The massive open world of Red Dead Redemption 2 gives you many things to do, even after beating the best parts of the nearly 50-hour story. Additional content can extend your playthrough to even twice the amount of time you spent on the events surrounding Arthur Morgan. You likely won't be able to tackle everything that exists in the game until later, as you explore even more of this Wild West RPG.
[Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Red Dead Redemption 2.]One of the best ways to explore extra content you may have missed on your map is to get the fastest horse in Red Dead Redemption 2 to travel quickly to undiscovered areas. While you will unlock fast travel at some point, many activities found after the credits roll are hidden deep in the open world. From hunting legendary animals, searching for dinosaur bones, and collecting new guns, you have plenty of options.
12 Explore New Austin
Hunt Animals & Discover Secrets
The New Austin map in Red Dead Redemption 2 is locked until you complete the main story, making it the perfect place to visit once you beat the game. While you may parts of this location from the original Red Dead Redemption, the town looks very different in the past. Feel free to visit familiar spots like Armadillo, Tumbleweed, and MacFarlane's Ranch to see gorgeous new details.
Red Dead Redemption & RDR2's Complete Story, Explained
The full Red Dead Redemption timeline is vast, as RDR and RDR2 cover a span of 15 years and many major events. Here's everything, explained.
New Austin has a variety of new animals to hunt and a ton of different secrets to uncover, as you may expect from any revealed location in Red Dead Redemption 2. Having a wide area to immerse yourself in during the epilogue is a great way to start another adventure by uncovering this late-game content.
11 Pay Respects
Visit Old Friends
Unfortunately, many of the Van der Linde gang die during the events of Red Dead Redemption 2, and some even away in between the years before you switch control between Arthur Morgan and John Marston. You can visit all nine graves of your former friends to earn the "Paying Respects" achievement/trophy while ing the moments you had with each person.
Those having trouble finding the location of every grave should check out a video from YouTube creator GTA Series Videos that shows where each Van der Linde member was buried.
10 Say Hello To Old Friends as John
Reconnect With Friends
On a more positive note, you can meet plenty of people, such as John Marston from the Van der Linde days, who are still alive! Reconnecting with old friends will help you learn where everyone is at after the many years that transpired once the credits finish for Red Dead Redemption 2. While you do meet up with Uncle, Abigail, and Jack at Beecher's Hope, there are other gang to still find in the world.
You may track down Pearson in Rhodes or Mary-Beth in Valentine, but one gang member with the best ending is Tilly, who is living in Saint-Denis. Tilly has a wonderful home and family that have allowed her to live well since you met the NPC while playing Arthur. Those hoping for the best conclusions for the many characters in the game may be satisfied to see at least one happy.
9 Complete Stranger Missions
Revisit Strangers
Similarly, John Marston can visit many people Arthur Morgan interacted with and see how their lives have changed since those encounters. Some quests tied to these characters can only be completed during the epilogue once the final showdown has ended. Some Stranger Missions can only be finished as John, which should encourage you to tie up as many loose ends as possible.
RDR2 Characters You Never Knew Were Hiding Disturbing Secrets
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a gritty game about outlaws in the wild west, but some of its creepiest secrets come from seemingly law-abiding citizens.
Many of the stories of side quest characters depend on how you treated them in the past. The situation of a character you meet later, John, could be very different if they were treated with kindness or hostility as Arthur. It can be interesting to see the consequences of your earlier actions come to fruition in the face of real people whose lives you impacted from another time.
8 Solve All Treasure Maps
X Always Marks The Spot
There are five different treasure maps in Red Dead Redemption 2 that hint at troves of hidden loot you can find throughout the game's open world. The only clue you ever get with a treasure map is scrawled with small drawings and arrows depicting landmarks in the world. You have to recognize places you've seen while traveling, but solving some of the maps you get can be tough.
For those having trouble solving a treasure map's clues, watch the above video by YouTube creator WatsonKHD for a visual guide on where to find all the hidden treasure on each map!
Every map leads to a horde of gold and money, allowing you to raise your cash by a large amount for each one you solve. The five treasure maps you can find are called:
- High Stakes Treasure
- Poisonous Trail Treasure
- Les Tresor Des Morts Treasure
- Sketched Map Treasure
- Jack Hall Gang Treasure
Some of these treasures have multiple clues you need to find before you can even discover the loot tied to them. to listen to certain characters and pay attention to landmarks you in your travels to gain relevant information tied to what a treasure map is pointing towards. Those who solve every treasure map can get up to $7,000 for their efforts, setting them up for anything they want to do for the rest of the game.
7 Hunt Legendary Animals
Get Rare Gear
Some of the rarest outfits and gear in Red Dead Redemption 2 are tied to legendary animals, which Arthur Morgan may not have been able to fully collect before the finale. John can certainly finish Arthur's work, as you take down every type of beast that your old friend couldn't meet. As you customize your costume selection, new options for John's look could be a worthwhile investment at the end of the game.
Legendary animals in Red Dead Online are also just as prevalent as the ones in the base game. You can even hunt some beasts in the online version of the game to make it easier to find them in the main campaign as John.
Hunting a legendary animal can take some time, making this a fun activity that will give you something to pursue as you create truly ridiculous clothes. Unique pieces of John's outfit are only made from these rare creature parts, so there are no other ways to make these items without doing a bit of hunting.
6 Buy Every Available Upgrade
Improve Anything To Its Max
The first time you finish Red Dead Redemption 2, you may not have been able to upgrade every item you could, from fashion choices to your permanent gear. For example, Satchel upgrades that give you more inventory space can be bought with progressive improvements throughout the game. Getting these to their maximum level can make it more convenient for John to carry valuable items around as he travels.
You'll need to get better at hunting to get the Pelts needed for Satchel upgrades, so make sure you pay attention to what items you need in the "Crafting Upgrades" menu.
Weapon upgrades can also be incredibly powerful as you try to tackle challenges you couldn't complete in the main campaign. Improving your arsenal may take time, but the epilogue gives you plenty of time to dedicate to enhancing your weapons. Try to take on the more dangerous Gang Hideouts in Red Dead Redemption 2 that appear in the epilogue once you upgrade all your guns to be at their strongest.
5 Complete Challenges
Test Your Skills
Anyone looking for more objectives at the end of Red Dead Redemption 2 should check their current stats from the Menu, which displays challenges they may still have to complete. These tasks range from robbing people to mastering survival techniques, which create more games to play rather than simply enjoying scenery. According to YouTube creator GTA Series Videos, there are multiple requirements for many challenges.
4 Kill The Last Carolina Parakeet
See a Weird Easter Egg
An endangered species can be eliminated if you kill the last Carolina Parakeet in Red Dead Redemption 2. This bird went extinct around the same time the game takes place, but you can be personally responsible for its erasure from this period. An interesting and historic Easter Egg, this task may seem cruel, but nature would take its course anyway.
3 Collect All Horses
Tame Stallions
There are plenty of different horse breeds in Red Dead Redemption 2 that you can only tame once you reach the epilogue. Some exist in the wilds of the open world, while others are found at Stables for pretty expensive prices. You may have to build up your money before trying to add every type of stallion into your collection, especially for two of the rarest mares in the game, the White Arabian and Bay Mustang.
Some horses can only be purchased and tamed within the Stable where they are bought, while others may only be befriended at specific locations on the map.
