How Long Does the RDR2 Epilogue Last? A Deep Dive
As a passionate gamer and creator in the gaming space, I‘m often asked – just how long is Red Dead Redemption 2‘s epilogue chapter? After multiple playthroughs, I estimate it lasts around 6-8 hours depending on your playstyle. That might seem surprising given the already lengthy 60+ hour main story, but let me break down exactly what the epilogue contains.
A Complete Overview of RDR2‘s Epilogue Parts
RDR2‘s epilogue is comprised of two main parts that take place 8 years after the climax of Arthur Morgan‘s story. Together they contain around 11 core story missions:
Epilogue Part 1: Pronghorn Ranch
- 7 Story Missions
- Rebuild John Marston‘s ranch
- Interact with Abigail & Jack again
Epilogue Part 2: Beecher‘s Hope
- 4 Story Missions
- Build the house at Beecher‘s Hope
- Confront Micah Bell, Dutch van der Linde
So in total you can expect about 6-10 hours of meaningful narrative content and open world exploration as John Marston. Let‘s analyze the key details of what you‘ll experience as both epilogue parts unfold:
Epilogue Gameplay Hours
| Content | Estimated Time |
|---|---|
| Main Story Missions | 3-4 hours |
| Stranger Side Missions | 1-2 hours |
| Challenges | 30-60 minutes |
| Collectables/Exploration | 1-3 hours |
| Total | 6-8+ hours |
As you can see in the table above, while the critical path story content is around 3-4 hours, you can easily spend 6+ hours tied up in side adventures, challenges, exploration and more.
Why RDR2 Has Such a Long Epilogue
With so much left after Arthur Morgan‘s arc finishes, you may wonder – why is the RDR2 epilogue so lengthy? There area a few key reasons:
Provides Closure for the Gang Members
- Let‘s you see Sadie Adler, Charles Smith, and other‘s fates
- Brings finality to Dutch‘s gang story
Transitions the Protagonist to John Marston
- Establishes John for events in original Red Dead Redemption
- Introduces new horse, weapons, and abilities
Offers More Gameplay and an Extended Sendoff
- Chance to freely explore as John, finding collectibles
- Complete challenges that Arthur couldn‘t finish
- Satisfying capstone to 80+ hour journey
Personally, I loved diving deeper into John Marston‘s story and the chance to soak in more of RDR2‘s glorious open world. And for those wondering – yes, you can keep playing RDR2 after beating the epilogue! Free roam remains open.
What Happens After Finishing the Epilogue?
Once the credits roll on Red Dead Redemption 2‘s epilogue chapter, you unlock:
- Continued Free Roam – Keep exploring, taking bounties, etc
- John‘s Alternate Outfits – Unlock John‘s classic RDR1 outfit
- Post Game Side Quests – Stranger missions, item requests and more open up
So fear not, outlaws…there‘s still plenty to in the vast open world even after Dutch, Micah, and John‘s stories come to a close.
Summary: Satisfying Closure to an Epic Journey
In the end, I found RDR2‘s 6-8 hour epilogue to be the perfect extended sendoff to one of gaming‘s greatest stories. It offers pivotal closure in the gang‘s fractured relationships while handing the gunslinging torch from Arthur Morgan to John Marston.
And with tons of open world activities left after the credits, like horse breaking and bounty hunting, you can easily get another 5-10 hours out of the complete experience before setting off for part 3 (Red Dead Redemption).
So I hope this deep dive helped explain exactly what Red Dead Redemption 2‘s meaty epilogue contains. Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions – I‘m happy to lend my insights as a hardcore fan!
