Red Dead Redemption 2: Vestigia feels like a whole new game

I’m fairly confident that I can speak on behalf of Red Dead Redemption fans everywhere when I say that we’re all desperate for Rockstar to announce Red Dead Redemption 3. I’d imagine it’s a matter of when, not if. Then again, Rockstar could turn their sights to a brand new IP after the eventual reveal of Grand Theft Auto VI.

In the meantime though, fans continue to revisit the wonder that is Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar really created something special when they made this game. RDR2’s open world is so exquisitely detailed that fans are still finding new features to this very day. Just this week, one player spotted a rare event 600 hours into a playthrough, while another managed to work out how to trick an NPC into committing a crime. The modding community is also a huge part of helping RDR2 feel fresh. In fact, the new ‘Vestigia’ mod feels like a new game entirely.

Take a look at some of our favourite Red Dead Redemption 2 wins and fails below.

The ‘Vestigia’ mod is the work of Nexus Mods user no12mods which essentially heightens almost every aspect of RDR2’s open world from the weather to wildlife. The creator wrote, “‘Vestigia’ is a bit like four mods in one. But, at its core, it's about a problem I have with this game: despite all of its glorification of wilderness and attention to detail, its depictions of the yet-to-be-’civilised’ America can fall a little flat. The visuals, while beautiful, often feel a little too colourless and gritty to inspire and encourage exploration.”

“Wilderness, again, detailed as it is, often feels empty and lonely, instead of lush and inviting,” they continued. “Worst of all, there is the goddamn weather, often failing to provide anything more than background noise for missions, and that is only when it is not busy changing radically every five seconds. With these issues, it can sometimes be hard to see the vestiges of the era that Dutch and his gang want to hold on to.”

The mod does have ‘unfixable conflicts’ with a few other popular Nexus Mods, so it’s worth checking out that list before attempting to download and install. Otherwise though, all you need is Lenny’s Mod Loader and you can download ‘Vestigia’ for free.