Is Elden Ring‘s Map Really Bigger Than Red Dead Redemption 2‘s?
In terms of pure scale – yes, the Lands Between does edge out America by a few virtual square miles. But when it comes to bringing a world to life, from terrain to towns, RDR2 sets the benchmark. This analysis will compare these dueling 2022 open world titans on the measure that matters most: how their sprawling maps encourage adventure.
Elden Ring‘s Lands – Vastness and Verticality
From Software‘s Elden Ring invites players into its Lands Between to traverse its 30.5 square mile map on horseback or by foot. This adds up to 79 km^2 – handily larger than legendary open worlds like Grand Theft Auto V‘s 49 mi^2.
Elden Ring‘s Lands Between dwarfs Grand Theft Auto V‘s San Andreas
And yet, the Lands Between feels even more expansive thanks to its design. Sweeping vistas, diverse biomes, and hidden dungeons offer endless intrigue. Rather than long rides through empty space, something compelling lurks around every corner.
This density of content makes Elden Ring‘s vastness shines. Its legacy dungeons like Stormveil Castle contain as much gameplay as entire early game areas in past FromSoft titles. And the seamless open world ensures sights unseen fuel player‘s hunger for exploration. Where a more barren, boring stretch of land might test one‘s patience, here, another crypt, castle, or crystalline cavern awates discovery.
Vertically, Elden Ring also gifts players feet and feet to traverse. Its skyscraping boss arenas, mulit-tiered Crystal Tunnels, and towering Divine Towers push verticality to new heights. The Lands Between always finds another layer to uncover simply by looking up.
The joy comes not just from going wide, but plumbing the depth of what FromSoftware has crafted.
Red Dead Redemption 2 – Width and Width Alone
America circa 1899 spans over 75 square miles in Rockstar‘s tour de force open world sequel. Much of this comes from the faithful recreation of America‘s varried terrain – from snowy mountains to bayou wetlands.
Red Dead Redemption‘s 2 America dwarf‘s even the whole state of GTA V‘s San Andreas
Make no mistake, this is a wide open sandbox. But what makes Read Dead Redemption 2 groundbreaking lies more in the life within in.
From townsfolk bustling through settlements to bands of outlaws emerging from the wilderness, surprises populate each inch of the map. Expertly crafted stranger missions based on location, time, and circumstance further the illusion players have stepped back in time. The simple act of riding from region to region offers endless emergent gameplay and dynamic encounters.
Much like the lauded original Read Dead Redemption, this sequel strives not just for geographical accuracy, but historical authenticity in its ambient life. From horseback, players experience the rhythm of a land still untamed by modern convinces. Just one more minute of wandering leads to stumbling across a cacophony of entertainments both system-crafted and purely organic.
Scale Comparison – Elden Ring‘s Density Emerges Ahead
The pure numbers tell one story – Elden Ring‘s Lands sit firmly ahead of Red Dead Redemption 2‘s America in terms of in-game sqaure mileage.
| Elden Ring Map Size | Red Dead Redemption 2 Map Size |
|---|---|
| 79 km^2 | 75 mi^2 |
| 30.5 square miles | 75 square miles |
But a perhaps more telling metric comes from how players engage with these spaces. Completion percentage rates shed light on what actually compels gamers to keep pushing the boundaries of the map.
- 7.9% of Elden Ring players on PlayStation have completed the entire game, earning its Platinum trophy
- In contrast, only 1% of Red Dead Redemption 2 players on PlayStation have unlocked its Platinum trophy
The density and variety of Elden Ring appears to drive more players to full completion. While Read Dead offers a wider frontier, the components of FromSoftware‘s finely tuned adventure proves more compelling mile after mile.
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Fan video visually comparing the scale of Elden Ring to other notable open world games
The booming success of Elden Ring along with Red Dead Redemption 2‘s enduring legacy cements 2022 as a high water mark for virtual tourism. These paired open world masterpieces each deliver their own thesis on how to compel players to crest one more hill in anticipation of what lies just out of frame.
As with so much in gaming, we find value in the discourse contrasting these distinct approaches. How do Elden Ring‘s condensed layers of mystery hold up while trotting across RDR2‘s lifelike America? Is a detailed acre truly richer than an empty mile? The joy comes not from definitive answers, but exploring all that lies in between.
