There were multiple aspects that made the original Red Dead Redemption such a classic. One of those was the ecosystem and lands brimming with animals of all manner. If you never were slapped down a mountain by a ninja grizzly bear, you truly didn’t get the Red Dead experience.
Today, Rockstar has released new images of the game’s wildlife and describing how the ecosystem will be an integral part of creating this immersive world. There are going to be over 200 species of animals that roam the world of Red Dead Redemption 2, each having their own specific traits that match their real-life counterparts. Wolves will come in packs to find their prey, grizzlies will bluff charge if they feel threatened, and even possum will play dead to avoid predators.
According to Rockstar, “They all form part of a complex ecosystem and must continually fight for their place on the food chain.”
Hunting is also going to be an important task to stock up on funds as well as food for the camp. Animal meats and hides can be sold and also crafted. Early previews of the game apparently showed animal carcasses can actually decay over time, which brings down it’s selling price or quality of meat. Red Dead Redemption 2 will also introduce bow and arrows into the series, which is supposed to be the optimal weapon when hunting and getting a clean kill. Recent demos apparently showed a Witcher-esque system when hunting since certain animals can get wounded and will run away, leaving a trail. From there, players can follow the tracks or blood to finish it off.
From what we’ve seen in recent previews, it seems that Rockstar is trying to create the most ambitious open-world ever created. The most effective way to ensure that happens is to have the world feel alive as possible. I want to play in an open-world that feels like it’s going to continue on without me after I turn off my console. With the way NPCs go on with their daily lives, and now with this wildlife system, it seems Rockstar is not messing around with this open-world. I couldn’t be more excited! First thing I’m gonna do is challenge a grizzly! We shall see what happens.
Check out some of the images below. More images can be found on Rockstar’s website. Red Dead Redemption 2 releases on October 26 for Xbox One and Playstation 4.
