Red Dead Redemption 2 Animal Graphics Compared to GTA 5

With Grand Theft Auto 6 still several months away, and Red Dead Online support borderline nonexistent, Rockstar fans are killing time by comparing the animal models of Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5. As one would expect, Red Dead Redemption 2’s models are more impressive, though GTA 5‘s hold up fairly well for the most part.

Red Dead Redemption 2 having more detailed animals is logical for a few reasons. The first, and most impactful, is that Red Dead 2 launched on PS4 and Xbox One, utilizing the power of the newer console generation to its fullest. While GTA 5 was ported over to those consoles and shined brightly on them thanks to a handful of improvements, it debuted at the end of the PS3 and Xbox 360 era, and naturally has less impressive visuals than the Rockstar Games title that released years later. Additionally, by being a western and featuring a less advanced world, and with hunting being a proper mechanic, it makes sense for Red Dead Redemption 2 to hone in on its animals.

Red Dead Redemption 2’s Animals Are a Step Up… Especially Its Cougars

In the image comparison shared by Redditor Sufficient-Round6705, animals that feature in both games are depicted together. The critters in question are rabbits, boars, pigs, cows, wolves, and cougars. In particular, Red Dead Redemption 2’s rabbit stands out, as individual hairs can be seen as well as some snowfall on its back. Its ears are floppier, too, adding to the sense of realism. The farm life is very similar between the two games, only with Red Dead Redemption 2’s boasting more detailed skin, as the cow’s bones can be spotted through its leathery exterior. The wolves look markedly better in Red Dead Redemption 2 as well, with different shades on their fur making the models more lifelike.

For the most part, the takeaway is that Red Dead Redemption 2’s animal models look incredible, but GTA 5’s are better than one might expect from a 12-year-old game. However, the crime-focused open-world title does really show its age when it comes to the design of its big cat. Whereas Red Dead 2’s cougar looks as intimidating as the beast does in real-life, with its body reflecting both speed and power, the mountain lion in GTA 5 is — for the lack of a better word — quite goofy. Alongside some comically large paws, the feline’s eyes are gigantic, and its ears don’t quite look right. Combine this with the slightly dated textures and the animal has drawn the attention of several commenters.

While the cougar has quickly become a source of memes, even being compared to the dog animation from the original Toy Story by users like vespuci0, it’s really the only animal that stands out for the wrong reasons, highlighting Rockstar’s attention to detail yet again. And though Red Dead Redemption 2 has the edge in animal models for now, that will soon change, as GTA 6 is leveraging the power of the PS5 and Xbox Series X while boasting its own selection of wildlife. Some of the animals confirmed for GTA 6 are as follows:

• Boars
• Eels
• Sea Turtles
• Panthers
• Dolphins
• Sharks
• Deer
• Alligators
• Foxes
• Raccoons
• Ducks
• Dogs

With many more animals leaked and rumored, such as bears, whales, and snakes, GTA 6’s open-world will boast an even more interesting animal ecosystem than its sister series. And with more animals that can be directly compared between the games, such as alligators, the graphical fidelity of the latest Rockstar game should be easy to showcase.