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Red Dead Redemption 2

Uncovering the secrets of Red Dead Redemption 2

We've been playing Red Dead Redemption 2 intensely since launch and stumbled upon some juicy findings.

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Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar isn't exclusively known for their A-grade storytelling, fantastic settings, and massive, interesting game worlds - they're also known to put some interesting stuff in the games that are home to all of the above. We've been playing the latest game in the Red Dead Redemption series and have uncovered some spooky, interesting, and mysterious secrets in this masterpiece of a game along the way. Let's talk a bit about them, shall we?$

If it wasn't clear, we'll be talking about a lot of events in the game, so spoiler warning for everyone.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is filled to the brim with various deserted structures and odd locations to explore, so before you read this article, we implore you to actually get to exploring if you'd rather get shocked by the mysteries that lie within this extremely well-crafted game world than to read about them.

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A creation turning on its creator

Our first secret is tied to the stranger quest starring the Tesla-esque inventor Marko Dragic who you meet in Saint Denis shortly after arriving in the fancy city. Arthur takes on the task of impressing Dragic's investors by maneuvering a small, toy boat in a city pond, and after doing so you will be invited to his laboratory in Doverhill, close to the northern edge of the map, north-west of Annesburg. Upon entering you are tasked with setting up coils around the compound to power up the inventor's machine with some good ol' lightning - cheap and effective! After doing so he shows off his life's work; what seems to be an AI, that after taking a couple of steps falls face first to the ground. Now, you may be thinking that a stranger mission which gives the player a clear path as to where he or she must go shouldn't be on a list of in-game secrets and you would be right. However, the last part of this mission (which is optional, mind you) requires that you, out of sheer curiosity of what happened to Mr. Dragic, go back to the laboratory after the quest markers have ceased to appear for this mission. If the player saddles up and rides back to Doverhill and enters the building, the cage in which the robot resided has had its door bent open and Marko Dragic lies dead on the floor, seemingly crushed by a sentient AI.

Feral mountain man

If you're an explorer who likes looking for random events in the wild you may come across this gem of an event when exploring by the river north of Annesburg. A confused, feral man can be seen screaming when Arthur comes close enough to be spotted, and if followed, the man leads Arthur to a cave by the river where he is waiting with two wolves, ready to attack the strange trespasser. If Arthur fails to leave, the wolves attack, warranting him to defend himself by shooting the poor pups, and if this happens the man will become distressed. Arthur tells the man it will all be okay but the man seems to disagree as he lays sobbing on the ground. Behind the man, further into the cave that has been his home, a diary can be picked up, describing the man's fate, but after reading it the man will come rushing at Arthur with a knife in hand, his screams being pushed with a raspy voice through the tears.

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Ritual killings, ancient tombs and Viking gear

If you're looking for some cool gear that's not inspired by the 19th-century you may want to check out a site north-east of New Hanover. When walking through the woods here you'll come across a hollowed-out path in the ground with a ritual altar in the middle. If Arthur walks up to the altar he can pull a Viking hatchet from beneath the altar stone, and if he wishes to explore the tomb's pathways there is also a gold-adorned Viking helmet on a shelf by some skulls inside. What's even better? Arthur can go about his outlaw business wearing the helmet as well as wielding the hatchet if he so wishes, making for some hilarious cutscenes later on.

The Braithwaite family's dark secret

The wealthy plantation-owning family, the Braithwaites, that Arthur comes across relatively early in the story are hiding a dark secret that is 100% optional to uncover. If the player walks to the south-eastern part of the plantation, close to the waterfront, they can find a small shed (more-so an outhouse in size, really) with chains around it to hide what's inside from the outside world. If the player approaches the shed and tries peeking through the half-moon shaped hole in the door a malnourished woman will lunge at Arthur before sitting back down in fetal position, talking to herself in a manic manner.

What came first, the hobbits or the outlaws?

Slightly north-east of Bacchus Station the player can find a building that they may recognise if having watched the fantastic Lord of the Rings trilogy. You see, on a hill here there is a grass-clad house closely resembling a hobbit hole. Sadly, the darn hobbits have the door locked tight to keep the likes of Arthur Morgan out, but it's a fun little nod to another entertainment giant.

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Red Dead Redemption 2

Gold? Gold!

Looking for a quick buck? If you bring our beloved outlaw protagonist to Widow Rock in the north, close to the Wapiti Indian Reservation, a mural can be found on the wall of the hollow in the mountain. The mural depicts a circle of bodies surrounding a winged creature and is actually instructions on how to get a hold of three gold bars worth 500 bucks a piece. Once inspected, head east over the river, past the first and second fork in the road and halfway towards the third. In the mountain here is a small opening leading Arthur to a cave where the bodies (that are statues) and the winged creature (also a statue, we're afraid) can be seen in person. By solving the short puzzle using the mural design, a hollow in the middle statue can be found and 1,500 dollars can be stolen by a lovable outlaw.

You gotta believe!

If one makes way for a small house north of Emerald Ranch (the house can be seen on the world map) one will find an open room with bunk beds and a desk resembling an altar at the far end. At the altar sits what seems to be the remains of a high priestess of some sort. If you search the fireplace behind her you can grab some pirate rum (the priestess wasn't so holy it seems), and next to her skeletal body is a piece of paper. If read, the player will find out that the priestess and the corpses all still believed in a higher power but not in our traditional religious manner - that's right, they believed in aliens. The piece of paper tells of a ritual and of the fact that at the second hour under the half moon Kuhkowaba will descend once again, which is actually an in-game event. If you read the note you may think that you have to go to a specific mountaintop to continue this optional quest-line, but if you simply sleep until nighttime and go back to the house at 2AM the house will be lit up by a strange, green glow from above, and if the player is quick enough they can catch a glimpse of the actual UFO as it ascends back into space. We recommend that you use the game's first-person mode when doing this as our camera in third person just wouldn't go high enough to see the entirety of the UFO.

There you have it, some of the secrets of Red Dead Redemption 2 uncovered, and we already know there's more where that came from in the massive world in which Arthur Morgan resides. What are you waiting for? Go explore!

Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2Red Dead Redemption 2Red Dead Redemption 2

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Red Dead Redemption 2Score

Red Dead Redemption 2

REVIEW. Written by Magnus Groth-Andersen

"A watershed moment, an instant classic, another high point for a studio which has constantly delivered them for decades."



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