Red Dead Redemption 2: 8 Best Mods For Realism

The open world of Red Dead Redemption 2 is possibly one of the best realized in all of gaming. Since its release in 2018, the game has garnered attention and acclaim for how it brought the Wild West to life and allowed players to explore its vast wilderness. That is largely due to how real it feels to play. The game looks beautiful, and it gives players a lot of different ways to interact with it that feel grounded.

However, that doesn’t mean that it is perfect, as there are still plenty of smaller things that can break that realistic immersion. Whether it be a vampire that Arthur might meet in the wild or one of the few instances of the supernatural, there are smaller things that can make that realism feel a little weaker. Fortunately, for those players who want the game to be as close to the real world as possible, there are some mods out there that can help make it so. These are the best Red Dead Redemption 2 mods that make the game more realistic.

8 Red Dead Realism

A More Grounded World

• Makes NPCs more realistic
• Removes all supernatural/paranormal events
• Mod Link

The name of this mod tells everyone exactly what it is setting out to do: Make the game more realistic for anyone playing it. This is done in a few different ways, and it isn’t just done through improving the graphics. It does so by changing up some of the smaller details of the open world.

For instance, the game reduces the size of all the different gangs in the game. As the notes for the mod say, there are way more people that are in these various gangs than would have actually been the case during that time. As such, the mod reduces those numbers down to a small handful to keep the game in line with historical accuracy. It also takes out the side quest surrounding Francis Sinclair, a vampire, along with other paranormal-related events.

7 Photorealistic Graphics

Make The Best Graphics Even Better

• Somehow makes the already fantastic graphics even better
• Really helps the scenery pop
• Mod Link

Now, for many people, how real a game looks is going to be the most important part of making it more realistic. Surprisingly, Red Dead Redemption 2 can go even further in terms of how realistic its graphics look through the use of this mod.

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There are no gameplay changes that come with it; the mod is simply here to make the game look as natural as possible. It does so through reshading, recoloring, and making the game’s graphics truly shine. Players just need to be ready for some FPS drops that come with the graphical power needed to produce these visuals.

6 Humidity And Temperature Overhaul Final Cut

The Devil Is In The Details

• Subtly changes the way the environment interacts with characters
• This small change makes everything feel even more alive
• Mod Link

While there are a lot of little things that make the world of Red Dead Redemption 2 feel weighty, there are a few instances where things are bizarrely less interactive. One such instance is how humidity and moisture interact with Arthur. While there are some indications, overall, the game doesn’t really shine when it comes to how the character looks in these environments.

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This mod aims to change that by not only showing the physical ways that the weather can affect the way Arthur looks, but can also pose real threats. The mod adds different icons and symbols on the HUD to show what the temperature is and how much protection Arthur has against the weather.

5 Dark Nights

The True Darkness

• Makes the night darker to simulate real life
• Removes effects that may also brighten up the image
• Mod Link

If there is one thing that anyone who has spent time outdoors knows, it’s that the night is very dark. Like, “almost impossible to see anything without some kind of decent light source” dark. This doesn’t make for very entertaining games though, so many titles brighten up this time of day to make things easier for the player to navigate.

However, this mod is here, to change that. It makes the entire environment during the nighttime much darker, to the point where the player’s lantern won’t illuminate much more than a small circle around them. It also removes the vignette effect, which is another tool that is used to make the image just a little easier to see.

4 Ambient Gang

More Special NPCs For Everyone

• Brings more special characters to roam the world
• Adds some great characters from the first game
• Mod Link

Part of what makes Red Dead Redemption 2 so special is coming across a random NPC in the wilderness and interacting with them in some way. This mod makes that even more prominent by adding several special gangs from the first game into the sequel.

Beyond this, there are also the characters of Bill, Dutch, and Javier, who can be found in the first title out in the world, and these characters can even be playable if the player wishes to do so. This mod also adds gang hideouts for these new gangs, scattered all across the map. In all, the entire thing just adds so much to the ecosystem of the game

3 Camp Anywhere

Settle Wherever You Want

• Rest anywhere on the map
• Makes for some fun camp locations
• Mod Link

Throughout a player’s time in the game, they will have a camp that they will return to at various points. It is here that they can rest, heal their wounds, and take a breather from all the chaos that being a cowboy comes with. However, the game can be a little restrictive about where players can make their camps.

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With that in mind, this mod was created to give players the chance to camp anywhere they want; and it truly means anywhere they want. Whether it be out in the wilderness or atop a roof in one of the many cities, players can set up a campfire and relax wherever their heart desires. While this does open up the opportunity to break the game’s realism in some cases, removing the parameters around where Arthur camps brings the game more in line with a true Wild West lifestyle, where a cowboy can set up camp just about anywhere.

2 Dog Companion

Bring Company Out On The Plains

• Provides a delightful dog companion to take along for adventures
• A simple but fun mod
• Mod Link

It can get lonely out on the plains of Red Dead Redemption 2, and it’s nice to have something to keep Arthur company. Unfortunately, the game didn’t take inspiration from other titles like Fallout 4 and give players the chance to find an animal companion to take along with them.

Fortunately, this mod helps with that by giving players a dog friend to bring with them on their adventures. It doesn’t do a ton to change the gameplay, but the dog is cute, and it’s a nice addition to the game overall.

1 Gun Tricks

Add A Little Flair To Using Weapons

• Brings one of the online mode’s features to single-player
• Adds some fun flair to using the guns in the game
• Mod Link

One of the best parts of the online mode for the game is being able to do tricks with the pistols and various weapons available. This includes the classic spinning of a revolver on the character’s fingers. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a part of the base game when it really should have been included from the beginning.

That’s why this mod is so good, as it adds that ability to the single-player mode. Sure, it’s not a huge deal, and it won’t really change much for the player, but it’s a nice detail to be able to spin a gun to add a little flair after a gunfight. It really makes it feel like Arthur is in a big Hollywood western.

Released

October 26, 2018

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty