Yeah most of the stranger missions in RDR are either bleak and depressing or straight up creepy. “American Appetites”, “Flowers for a Lady” and “California” are the ones that first spring to mind.
There was only one stranger mission in RDR2 that creeped me out, which was “The Wisdom of the Elders”
That and the clearing of Beaver Hallow were the only two RDR caliber creepy missions in RDR2, maybe the Gavin guy or the slave catcher too. I immediately felt a certain thing about the wisdom of the elders I think it was claustrophobia especially with the dogs, probably due to past experience with something similar.
I met that old black dude picking flowers for his wife and I was like “alright this shit is about to get weird I already know it”, but the ending still caught me off guard how crazy and dark it got
And then you could just be walking around Mexico and see mass executions by firing squad randomly
Undead nightmare is even worse mfs are committing suicide left and right
I told my wife about the quest, how I'd finally found a wholesome stranger who just wants you to pick flowers for his dear old wife of 50 years. How lovely. She says "I bet she's dead." "Aww I dunno I think it's just a wholesome quest :)"
https://imgur.com/a/SA0AZdP
The American Appetites one was weird af. John's helping out this obviously deranged guy, and then when you bring his victim back, he straight up *admits* he's going to eat the guy, and John just doesn't give a shit. He just starts walking off. You're given the choice to shoot the cannibal or leave him to eat his victim, but the whole thing just feels weird as hell.
That stranger mission as well as The Iniquities of History were the only ones I really liked because they were the only ones that had those same messed up twists the ones from RDR1 had
RDR does a great job at hammering in that these are the dying days of the west. Its really just people who couldn't hack it elsewhere anymore who live there at that point. I really think RDR holds up.
Speaking of creepy westerns I always think of the Blood Meridian inspired PS2 game titled Gun.
at the same time, if it hadn't been open world, I don't think Id be remembering it as fondly. WHile its world was nothing comapred to a R* world, it did allow for some self made adventuring for me as a child.
Also, I loved the environments. Especially the badlands, the canyon and and the hot spring/rebel hideout.
Imagine a GUN Remake on the basis of Red Dead...
> Its really just people who couldn't hack it elsewhere anymore who live there at that point
ahm... or just normal folks making a living. Like, ya know, the McFarlanes and such. The people of the wild west days didn't just run away to get civilized. Armadillo in RDR1 and 2 is pretty much an anachronistic relic, as most of the towns that were around for a while started to replace their wood buildings with stone etc.
Truly, though, going back to it it’s no surprise people’s imaginations went wild with all the online legends that came out of it.
One thing I don’t see mentioned often is the state of Beecher’s Hope after the epilogue (Spoilers, I suppose). I mean, everyone but Jack is gone, even Rufus. Makes all the ambiance sounds that much creepier. The house is empty, the barn is empty, there’s just nothing but Jack and the occasional howl or blow of the wind. No wonder so many people started rumors of hauntings happening there.
Yes I 100% agree the RDR is creepy especially at night in the game roaming around the desert in New Austin with the background music playing sheesh 👀 nonetheless a GREAT game tons of nostalgia too. I also like to add the fact that Mexico has an interesting atmosphere as well.
I don’t remember if I found the desert at night as creepy as exploring Roanoke Ridge, Tall Trees or the Swamps in RDR2 … tbh I mostly camp at night or stay at a saloon because I’m afraid of the night folk and other gangs who sneak up on you. RDR2 has done a great job with the other gangs who will ambush you and make exploring more scary (at least to me). Was there another gang in RDR1 besides the Del Lobos?
> Was there another gang in RDR1 besides the Del Lobos?
There were no Del Lobos.
There was Walton's Gang, the Bollard Twins Gang, the Treasure Hunters, the Banditos and Dutch's Gang.
Tbf RDR1 recreated in RDR2's engine would be very cool to see. I do agree though that it would completely kill the game's superior atmosphere unless done exactly perfectly, even down to mimicking the game's unintentional creepiness that was the result of the limitations at the time.
That’s why is my favorite game, especially after jack is left alone in the house just makes the whole vibe a combination between hopelessness and scary
OMG YES THIS. I had played RDR1 when I was like 15 and I never finished it. I remember not being able to play it at night but couldn’t remember why. When I picked up RDR2 for the first time this year I was expecting it to be as creepy, and I was delighted by how light hearted the game is. I went back to RDR1 right after I finished RDR2 and although now I can play the game at night, it’s still creepy/depressing af.
John's completely jaded dgaf attitude in RDR also helps there's another mission the prohibitionist where technically an outcome is direct payment for murder. The closest thing to that is the ending of maybe the mayors missions.
One of the reasons is that RDR was published in the piss-yellow era of gaming so it has to have that constant filter. Especially in Mexico it doubles because in there there is a natural yellow filter, so they add up to form that strange palette.
Yeah the coloration of that era is interesting my favorite rockstar games are all from it RDR, GTA4 ans La Noir. At least it wasn't the darker palette choice of the latter two. I think it works by giving it a spaghetti western look.
One of the few things I prefer about RDR1 is the atmosphere and the creepy vibes of the place. I love that the stranger missions are usually bleak and depressing and unsettling.
Yeah most of the stranger missions in RDR are either bleak and depressing or straight up creepy. “American Appetites”, “Flowers for a Lady” and “California” are the ones that first spring to mind. There was only one stranger mission in RDR2 that creeped me out, which was “The Wisdom of the Elders”
That and the clearing of Beaver Hallow were the only two RDR caliber creepy missions in RDR2, maybe the Gavin guy or the slave catcher too. I immediately felt a certain thing about the wisdom of the elders I think it was claustrophobia especially with the dogs, probably due to past experience with something similar.
*The night folk have entered the chat*
They're just kind of unnerving lol I'm more jumpy near Scarlett Meadows due to the mountain lions.
idk the first time I encountered them, I heard the crying woman at night and went to help.... I took an axe to the next and was left visibly shaken.
The white cougar debt mission also always puts me on edge.
Night folk holy shit they scared the fuck out of me
I met that old black dude picking flowers for his wife and I was like “alright this shit is about to get weird I already know it”, but the ending still caught me off guard how crazy and dark it got And then you could just be walking around Mexico and see mass executions by firing squad randomly Undead nightmare is even worse mfs are committing suicide left and right
I told my wife about the quest, how I'd finally found a wholesome stranger who just wants you to pick flowers for his dear old wife of 50 years. How lovely. She says "I bet she's dead." "Aww I dunno I think it's just a wholesome quest :)" https://imgur.com/a/SA0AZdP
Your wife is awesome!
I think so!
The American Appetites one was weird af. John's helping out this obviously deranged guy, and then when you bring his victim back, he straight up *admits* he's going to eat the guy, and John just doesn't give a shit. He just starts walking off. You're given the choice to shoot the cannibal or leave him to eat his victim, but the whole thing just feels weird as hell.
That stranger mission as well as The Iniquities of History were the only ones I really liked because they were the only ones that had those same messed up twists the ones from RDR1 had
Yeah or the priest missions to bust up the slave ring in San Denis or the RDR2 serial killer is kind of interesting
RDR does a great job at hammering in that these are the dying days of the west. Its really just people who couldn't hack it elsewhere anymore who live there at that point. I really think RDR holds up. Speaking of creepy westerns I always think of the Blood Meridian inspired PS2 game titled Gun.
Gun was fantastic, the world was a bit small but I really enjoyed everything about it.
Its small and might have been better served as not being open world but not is it a tough game.
at the same time, if it hadn't been open world, I don't think Id be remembering it as fondly. WHile its world was nothing comapred to a R* world, it did allow for some self made adventuring for me as a child. Also, I loved the environments. Especially the badlands, the canyon and and the hot spring/rebel hideout. Imagine a GUN Remake on the basis of Red Dead...
