For a Western game, Red Dead Redemption 2 can be quite scary. Rockstar is a masterful video game developer, and it's not rare for them to pepper their games with unsettling Easter eggs. But Red Dead Redemption 2 takes the uneasy factor a step further and oftentimes borders on a horror title.
Some of the scares come from missions, and some of them come from random encounters in the wild. Whatever the case and wherever they come from, they are ridiculously unsettling. The game is essentially a Western-horror hybrid, and it makes for some fantastic gaming.
Updated on December 11th, 2022 by Melody MacReady:
Rockstar's attention to detail in Red Dead Redemption II is quite astonishing since it seems like it's impossible to find every encounter and instance in one playthrough, which is something fans hope continues with the new Grand Theft Auto VI. As a result, there are even more scary missions and details to find in the old west.
Some of them are mere Easter Eggs, others are unsolved mysteries to show how lived-in the open world actually is, and others are full-on missions with multiple outcomes. These portions of Red Dead Redemption 2 have little to no build-up since they are usually random encounters that the player usually stumbles into, adding to the shock factor.
The Devil's Cave
Unexplored caves are naturally creepy since there is no way of knowing what can be found. In one cave just North of the town of Strawberry, Arthur will come across odd markings on the walls and the cave itself is rather foreboding.
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Suddenly, the appearance of a man claiming to be the actual Devil is a bit disconcerting. Though the encounter ends with him being just a normal man, the use of tension in the cave is still admirable.
Investigating The Saint Denis Fence
Saint Denis may look like a beautiful city, and it's arguably one of the best areas of the game, but it has an undeniable dark side. Brother Dorkins sends Arthur to investigate the fence, claiming that it is used in human trafficking. Sure enough, Arthur finds two chained-up slaves in the basem*nt.
It's a very creepy encounter. The dark staircase portends some unimaginable sight, and the chained people make for a disturbing find. It's horror based in reality, and that's often the scariest of all.
Encounter With A Vampire
Across Saint Denis are several strange writings that mention the drinking of blood. Typically, the threats seen in Red Dead Redemption 2 are simply mentally-ill people preying on the innocent, but this is a rare care of a genuine supernatural threat in the form of a vampire, leaving clues of his crimes.
If the player finds the clues, they can then encounter the vampire in an alley where he is draining a woman of her blood. He looks straight out of Nosferatu which is unnerving at first, though his Southern drawl is a bit unexpected. There are multiple outcomes to this side story depending on how the player handles the encounter.
The Rhodes Gunsmith
There is a similar encounter in the Rhodes gun store, which is officially known as Jas. Feeney & Son. Gunsmith. This place harbors a very disturbing secret. The Rhodes townspeople often voice their reluctance about the shop's owner, claiming that he has been acting strangely and that he is allegedly seeing the ghost of his deceased son.
But when Arthur investigates, he finds a young boy chained in the basem*nt, as the owner was using him as a surrogate son. It's very reminiscent of the horror film Don't Breathe, and it is horrifying to discover.
Disease
Disease is at the forefront of Red Dead Redemption 2, and it reminds viewers of just how deadly and unpleasant life in the late 19th century actually was. Of course, there is Arthur's TB, and watching the main character slowly deteriorate from the disease is disturbing.
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There's also the abandoned town of Pleasance, which has burned buildings, locked doors, and a creepy sign reading "STAY OUT PLAGUE." Finally, there's the small town of Armadillo, which is in the midst of an apocalyptic desertion thanks to an outbreak of cholera.
The UFO Cabin
When it comes to alien threats in video games, it's typically in the form of monsters that attack the player. Red Dead Redemption 2 does something different by making the typical flying saucer into something out of a nightmare.
Located in the state of New Hanover is Hani's Bethel, a long-abandoned cabin. Inside the cabin are the horrifying skeletal remains of a cult, with the bones still residing within the robes. That sight is creepy enough, but should the player come back at 2 AM, they will face an unsettling UFO encounter that sees Arthur getting bathed in an otherworldly green light.
The Serial Killer
There have been some binge-worthy serial killer movies throughout the years, but few killers are as creepy as Edmund Lowry Jr. Coming across Edmund's work is a haunting experience. It typically begins with finding a severed limb or a pool of blood in the wild and following it to the rest of the desecrated remains.
These are hauntingly brutal sights, and the contrast between the grisly remains, and the surrounding natural beauty makes for an effective tonal whiplash.
Osman Grove
Osman Grove proves the unrelenting horror of Red Dead Redemption 2. Players can be taking a leisurely horse ride through the beauty of New Hanover when they come across a seemingly harmless cabin.
But venturing inside, they will find the decomposing remains of an entire family - including the corpse of a child. It's more unnerving and sad than scary, but it can certainly make for a startling sight, especially owing to its unexpected nature.
Tall Trees
The prequel brought back Tall Trees from the original, but the location is significantly scarier than it was in the first game. The area is littered with the horrific works of the Skinner Brothers, a faction of ruthless killers who torture and mutilate their victims.
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The area is creepy enough, as it's covered with dense foliage and thick trees that significantly restrict vision. But the images of the Skinner Brothers' grotesque work are almost too much to bear, and it gives the entire area an undeniably creepy vibe.
The Roanoke Whispers
Red Dead Redemption 2 takes a page out of the handbook of Lost; it presents a wooded area populated by eerie whispers. If the player walks through the wooded area of Roanoke Valley, they will hear the terrifying sounds of whispering people. It's a horrifying encounter.
Not only is the source of the whispers a mystery, but they say some incredibly creepy things like, "I need to get back home." It's enough to make a player turn the game off and take a five-minute breather.
The Night Folk
Even the scariest of zombie movies have nothing on The Night Folk. The swamp is a scary enough location - as most swamps are. The instigating moments are also very creepy, as the player typically encounters an unsettling sight like a crying woman or a body hanging from a tree.
But then The Night Folk run out dressed like zombies, totally silent, and brandishing weapons that can kill Arthur in just one strike. They make traversing the swamps - especially at night - a very harrowing ordeal.
The Swamp Ghost
It just wouldn't be a Rockstar game without a creepy ghost, and Red Dead Redemption 2 has one creepy ghost. The ghost of Agnes Dowd can be found in the swamp area between 9 PM and 3 AM, typically on foggy nights (of course). The sight of the glowing ghost alone in the swamp is terrifying, as are the things she says.
Agnes will typically recount the events that led to her death, and in the last encounter, she will directly address Arthur and lead him to the tree from which she hung herself. It's enough to give any player goosebumps.
Aberdeen Pig Farm
Mixing the vibes of Deliverance and the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the Aberdeen Pig Farm is by far one of the more unsettling stories in Red Dead Redemption 2 because of it being such a realistic scenario. Arthur becomes victim to a married couple who turn out to also be siblings as well as serial killers.
The entire story up until they drug Arthur is dread-inducing and able to make any player uncomfortable. It makes it all the more satisfying when the player recovers before discovering the Aberdeens' mass grave of victims and the two also robbed him of his money. The player can get their revenge to get Arthur's money back.
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