How Big Would the RDR2 Map Be in Real Life?
As an open world enthusiast and avid Red Dead Redemption fan, I was awestruck when I first loaded into the vast map of RDR2. As Arthur Morgan, you awake to find yourself in the rugged heart of America circa 1899 – smack dab in the twilight years of the age-old Wild West frontier.
This untamed landscape stretches as far as the eye can see. You can travel non-stop for minutes, hours across its summit. The scope is unrivalled. You‘d be forgiven for not realizing initially that the playable land mass encompasses over 75 square miles in total area.
To comprehend the sheer scale, let‘s compare it to some real world locations:
The Entire Country of Liechtenstein Fits
That‘s right – the RDR2 map is actually larger in size than the country of Liechtenstein. Spanning approximately 62 square miles in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland, Liechtenstein would neatly tuck into Red Dead‘s vast terrain.
Over 6% the Size of Rhode Island
One of America‘s original 13 states, Rhode Island weighs in as the smallest in total area, covering around 1,200 square miles of gorgeous New England landscape. Red Dead‘s 75 square miles would occupy over 6% of it.
5 Times Larger than The World of Skyrim
As one of the most acclaimed and successful open world games ever made, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim offers a kingdom around 15 square miles to get lost in. Red Dead‘s frontier is around 5 times bigger.
Nearly Double the Size of Breath of the Wild‘s Hyrule
Nintendo‘s open world magnum opus lets you explore the kingdom of Hyrule spanning approximately 45 square miles. Red Dead‘s map again nearly doubles it.
Let‘s see how the biggest open worlds compare:
| Game | Estimated Map Size |
|---|---|
| RDR2 | 75 square miles |
| Breath of the Wild | 45 square miles |
| Skyrim | 15 square miles |
| GTA V | 29 square miles |
Armed with this context, when you set forth on journeys through Red Dead 2‘s Old West, the scale seems almost fantastical. The diversity of landscapes and ecosystems on display here impress at every corner. Lush wide open prairies, dense mountain ranges capped in snow, thick boreal forests and murky southern bayous each house unique plants and wildlife. It‘s teeming with activity everywhere you travel. Fundamentally, it sets a new high watermark for immersive open world design that interacts with you at every opportunity.
The full realization of this incredibly vast and dynamic setting left my jaw on the floor. Hats off to Rockstar for delivering what has to be considered one of gaming‘s greatest ever technical and artistic achievements. It‘s a benchmark that will influence the design of living open worlds for years to come. Saddle up, there are adventures to be had!
Let me know your thoughts on RDR2‘s epic open world scale in the comments below! Was it as impressive to you exploring it the first time as it was for me? Where does it rank among your favourite gaming maps?
