An open world is not merely a setting, it needs to engage just like in Red Dead Redemption 2

Your horse is spooked, oh well, it’s a cougar attacking you. Just draw the gun and aim. Great, got it! It’s time to stow it on your horse and go to the city to sell it. On the way, you notice a cabin. Why not explore and check if there are any valuables? Hop down from your horse and walk towards it. After kicking the door open, you are met with the sight of someone dead. You can always turn around and not care. How is this even related to the story? If you decide to investigate the scene, you might find a note giving hints about what happened and get a deeper insight into the world. It isn’t trivial for the story or your survival, but it is part of the world you’ve got the honour to be in. Maybe later you’ll encounter a person who tells you about the cabin and the people left in it. Perhaps this helps connect the pieces to a story. Oh, right, the cougar has to be brought back. You hop back on your horse after remembering your plan. Perhaps you will even see a vampire, a hobbit house, or aliens on your journey.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2) has an immersive open world full of action and secrets for you to encounter. The Wild West is cruel and merciless, and the game shows its dangerous and horrifying side as well as something good here and there. However, the world will not let you get bored, it might even lead you to new adventures instead. Perhaps you even stumble upon easter eggs: secret features that developers have left for the audience. Some refer to external sources while some might be added for a touch of humour or as a tribute. For example, the previously mentioned hobbit house refers to Lord of the Rings. There’s also a Donkey Lady referring to a glitch in the earlier game where a nonplayable character would spawn with a donkey head. The developers have had their fun when creating the game.

 

Even if the world is big, it doesn’t feel empty since you could encounter anything the next moment: from NPCs being kidnapped or a quest being indicated on the map. The game has made sure you can’t just pass everything you see; there’s lots of lore and events that activate after you’ve interacted with them. Some quests can be acquired by being in the right place at the right time and some have no indicator before you have tracked down clues. These engage the player to be even more aware of their surroundings.

 

In RDR2, nonplayable characters (NPCs) seem to also have their own lives. They aren’t just standing there and offering tasks. They go to work, have their routes, and might be asking you for help. It creates realism by not knowing what an NPC will do or say, or how they’ll react to you. You can find a father and his sons building a house. If you come back after a while, you get the possibility to help in a shooting and bring them lumber. All of this while you see how the construction is advancing. Even if you don’t interact with them, the house will be built. There is also a logging area that’s hustle and bustle you can follow. One day it is full of workers, and, after some in-game time, the area is cleared, and the work is finished. These details add to the realism of the game. It doesn’t revolve around the player but makes them want to be part of the game. Sometimes, it might even leave you feeling like a bystander.

The environment tells a story even if unrelated to the main character, Arthur Morgan. However, Arthur does have a diary of sorts, and after you see new things or advance the story, you might soon find him having drawn or written about it. It makes you feel like you’re part of the game, and what you do relates to the world. Like in the beginning, you might pick up clues from here and there or just notice something from the corner of your eye that ends up being an unexpected finding. This makes you part of the vast open world. It’s not just a place where the story happens but also a medium for the story.

Now, it’s time to mount your horse after selling the cougar. Don’t forget to put on the new hat you crafted thanks to the pelt. Perhaps your next stop is causing chaos among NPCs or going to try and catch a glimpse of the ghost train. Right, the story could also be advanced, but why rush it? Isn’t the world itself a story?

 

Photos: screenshots from Red Dead Redemption 2, taken by the author

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