RDR2's Horseback Riding Indistinguishable from Video on an Actual Horse
Horseback riding in Red Dead Redemption 2 is incredibly realistic. However, that concept was driven home even more by a recent Redditor's post of actual horseback riding. The result is nearly indistinguishable from the game, further displaying the high attention to detail given to the visuals and animations within the 2019 Rockstar title.
Upon Red Dead Redemption 2's launch, high praise was given by fans and critics alike to the detail within Rockstar's open-world western. One particular feature that has been praised for its level of realism in Red Dead Redemption 2 has been its portrayal of horses. Rockstar seemed to be determined to make the in-game equestrians feel as much like real animals as possible, rather than simply a method of transportation, and implemented this from the way they react to changes in temperature or dangerous terrain. The realism was only further enhanced by using motion capture and a Hollywood stunt horse named Blanco to create realistic animations.
It should come as no surprise then that when Redditor Facial_Fetuss shared a video in which they spliced real footage of themselves on horseback and footage of the first-person in-game horseback riding in Red Dead Redemption 2 together, the results were nearly indistinguishable. This led to fellow Redditors praising the horse mechanics, with horse-enthusiast Electrical-Position3 calling them the "best horse mechanics in any videogame so far" and listing the "horses' anatomy detail, the gait depending on the breed, the eyes, the tongue, the veins, the teeth [and] even the sweat" as their particular highlights, and user Cannasseur agreeing, stating that "No game has been able to get near RDR 2 horse mechanics and visuals." The original post can be found below:
Although most of the small, world-enhancing, features were not instantly noticeable upon playing through the main campaign, fans did enjoy spotting them when free-roaming in Red Dead Redemption 2's vast western map. From bodies that decayed over time when left out in the sun to troughs of water draining when shot with an arrow, or the way traces of blood, dirt, or snow clings to clothing depending on the player's actions and where they've explored lately, these small yet highly acclaimed features added further depth and realism to the game world, making for a richer experience.
The fact that Red Dead Redemption 2's still being praised for its attention to detail, realistic graphics, and animations despite being released on last-generation consoles is a testament to the hard work its developers put into crafting such a rich game world. As 2019's Red Dead Redemption 2 was the last major offering from Rockstar that wasn't a remake or a remaster, fans are eager to see this level of detail brought to the open-world gameplay in Rockstar's next project, the recently announced Grand Theft Auto 6.
Source: Facial_Fetuss/Reddit