8 Red Dead Redemption 2 Details that Put Other Open-World Games to Shame

Red Dead Redemption 2 is widely considered one of the best open world games to date, and for very good reason. On top of its incredible story and gameplay are a number of complex and deep mechanics which give the game a level of authenticity largely unrivaled even eight years after its release. Whether it's characters and NPCs or the realistic wildlife behavior, the game world truly feels alive and independent of the player's actions in many ways, though that's not to say that Arthur's actions are in any way inconsequential.

While many open world games have given us incredible designs, immersive details and believable settings, none have managed to quite merge all of these elements in the way that Red Dead Redemption 2 is able to. These systems and design choices set Rockstar's magnum opus apart from every other game in the genre.

8 Character Daily Routines

From Dawn to Dusk

One area Red Dead Redemption 2 immediately separated itself from other open world games was the genuine implementation of realistic daily routines for NPCs. It's not just the central characters in camp who sleep, eat, and do jobs throughout the game world — even random strangers you encounter along the road often have specific destinations and objectives if you follow them for long enough.

Saloons and hotels become more crowded in the evenings as workers come in from their days spent out in the fields or around town, then by midnight, things tend to calm down as they each head to their place of rest for the night. While many other games have implemented similar systems over the years, none quite manage to have the authenticity and realism of those in Red Dead Redemption 2.

7 Construction and Changing Game World

Pioneering the Western Frontier

In addition to having their own daily routines, the NPCs of the world will also help to sculpt and change it over time. While some are felling the trees and selling timber on wagons, others are using it to build their own shops or homesteads. This is particularly noticeable in the surrounding areas of developing towns like Valentine or Annesburg.

If you revisit some of the locations during the Epilogue, you'll notice some profound differences, and even have your own homestead which takes several missions to construct. It is precisely this sense of an evolving and modernizing world that takes Red Dead Redemption from being a mere prequel to being the perfect setup for the narrative told in the first game.

6 Dynamic Ecological System

The Circle of Life

While Red Dead Redemption 2's human population are interesting enough, its animals are arguably even more fascinating to watch and study. Rockstar really did go the extra mile to ensure that animals appear in appropriate environments, hunt prey or evade predators, interact with each other, and behave how they genuinely would at different times of the day.

Whether it's certain types of fish coming closer to the shore at sunset or eagles hibernating in their nests during rainstorms, it seems that every animal in the game is truly living in the world as an independent entity. This even carries over to corpses of dead animals, which decay over time and will even be picked apart by scavengers such as vultures or foxes, depending on the ecosystem.

5 Immersive Consumables

Cigarettes and Cowboy Dinners

If immersion is as important to you as it is to me, you'll also appreciate Red Dead Redemption 2's use of consumable animations. It's a lot more satisfying to watch Arthur open a bottle and swig it down rather than a simple bar refill animation. While it might not seem like much, it's just another detail which helps create the sense of authentic atmosphere that Red Dead Redemption has come to be known for.

As if that wasn't enough, there are extra details, such as Arthur coughing after smoking cigarettes when he is ill or making comments about the food he has just eaten. Having the camp stew and other characters continually talking about or interacting with it also helps incentivize hunting and contributing to the camp.

4 Limited Fast Travel

Equals More Immersion

The idea of limiting fast travel might not be especially new in Red Dead Redemption 2, but the choice to selectively implement it certainly goes a long way towards creating an authentic frontier atmosphere. Arthur can fast travel to some of the major settlements via the map at his wagon in camp, but this is only unlocked once you've upgraded his lodgings using the camp ledger.

Personally, I never even use fast travel in the game unless it is absolutely necessary. More often than not, it is more interesting to ride by horseback or take a train. This decision was clearly intentional on Rockstar's part to encourage exploration and spontaneity, a decision which works very well in the game, particularly given the older classical time period.

3 Spontaneous Interactions

Every NPC Has a Personality

Another way in which Red Dead Redemption 2 manages to stand head-and-shoulders above most other open world games is the way in which every single NPC can be interacted with. For the vast majority of NPCs, you can choose to either Greet or Antagonize them, and their reactions will be appropriate and realistic.

Not only does this give each NPC a far greater deal of depth and personality, it also gives them a certain apparent independence. The NPCs in Red Dead Redemption 2, whether in the heart of Valentine or the swamps of Lemoyne, each have their own lives going on and come across as far more than a simple backdrop.

2 Camp Life Characters

Just Leave Them to It

The characters in the Van der Linde gang are considerably deeper than ordinary NPCs out in the game world. Nowhere is this better exemplified than around the gang's camp, wherever it happens to be. At different points in the story, characters' moods will change, and they will make remarks in response to things you have done. Not only that, but they continuously interact with one another, leading to some very interesting and entertaining conversations.

Characters will also take on different roles and complete chores such as going on guard duty, catching food for the camp stew, or even relax and play board games together. Some of the best moments come in the evenings when characters gather round campfires in their respective cliques and tell stories about the past and present.

1 NPC Memories and Consequences

For Every Action, a Reaction

If daily routines, jobs and environmental changes weren't enough, NPCs also seem to have very good memories. This goes beyond simply wandering into town without a bandana on and being spotted by the law. People will even remark on specific things you have done either as part of missions or in your spare time.

Some of the most striking instances of this are the appearance of widows in places like Rhodes or Valentine. If you shoot too many men in these towns, you can prepare to encounter a grieving widow at a later date. Similarly, if you injure shopkeepers and sheriffs, they will sometimes appear later with bandages dressing their wounds. NPCs will also remember good deeds, and you might be surprised at how much the karma system actually has an influence on events within the game world.