Summary
- New Austin lacks content and comes last due to limited activities, focusing on barren lands and few settlements.
- Ambarino is visually stunning but lacks content, making it suitable solely for appreciating the scenery or hunting.
- Lemoyne shines with popular settlements, spooky swamps, and pivotal story moments making it essential for gameplay.
Red Dead Redemption 2 features five distinct fictional states, each with unique features that help them stand out in the game. Each state adds something special that breathes life into the game's world. From breathtaking landscapes to bustling towns, every state has something to offer for the players to enjoy during their exploration.
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However, certain states surpass their peers in terms of quality, size, and the availability of content. This naturally makes visiting some states more worthwhile than others. Therefore, this list ranks every state in Red Dead Redemption 2 from worst to best in terms of scenic beauty, content, and significance to the story.
This list contains spoilers for Red Dead Redemption 2's story.
5 New Austin
The Wild West
- Notable Locations: Tumbleweed, Armadillo, MacFarlane's Ranch
New Austin has the unfortunate honor of placing last on this list. Players can only access this state after completing the mission "Red Dead Redemption" and starting the epilogue as John Marston. The Red Dead Redemption 2 version of New Austin shows the barren lands and the lack of sprawling settlements.
Tumbleweed and Armadillo portray the Wild West excellently, but there aren't a lot of things to do in New Austin apart from stumbling upon gang hideouts. It is a nice trip down memory lane for players who have played Red Dead Redemption, but it lacks a lot of the content that makes the other states more enjoyable.
4 Ambarino
Where The Snow Falls
- Notable Locations: Wapiti Indian Reservation, Mount Hagen, Colter
Ambarino suffers the same problem as New Austin in Red Dead Redemption 2. It is probably the most visually stunning area in the game. However, there simply isn't enough content to warrant exploring Ambarino other than taking in the natural beauty of the state.
The picturesque sight of Mount Hagen, and the juxtaposition of snow and greenery, give Ambarino a vibrant ambiance. The lack of content and minimal involvement in the main story makes Ambarino a spot worth visiting only for mindless exploration or for hunting Legendary Animals.
3 Lemoyne
The Heart Of Civilization
- Notable Locations: Saint Denis, Rhodes, Braithwaite Manor, Caliga Hall, Lagras
Lemoyne is the smallest yet most populated state in the game. It contains some of the most popular settlements on the map, such as Saint Denis and Rhodes. The distinct landscape of Lemoyne is the abundance of swamps filled with dangers such as alligators and Night Folk.
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Lemoyne is one of the few areas where the game can give players the creeps. Exploring through areas such as Lagras and Bayou Nwa during the night is quite unsettling. Lemoyne is also home to the turning point of the story, and the gradual disintegration of the Van der Linde gang. Some of the most important moments in the campaign, such as Arthur's diagnosis, Hosea, Sean, and Lenny's death, and the gang's eventual retreat to Guarma take place in Lemoyne.
2 West Elizabeth
A Blend Of Nature and Modernity
- Notable Locations: Strawberry, Blackwater, Beecher's Hope, Pronghorn Ranch, Manzanita Post
West Elizabeth features beautiful areas such as Big Valley, Tall Trees, and the Great Plains. It perfectly mixes the rapid growth of modernization, in the form of Blackwater, and the natural beauty of the frontier. West Elizabeth has plenty of content for players to explore. This state is also a prime spot for hunting, as a variety of species can be found here.
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West Elizabeth serves a crucial role in the Van der Linde Gang's story, as the failed ferry heist in Blackwater sets the events of Red Dead Redemption 2 in motion. Players can eventually return to West Elizabeth and explore the remaining areas of the state upon starting the epilogue. West Elizabeth is a prime example of seamlessly blending the imminent rise of a new age with the remnants of the past.
1 New Hanover
The Biggest Of Them All
- Notable Locations: Valentine, Annesburg, Emerald Ranch, Van Horn Trading Post
New Hanover is the biggest and most recognizable state in Red Dead Redemption 2. The pure size of this state should satisfy any player's exploration needs. There are plenty of beautiful areas, such as The Heartlands, Emerald Ranch, and Roanoke Ridge. New Hanover is always brimming with content for players to experience.
Similar to Lemoyne, a lot of important story events take place in New Hanover as well, as it directly follows the prologue and features some of the story's biggest early moments. New Hanover is truly the peak of Red Dead Redemption 2's world design as it perfectly fulfills everything it aims to deliver.
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
