Watch how closely Red Dead Redemption 2's animals mimic their real-world counterparts

Red Dead Redemption 2's world was painstakingly created to mimic the real world.

Even years on from release, the details Rockstar packed into Red Dead Redemption 2 continue to inspire and surprise us. Hunting was a major component of the experience, but it's something many likely avoided.

In order to get these hunts to feel right, Rockstar modelled animal behaviour into the game AI, so that the wildlife can independently function without any input from players. The developer created 200 species of animals, and spent a lot of time figuring out how they could interact with the world and other species.

This is made clear by observing how animals behave. Youtube channel Red Dead Online Guides posted a brief side-by-side comparison showing real-world animals next to their Red Dead Redemption 2 counterparts, both hunting a prey.

There's a longer version showing some of the rarest interactions with in-game animals, including a standoff with a bear. Hit the link above to see it.