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Here's what fans are still discovering about Red Dead Redemption 2
There are weird occurrences afoot in Red Dead Redemption 2. We take a look at what Reddit has uncovered in Rockstar’s epic.
Video games, no matter their genre, are a predetermined experience. Designed properly, however, an open-world game creates the illusion of freedom, and Red Dead Redemption 2 is one such game.
Do you want to follow the core storyline? Do you want to do camp chores? Do you want to go fishing? Do you want to go hunting and make yourself a coonskin cap? The game allows you tackle any of these tasks, in any order. A sense of freedom comes from how spread out everything is. You have to ride on horseback to reach the river, but first you have to ride to the bait shop to buy lures. And on these trips, you cross an endless variety of terrain.
This world is huge and that's has led dedicated players – the sort of players who've already exhausted every single challenge and every single mission – to dig even deeper. Are there secrets beyond the "secrets" Rockstar have already told us in the guidebook? Are there glitches that can give us a peek behind the scenes and foreshadow possible DLC content to come?
We went on social media to investigate. What are fans discovering? What are fans investigating? And what conclusions can we draw from any of this? Here are the latest findings in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Keep your eyes on those windows
© Rockstar Games
The Emerald Ranch mystery
One of the random missions you can receive is from a woman whose horse died. She needs a lift to Emerald Ranch and while you're headed there she fills you in on the local gossip. Apparently, the ranch owner's daughter is kept locked in her house, and there was some violent act that occurred in the saloon before it was shut down. There are entire threads on Reddit dedicated to solving this mystery.
If you camp out by the main house and keep your eyes on the top windows, the daughter will occasionally look out; most players catch a glimpse of her around 9-9.15pm. The saloon is covered with blood; if you look behind the saloon, you can find the grave of Joshua Burgess, who, his tombstone claims, was shot accidentally. According to a letter you can find in a tipped-over mail carriage in Cumberland Forest, Joshua may have been one of the daughter's suitors, before she was locked away.
What exactly happened in the saloon? Who fired the fatal shot? Players are still trying to work that out.
Have you seen this princess?
© Rockstar Games
Where's the princess?
At the Van Horn Trading Post, at the easternmost end of the map, you can find a missing person poster hanging outside the saloon. Take it down, and take a look; it states that 15 years ago, Princess Isabeau Katharina Zinsmeister disappeared, and Luxembourg is offering $100 for her safe return.
Is it possible to find and rescue this princess? No one has found her yet, but she'd be a young woman by this point.
There are some clues to go on. Her toys and belongings are on sale at the Fence nearby; her trunk is labeled with the the initials "IKZ," and is surrounded by fancy toys.
It's been speculated that the Princess could be one of the women in the saloon, or even the woman in the window at Emerald Ranch. None of them, however, have the identifying birthmarks mentioned on the poster.
Glitching into Mexico
Around the middle-end of Red Dead Redemption 2, Arthur and the gang head to the island of Guarma. It lasts for a chapter, and then, you head back to the United States. If you haven't completely explored the island, you won't get a second chance at it; the rest of the game (and the epilogue) occur on the main map.
But the Red Dead community have figured out a way, via glitches, to get back to Guarma (see above). You can even cross the border into Mexico, where you can see buildings and landmarks that were iconic from the first game.
What, exactly, is this doing here? Mexico, while a centrepiece in the first game, has (thus far) no narrative purpose in Red Dead Redemption 2. Was this a chapter that was planned and later abandoned? Is this proof that Mexico-themed DLC is on the way? Rockstar haven't confirmed, one way or the other.
Devils in the pale moonlight
© Rockstar Games
Nice photo!
As anyone who plays this game can attest, you'll be riding on horseback a whole lot. It's a slow but steady mode of transport; it allows you, even at top speeds, to appreciate the scenery around you. You can even enter "cinematic mode" during a long trip; the horse will direct itself to its destination while you take in your surroundings.
So, it makes perfect sense that photography has become a player pastime. This is an open world that you're meant to admire.
The day/night cycle, along with the dynamic weather, allows for an endless variety of composition and lighting. There's an entire subreddit, called /r/reddeadphotography, which is dedicated to capturing and celebrating the most beautiful images possible.
Wait, whose voice is that?
Spoilers ahead.
One of the ongoing debates in the community concerns a vocal glitch. Sometimes, when you're playing as John Marston, he'll speak in a completely different voice. It's unknown exactly what triggers this, but many players are claiming this is an adult Jack Marston's voice, and might be proof that single-player DLC is on the way. Adult Jack appears in the epilogue of the original Red Dead Redemption; could we get a Red Dead Redemption remake, or a continuation of that storyline?
To be fair, there are also videos that claim to debunk this theory. Give it a listen, and see what you think.
