Red Dead Redemption 2 is Rockstar Games’ hotly anticipated sequel that hit the shelves at the end of 2018. With so much hype attached to the game, some might think it would be impossible to live up to, but Red Dead Redemption has done just that. This is a powerhouse of an open world shooter with over 60 hours of storyline and hundreds more in optional missions, world exploration and, of course, some of Rockstar Games’ traditional hidden extras and Easter eggs. We’ve done the hard work and recapped some of the best for you, but with the game only six months old, there are undoubtedly many more that haven’t been found yet.
Mysterious Sightings
Fans of Rockstar’s other games including the massive Grand Theft Auto franchise will have noticed that there are certain common Easter eggs which pop up between the games. Aliens were mentioned as far back as the original GTA, but didn’t feature prominently until GTA V, most often as Michael’s hallucinations, but they are also hidden in the scenery if you know where to look. In Red Dead Redemption 2, they appear over a hidden cabin called Hani’s Bethel, in the desert of New Hanover. You’ll need to camp outside until 2am, then go back inside and watch them through the roof. But this is just the start of the mystery, you can find them again later if you look hard enough.
Another long running mystery concerns Bigfoot. First appearing in GTA: San Andreas back in 2004, the legend of this creature has appeared in many other Rockstar games including the original Red Dead Redemption. Spend enough time tracking other animals and you’ll eventually become good enough to track down the Sasquatch for yourself.
Full House
Throughout the game you will find the opportunity to join poker games at five different locations. These locations become available as you clear different chapters in the game, although you can always find a game at Dutch’s camp. As well as being a fun distraction from the trials of surviving in the Wild West, these games allow the opportunity to make some money. For those completionists out there, you cannot finish the game with 100% unless you play a hand at all five table games. You’ll also get the trophy ‘Hobby Horse’. However, if you don’t want to end up losing more than your dignity, make sure you brush up on the poker rules beforehand.
A Cowboy’s Best Friend
You can’t have a western without horses, and Red Dead Redemption 2 has a host of hidden controls and features you help you get the best out of your trusty steed. You can trade them in any town, or catch them in the wild. Once you’ve found one you like, make sure to drop into the stables and give it a name. Then spend some time together – each horse has a bond rating with Arthur, with different levels unlocking new moves, from rearing to strafing. Brushing your horse is a great way to bond, as well as a necessity for maintaining its stamina.
You can also remotely control your horse, commanding it to follow, stay or flee while you are hunting or fighting. And making sure it flees from a gunfight is vital: in Red Dead Redemption 2, horse death is permanent. You don’t want to waste all those hours you spent maxing out your bonding level on that perfect horse, only to have it expire from a stray bullet. Luckily the developers have thrown you a lifeline in the form of a horse revival kit. Make sure you keep one on you at all times as you only have a limited time to use it before your furry friend is lost forever.
Take Time to Read
For a story so vast, it was important that Red Dead Redemption 2 had a recap feature, and it comes in the form of Arthur’s journal. Hold left on the D-pad to access it and you’ll get not only a brief retelling from his viewpoint, but the developers have used it to fill in back story and give you a more rounded picture of your character and his motivations.
Don’t ignore the newspapers either. Some of them have hidden cheat codes embedded in the text – but you can’t just look them up online: if the newspaper isn’t in your purchase history, the code won’t work.
Get Control
It’s not just hidden in-game features that players have been discovering; there are also different control options and button techniques that have been designed to make the hundreds of hours you will be investing in the game, easier on your thumbs.
Fed up of tapping A/X to make Arthur sprint? Toggle the autorun option on in the menus and you’ll only need to hit it to start/stop his motion. Conversely, if you want to save stamina when galloping on your horse over long distances, tap the A/X button in time with its motion and watch him go for longer.
You can also fire from the hip instead of having to un-holster your pistol, slip into Dead Eye mode quickly to hunt your dinner and hold square/X to continuously loot from cupboards until everything is gone. Now you’ve not excuse not to saddle up and ride off into the sunset in search of your latest adventure.
