Red Dead Redemption 2 may not be regarded by many fans as a horror game, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have some horror elements. After all, the Red Dead Redemption series has always been known by fans to incorporate supernatural and paranormal elements, and Red Dead Redemption 2 is no exception. These horror elements speckled throughout the game keep players on their toes and add some tension to outlaws’ adventures even in the middle of the wilderness or swamps.
In Arthur Morgan’s travels across the old west, he comes across some pretty unsettling places, unexplainable events, and creepy people. Some are downright threatening, while others are a mix of creepy and sad. From murderers to paranormal creatures, here are five of the most terrifying encounters outlaws can come across in Red Dead Redemption 2.
5 The Serial Killer
While Red Dead Redemption 2’s western world is home to countless thieves, gang members, and other outlaws, most of them have a reason for what they’re doing and don’t kill for fun. That’s why meeting the serial killer is horrifying; he’s violent seemingly for the sake of it, and he leaves evidence of his work throughout the world.
Arthur Morgan (or John Marston, in the epilogue) can uncover the mystery of the serial killer by finding his multiple crime scenes. Beneath a bridge in Valentine is the first of them: a corpse missing its head, with the head sitting nearby. The killer scribbled “Look upon my works” on the rocks, adding to the unsettling vibe of the scene. The other two crime scenes are similar. The player picks up a piece of a map at each one, leading them to the serial killer’s hideout. There, the killer attempts to kill Arthur or John, and the player must knock him out in a fight before taking him to the sheriff.
4 The Night Folk
The Night Folk are a highly aggressive, violent group that resides in the Bayou Nwa and Bluewater Marsh. Little is known about them since they never speak and almost only come out at night to rob or attack those who come across their territory. Members of the Night Folk wear tattered, dirty clothes, almost appearing like zombies.
Encountering the Night Folk is terrifying since they can appear out of almost nowhere in the swamps, emerging from the darkness with their strong melee weapons. To make them even more threatening, the Night Folk are some of the only enemies in the game that can kill the player in one hit. They are also one of the few enemies in the game that explicitly tries to kill the player’s horse.
3 Ghost Of Agnes Dowd
For the unsuspecting outlaw, coming across Agnes Dowd’s spectral, inhuman form in the swamp can be truly shocking. This ghost resides in Bluewater Marsh, only appearing late at night between the hours of 9 PM and 3 AM. When Arthur or John sees her, she recounts the story of her life, talking about her relationship with a man whom her parents rejected. Agnes has 16 unique encounters, each describing a different piece of her life story and her death.
That said, she never talks directly to the player during these encounters until after the sixteenth. In fact, she won’t even let the player come nearby, disappearing if they do. After sixteen encounters, though, the ghost leads Arthur to a tree, explaining that it was where she finally hung herself. Agnes Dowd’s story is not only creepy but tragic, too.
2 The Strange Man
The Strange Man first appeared in Red Dead Redemption and has been an iconic feature of the franchise since. In the first game, he visits John Marston, sending him on missions that test his morality. John attempts to shoot him, but the bullet goes right through him. This makes John, and the player, wonder if he’s a ghost or perhaps some sort of otherworldly being.
In Red Dead Redemption 2, players can visit The Strange Man’s cabin, which is home to a number of strange and unexplainable things. The mystery and lack of information surrounding The Strange Man are what makes him so creepy; his cabin is no less vague. Inside his cabin are a number of strange scrawlings, all describing a cholera outbreak. Paintings inside his cabin, too, strangely change based on the player’s honor.
1 Aberdeen Pig Farm
The Aberdeen Pig Farm seems at first to be a relatively unassuming location in Red Dead Redemption 2, nestled neatly in-between Lemoyne and New Hanover. The small farm is home to Tammy and Bray Aberdeen, who are sister and brother. Upon exploring the farm itself, though, players will note some strange things: despite this supposedly being a pig farm, there is not a single pig in the area! There is also a large pit just feet from the main building. These things are unexplained, it gives the pig farm unsettling energy.
While the location is creepy, the encounter players have if they choose to go inside is arguably even creepier. After Tammy and Bray Aberdeen invite Arthur inside, they offer him drinks. If he accepts, he keeps drinking until he passes out, and then wakes up in the pit with no money - the player has been robbed! Arthur soon finds out the pit where he woke up is in fact a mass grave, the place where the farm’s inhabitants throw their murdered victims. To make this story even more blood-curdling, Tammy and Bray Aberdeen’s characters are based on real people.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is currently available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
