Red Dead Redemption is hot property in the gaming market. It's so consistently popular that it's hard to believe it's over ten years old. Yep, players experienced the Wild West tale of John Marston hunting down the Dutch van der Linde gang all the way back in 2010. Plus, many have doubtless replayed it multiple times throughout the years.
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Despite that, the world that Rockstar created is so massive that some secrets likely remain undiscovered. The New Austin territory, in particular, is teeming with neat little finds just waiting for eagle-eyed explorers to unearth. Some of these may just be inconsequential quirks, but others may be enticing clues to what came before or what developers have planned for the future.
10 Dixon Crossing/Mason's Bridge Are Under Construction
Like other Wild West games, Red Dead Redemption takes place during an age of expansion. The untamed wilderness is slowly giving way to civilization. What some players may not notice is that this is actually incorporated into the gameplay.
Structures like Mason's Bridge and Dixon Crossing let players reach the Mexico section of the open world. Unfortunately, these aren't available for use due to construction. Once Marston reaches Mexico on his own, they're miraculously finished. For a world that encourages players to venture off the beaten path, this sure is a random restriction.
9 A Bottle of West Dickens's Elixir In A Chimney
Though this western world has tons of activities and adventures for players to uncover, it also comes with a slew of inconsequential quirks. One of these lies at Greenhollow, where the ruins of a house lie abandoned.
If players take a closer look at the chimney, then they'll spot a bottle that appears to come from Nigel West Dickens. Marston got roped into many a scam for this snake oil salesman. The fact that this house's residents (or some disgruntled traveler) threw his product into the fireplace just shows what they thought of his wares.
8 A Deserted Native American Encampment
The Native Americans don't play a huge role in the first game, amounting to little more than henchmen for Dutch. However, the world still has traces of their presence for those who know where to look.
Mescalero seems like any other area in New Austin until you stumble on the ruins of a Native American encampment. Burnt-out homes and scattered artifacts are all that's left, a visual made even eerier in the context of Red Dead Redemption 2. It's a haunting reminder of the harsh realities of the Old West. Some people scrape by. Others fall by the wayside, and it's liable to change at any time.
7 The Sea Of Coronado Can't Be Crossed...Or Can It?
In both Red Dead Redemption titles, this body of water serves as the western border of the open world. The first game won't even let John Marston cross the pond because he can't swim.
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The second game is a different story. Arthur Morgan can not only swim, but he can ride his horse through the Sea of Coronado. Sadly, the opposite bank is too steep to climb, so players still can't venture westward. At least they got a few feet farther, though.
6 Three Horses Of The Apocalypse
The Red Dead games already have several weird secrets to uncover, but the Undead Nightmare DLC dials that up to eleven. Not only can players do battle with zombies, but they can also bring about the end of days (figuratively speaking).
The Four Horses of the Apocalypse are rare mounts that Marston can find throughout the open world. Three of them – War, Pestilence, and Death – wander the regions of New Austin. Locating them is one thing, but catching and taming them is another. They're the Legendary Pokemon of the Old West.
5 The Prostitutes At Fort Mercer
After sending Bill Williamson running for Mexico, players have little reason to return to Fort Mercer. No other story missions take place there, and the rewards inside aren't substantial enough to justify looting it.
If they do search the fort's nooks and crannies, they'll eventually find the prison cells with two prostitutes inside. This is random enough in itself, but even more confusing is the fact that players can't actually free these ladies. The only way to affect them is to kill them. What did they really do to deserve that, though?
4 Plague Recovery
This detail only becomes apparent when you factor in the second game. In Red Dead Redemption 2, players discover Armadillo in the grip of a plague. This drove off most people in the vicinity and brought ruin to the town.
Fast forward a few years to the original Red Dead Redemption, and one would never know the region suffered such hardship. It just seems like any other town in the Old West. When someone stops and considers what supposedly occurred, bouncing back in such a short time doesn't make much sense. It just shows how some added context goes a long way.
3 GTA-Style Stunt Jump
Rockstar fans should be familiar with the stunt jumps of Grand Theft Auto. If players drive a vehicle off a ramp or other particular spot, then the camera angle changes, offering a grandiose, cinematic look at the crazy jump they just pulled off.
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Since cars and ramps aren't exactly common in the Old West, Red Dead Redemption obviously doesn't have stunt jumps. At least, that's mostly the case. If players travel to Jorge's Gap and make the easy leap from one side to the other, then the camera changes in a similar way to GTA. Is this the first stunt jump in the Rockstar universe?
2 An Interracial Romance
During this time period, it was frowned on (to say the least) for a black man and white woman to be together, and vice versa. Red Dead Redemption mostly omits both of these for historical accuracy. That said, the heart wants what the heart wants. Traveling to the Old Bacchus Place yields a big surprise.
An interracial couple has taken up residence in this little home. The secluded location is probably a safe bet. It may be lonely, but it presumably protects them from persecution at the hands of their peers. More to the point, it makes for one of the more unexpected sights in not only New Austin but the entire Red Dead world.
1 The Possible Home Of Red Harlow
The Wild West of Red Dead Redemption undoubtedly has several structures which have seen better days, but the remains at Two Crows may look familiar to longtime fans. Upon closer inspection, the rundown building looks an awful lot like the home of Red Harlow, the protagonist of the oft-overlooked Red Dead Revolver.
Is this just a coincidence, or is it a deliberate Easter Egg by the developers? Either way, it warrants a look for both franchise devotees and those curious about the series' roots. It could lead to a future appearance by Harlow, after all. As off as it sounds, this may be the most worthwhile secret in the whole New Austin territory.