Red Dead Redemption 2 to feature 200 animal species and realistic horse testicles

What a great time to be a gamer. More and more details are emerging for the upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2 and some of them seem straight up crazy. It seems like Rockstar are aiming for an incredibly realistic, simulation-style open world with “around 200 species of animal” available to be found. There’s also a lot of details circulating about horse testicles… yeah, no joke.

Back in August we got to see the debut gameplay footage for Red Dead Redemption 2. Amongst the jailbreaks, saloon brawls, and gunfights we also got to see Rockstar’s living and breathing world. The level of micro-details were staggering and the interactions you have with your horse made the game look more like a pet simulator than an Action/Adventure game. Your horse will need to be trained with different breeds of horse having different tempers. Some horses may spook more easily and some may struggle with different types of terrains.

Now that some outlets have managed to get their hands on a Red Dead Redemption 2 demo, more details surrounding the game’s horses have come out. And those details involve realistic horse testicle physics.

Originally discovered by Rockstar Intel and then corroborated by multiple other outlets, the game is reported to have dynamic horse testicles that respond to the game’s weather conditions. That means that in the cold, the horse’s testicles will shrivel, just like they would in the real world. The testicles will also sway and dangle with the movement of the horse. It’s certainly a ballsy inclusion.

The diverse habitats and climates of Red Dead Redemption 2 are home to around 200 species of animals, birds and fish, all of which behave and respond to their environment in a unique way. pic.twitter.com/asAB3yTRJB

— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) September 24, 2018

Rockstar have also revealed details surrounding the various other animals inhabiting the world of Red Dead Redemption 2. In a Tweet (above) they have suggested that roughly 200 species of birds, fish and other animals will inhabit the world. In a post to their website, they go into more detail:

“Deer, bison and pronghorn traverse the plains in large herds, scavengers quickly sniff out carrion, sockeye salmon leap upstream, wolves attack in packs surrounding their prey, geese fly in fixed formations, possums play dead, rodents scamper into tree hollows, grizzly bears bluff charge when threatened, and birds of prey soar on thermals”

The same post also outlines more details on the game’s fishing and hunting elements.

“Hunting and fishing are essential skills for survival in the wilderness, providing food, materials and a source of income. A huge variety of fish swim the many rivers, lakes and streams, and selecting the right bait or lure is key to a successful day’s haul. Tracking an animal takes focus and patience; move carefully and watch the wind direction or you will alert your prey.”

All in all, it seems like a game very dense with animal-based inclusions and mechanics. Are you excited?