermit
Deep in the Big Valley wilderness northwest of Mount Shann, there is an easily missable entrance to a tunnel, where players can come across a very peculiar character. Referred to by the RDR2 community as the Cave Hermit, he tells Arthur/John to leave them alone, as he has abandoned society years ago, and that society shouldn't interfere with his solitude, either.
Furthermore, he tells players of his desire to become the Devil, and he is surrounded by cryptic writing. If you have subtitles turned on, they will refer to him as "the Philosopher", which is a clear allusion to Plato's "Allegory of the Cave".
3 Skeleton Of A Giant
The giant remains are one of the many peculiarities that can be found on Mount Shann. More precisely, they are located underneath a cliff on top of the mountain.
Although they don't serve any particular purpose in the game, this colossal skeleton is probably a reference to fake photos of huge skeletons that have circulated the web in the 2000s, which were the basis for many conspiracy theories about giants roaming the Earth in ancient times.
2 Gorilla
A wooden crate with a life-sized stuffed gorilla is located just to the east of Mount Shann. There are no clues regarding its origin or backstory, however, it probably has something to do with the Taxidermist's House, also located in the Big Valley region of West Elizabeth.
Whether the crate was dropped on the way to the taxidermist, or during shipment to a client is up to the players' imagination. This is the most likely explanation, though, and yet another testament to the level of detail in Rockstar's games.
1 Native Burial Site
In the middle of the Big Valley forest, there is a clearing where players will find a Native American burial site with a stone circle in the middle of it. The game is full of faithful depictions of Native American traditions, and this one is no exception. Stone Hatchet, a Unique Weapon can also be found inside the stone circle.
Throwing a Molotov cocktail in the middle of the stone circle will result in a pouring rain starting almost immediately, suggesting that a higher power is at play in this Native Burial Ground.