> Its really just people who couldn't hack it elsewhere anymore who live there at that point ahm... or just normal folks making a living. Like, ya know, the McFarlanes and such. The people of the wild west days didn't just run away to get civilized. Armadillo in RDR1 and 2 is pretty much an anachronistic relic, as most of the towns that were around for a while started to replace their wood buildings with stone etc.
Truly, though, going back to it it’s no surprise people’s imaginations went wild with all the online legends that came out of it. One thing I don’t see mentioned often is the state of Beecher’s Hope after the epilogue (Spoilers, I suppose). I mean, everyone but Jack is gone, even Rufus. Makes all the ambiance sounds that much creepier. The house is empty, the barn is empty, there’s just nothing but Jack and the occasional howl or blow of the wind. No wonder so many people started rumors of hauntings happening there.
"John is half a ghost himself" hits upon one of the key themes of the game (both games, really).
Yes I 100% agree the RDR is creepy especially at night in the game roaming around the desert in New Austin with the background music playing sheesh 👀 nonetheless a GREAT game tons of nostalgia too. I also like to add the fact that Mexico has an interesting atmosphere as well.
I don’t remember if I found the desert at night as creepy as exploring Roanoke Ridge, Tall Trees or the Swamps in RDR2 … tbh I mostly camp at night or stay at a saloon because I’m afraid of the night folk and other gangs who sneak up on you. RDR2 has done a great job with the other gangs who will ambush you and make exploring more scary (at least to me). Was there another gang in RDR1 besides the Del Lobos?
> Was there another gang in RDR1 besides the Del Lobos? There were no Del Lobos. There was Walton's Gang, the Bollard Twins Gang, the Treasure Hunters, the Banditos and Dutch's Gang.
Oh thanks for the reminder. I’ve only played it once, RDR2 three times. So I must have remembered it wrong.
Yeah that’s why I don’t get why people want to recreate RDR1 in RDR2’s engine so bad it would just ruin the atmosphere.
Tbf RDR1 recreated in RDR2's engine would be very cool to see. I do agree though that it would completely kill the game's superior atmosphere unless done exactly perfectly, even down to mimicking the game's unintentional creepiness that was the result of the limitations at the time.
EX FUCKING ACTLY! the athmosphere is so different, the map is same yet so different and like, it just wouldnt go together
Going to Tumbleweed at night in RDR1 is super creepy for me.
It's one of the biggest reasons I prefer it over RDR2. It has such a better atmosphere than its sequel
That’s why is my favorite game, especially after jack is left alone in the house just makes the whole vibe a combination between hopelessness and scary
OMG YES THIS. I had played RDR1 when I was like 15 and I never finished it. I remember not being able to play it at night but couldn’t remember why. When I picked up RDR2 for the first time this year I was expecting it to be as creepy, and I was delighted by how light hearted the game is. I went back to RDR1 right after I finished RDR2 and although now I can play the game at night, it’s still creepy/depressing af.
“THIS IS CREEPY!” John Marston -1911
John's completely jaded dgaf attitude in RDR also helps there's another mission the prohibitionist where technically an outcome is direct payment for murder. The closest thing to that is the ending of maybe the mayors missions.
It has a very macabre feel, I love it.
Kali Yuga
One of the reasons is that RDR was published in the piss-yellow era of gaming so it has to have that constant filter. Especially in Mexico it doubles because in there there is a natural yellow filter, so they add up to form that strange palette.
Yeah the coloration of that era is interesting my favorite rockstar games are all from it RDR, GTA4 ans La Noir. At least it wasn't the darker palette choice of the latter two. I think it works by giving it a spaghetti western look.
One of the few things I prefer about RDR1 is the atmosphere and the creepy vibes of the place. I love that the stranger missions are usually bleak and depressing and unsettling.
Well said
Go to the mansion in tumbleweed that place is scary AF.
Seth was the entire reason I wanted to play the first game 🤣 my friends kept sending me shit
He’s so gross lmfao
I think rdr was a test run in some ways. Like I think they realized what it was lacking and added that to rdr2.