Red Dead Redemption 2 launched eight years ago, yet its world still looks astonishing. In fact, RDR2 wildlife and scenery are so realistic that they once fooled a real TV news station. A viral video has now revisited the story, along with the incredible system behind the game’s animals.
How did RDR2 fool a news station?
Back in 2020, Oregon station KTVZ ran a segment showing beautiful seasonal photos sent in by viewers. However, one of those “photos” wasn’t real at all. It was a screenshot from Red Dead Redemption 2.
The image showed a sweeping river valley with trees and mountains, and it made it all the way to air. Viewers quickly spotted the mix-up, and the clip spread online. As TechSpot reported at the time, it was a huge compliment to Rockstar’s artists.
How long did Rockstar spend making RDR2?
The game’s realism didn’t happen by accident. Development reportedly began around 2010, and the game finally launched on October 26, 2018. That’s around eight years of work on a single open world.
From the start, Rockstar seemed determined to make the frontier feel alive. While most open-world games treat animals as background decoration, RDR2 built a full ecosystem.
How does the RDR2 wildlife system work?
RDR2 features over 200 animal species, from tiny songbirds to huge grizzly bears. More importantly, those animals don’t just wander around waiting for the player. Instead, they live their own lives.
For example, predators genuinely hunt prey. Eagles swoop down to snatch rabbits, and wolf packs roam the snowy mountains. Meanwhile, younger wolves can even be seen play-fighting with each other.
The game also tracks what happens after an animal dies. Carcasses decompose over time, eventually leaving only bones behind. On top of that, animals react to the player in realistic ways. Many will catch your scent depending on the wind direction, so hunters need to approach carefully.
Even cooking ties into the system. Different animals provide different types of meat, which players can use in a range of campfire recipes. In other words, every part of the ecosystem connects.
What do experts think of RDR2’s animals?
The attention to detail has impressed more than just gamers. According to the video, wildlife experts have praised RDR2’s animals for their realism. Some have even called its birds the best representation of birdlife in any video game.
Others have suggested that the game can teach players about real-world wildlife. That’s rare praise for an action game about outlaws, and it shows how seriously Rockstar took its research.
It also fits with Rockstar’s famous obsession with detail. The studio has hidden countless small touches across its games, from GTA 5’s strip club camera quirks to the secrecy that surrounded RDR2’s production, which Roger Clark has spoken about.
Will GTA 6 have wildlife like RDR2?
Naturally, the video ends by looking ahead to GTA 6. Leonida is based on Florida, which is home to alligators, flamingos and plenty of other wildlife. As a result, fans are hoping Rockstar brings RDR2’s ecosystem to Vice City.
There are already promising signs. Recent previews describe GTA 6’s NPCs, weather and world as more reactive than ever. If the wildlife gets the same treatment, Leonida could feel just as alive as the Wild West.
GTA 6 launches on November 19, so players won’t have to wait long to find out. If it’s anything like RDR2, another news station might want to double-check its viewer photos.