Summary
Red Dead Redemption 2is one of the most immersive video game experiences out there, taking players through a vast wild west setting at the turn of the century. In the world of Red Dead Redemption, players are expected to gather resources, hunt, maintain weapons, and more that all contribute to a sense of realism.
However, not everything in Red Dead Redemption 2 is historically accurate. Despite the game’s commitment to realism, there are a handful of small details here and there that break up some of the immersion at play within the game. Here are a few small details you might’ve missed that aren’t totally accurate in RDR2.
10Weapons
Some Of These Are OP
In Red Dead Redemption 2, players can create and track down an extensive suite of weapons for them to use against their enemies. Some of the mostpowerful types of gunsplayers have access to include weapons like the Volcanic or the Semi-Automatic Pistol.
However, many models of semi-automatic weapons weren’t invented or even popularized until the early 1900s, a few years after the game is set. This is a small detail, as there were some semi-automatic weapons available, but it’d be highly unlikely that the Van der Linde gang would have access to so many given their status and period.
9Items
Real Or Not Real?
Like most video games, Red Dead Redemption 2 gives players chances to buff their abilities and perhaps even be more stealthy while hunting thanks to some special items. Cover Scent Lotion, for example, is a really helpful item that can be useful in a whole host of situations.
However, while cowboys did use techniques that helped them augment their scents in some ways, items that removed or covered scents altogether weren’t real. Of course, in a video game, having a fun item like this is often worth the slight historical inaccuracy.
8Locations
Inspired By, But Not Directly Sourced
This next one may seem obvious, but for those not in the know, the entirety of the Red Dead Redemption 2 map is a fictionalized version of the American South and West. While many of the locations in the game draw direct inspiration from real-world locations such as New Orleans, none of the places in RDR2 are a direct one-to-one.
Furthermore, the scale of the map is off, as the region the game covers, in theory, spans from Colorado to Louisiana. However, traveling across it is highly manageable. These types of historical inaccuracies are, again, more forgivable than most, given the sheer scope of territory the game is attempting to cover.
7Groups
Some Fictional, Some All Too Real
One of the most fun elements of Red Dead Redemption 2 is its use of the private security force known as the Pinkertons. This group serves as a fantastic antagonist to the Van der Linde gang and is largely based on historical truth.
However, other groups that you may encounter, such as the Wapiti Native Americans, are not real. While the word Wapiti comes from a Shawnee word for elk, this group was not an actual tribeduring this period.
6Fashion
The Scandal
Many of the women’s fashions in Red Dead Redemption 2 are not that historically accurate. Though it is the wild west, and the women of the Van der Linde gang are far more likely tobe dressed down, you’ll often see women in settlements like Valentine with their hair down or buttons on dresses undone.
Despite the rough-and-tumble nature of the region, this would prove highly uncommon, particularly in more respectable locales. Plus, women’s hair would more likely have been styled up than down most of the time.
5Artifacts
Plausible, But Highly Unlikely
There are some places where you’re able to find special artifacts in Red Dead Redemption 2, including items like dinosaur bones. Some of these artifacts do make a lot of sense, given RDR’s clear inspiration for locations like Montana and the Dakotas, which have been known to see dinosaur bone discoveries.
However, some artifacts, like Ancient Viking Combs, are a bit out of place. Groups like the Vikings were settled much farther North, particularly given that the game’s regions are largely inspired by the American Southwest. Vikings primarily settled in Newfoundland, where artifacts like this would more likely be found.
4Repair Mechanics
Can’t Possibly Fix A Gun That Fast
One of the most unique mechanics available to players in Red Dead Redemption 2 is your ability to repair your weapons on the fly using Gun Oil. While this mechanic is great for gameplay and encourages careful use of weaponry and resources, it’s not all that accurate.
While outlaws did use gun oil, larger repairs for weapons and guns would require items like files and chisels when they wore down. Gun oil, as an item in Red Dead Redemption 2, is a bit of an oversimplification of the process, but it makes for a really fun gameplay mechanic.
3Dueling
Strictly Illegal
In Red Dead Redemption 2, there are a handful of missions and objectives you can complete that involve dueling NPCs. However, at the time that RDR2 takes place, dueling was illegal. Now, of course, the Van der Linde gang doesn’t always obey the law.
However, the issue at play is that one of these missions takes place on a populated train, however, no bounty is enforced on Arthur when he kills the gunslinger in question. Again, this is a relatively small detail, and we’re glad dueling is in the game overall, but it’s likely a duel like this would’ve garnered more repercussions.
2Legendary Animals
Maybe More Obvious Than Most
In Red Dead Redemption 2, one of the most elaborate quest lines you can pursue is the Legendary Animals quests. These are elaborate hunts in which you’re asked to track powerful beasts that you can hunt for sport, trophies, or even food.
However, as you might expect, these animals, though inspired by real creatures, aren’t always based in reality. For example, jaguars and panthers are not indigenous to most of the areas presented in Red Dead Redemption 2. While, of course, these creatures are meant to be legendary for a reason, it’s highly unlikely, if not impossible, that Arthur Morgan would be able to find most of these creatures in his backyard.
1Saloons
Too Rough And Tumble
Lastly, there are a lot of saloons and taverns in Red Dead Redemption 2. A lot of the time, members of the Van der Linde gang will accompany Arthur inside these locales, including some of the women who make up the gang.
However, for the period, it’s highly unlikely that saloons at this time would permit women inside. Of course, the Van der Linde women might not have any care for the law, but technically speaking, in settlements like Valentine, for example, women would likely’ve been barred from entering places that served alcohol.
