Summary
- Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto series may have different settings, but they share a common theme of mystery that ties them together.
- Both games feature UFO sightings, with Mount Shann in Red Dead Redemption 2 and Mount Chiliad in GTA 5 being key locations for these mysteries.
- The Epsilon Program in GTA 5 and the Geology for Beginners mission in Red Dead Redemption 2 hint at a possible connection between the two games, with theories of time travel and hidden meanings.
Rockstar stands head and shoulders above many of its counterparts with its Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto series. Both series explore crime in different eras, with Red Dead Redemption 2 taking gamers back to the twilight days of the Wild West, while Grand Theft Auto explores a more modern timeframe. At first glance, there may not be many points of intersection between the Rockstar products due to their vastly different settings, but there's more to these games than meets the eye. Mystery is a plot dynamic that ties the titles together, and some plot lines stretch across the 100-odd-year setting gap between Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5.
RPGs may infuse some thriller elements in their gameplay to immerse players, and the Red Dead Redemption franchise is famous for its stumping head-scratchers that require gamers to look beyond the surface for relevant clues. All these years after its Red Dead Redemption 2 prequel took the world by storm with its revolutionary experience, players are still uncovering new explanations for certain happenings in the game, and some have been left unanswered. The Grand Theft Auto franchise typically doesn't have that many mysteries due to its action-dominated proceedings, but GTA 5 has a few Easter eggs in the course of its gameplay, and even some in common with Red Dead Redemption 2.
UFOs in Mounts Chiliad and Shann in GTA 5 and RDR 2
Fans of Rockstar games know the developer has been known to touch on UFOs, and the mystery sightings have been a feature in Rockstar titles since at least Grand Theft Auto 4. One would expect such elements to feature in more futuristic games like Cyberpunk 2077, and since the Red Dead Redemption franchise was set around the late 19th and early 20th centuries, seeing UFOs while playing as Arthur Morgan is quite a shock for most players. Mount Shann's mystery in Red Dead Redemption 2 draws parallels to that of Mount Chiliad in Grand Theft Auto 5 and is one of the many links between the two franchises.
Peeling back the curtains of the riddles in GTA 5 is slightly more challenging than Red Dead Redemption 2, but following a series of cryptic messages leads players to stand atop Mount Chiliad at 3 AM in the rain to witness the transfixing sight of a UFO in flight. The highest point of GTA 5's map, Mt. Chiliad has strange scrawlings near its peak showing the mountain and three symbols; a UFO, an alien egg, and a person wearing a jetpack.
In Red Dead Redemption 2, there's more than one UFO appearance, with Hani's Bethel and Mount Shann being areas of interest. Located in The Heartlands of New Hanover, Hani's Bethel is a cabin that holds the jarring scene of multiple corpses, where a piece of paper detailing a Mysterious Sermon references a savior called Kuhkowaba. If players heed the letter telling them to return at the second hour under the half moon, a UFO will appear and hover over the cabin for a few seconds with a soft green light before disappearing.
Heading to the peak of Mount Shann reveals another UFO, this time in the distance, and there are rumors of a third UFO sighting by some parts of Red Dead Redemption 2's playerbase. Not much is known about these alien objects or why they appear in both Rockstar games, but the developer has an uncanny ability to hide its details, and gamers are hopeful for a comprehensive explanation connecting the plot lines of the titles to the UFOs. Another mystery connecting GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 is that of the Kraffs, and questions have arisen about the parentage of some characters in both franchises.
The Epsilon Program Links RDR 2 and GTA 5 Together
Grand Theft Auto's Epsilon Program has been a feature of the series since San Andreas, and according to founder Cris Formage, Kraff was the Emperor of the fourth Paradigm. The details of what makes Kraff so revered in society are unclear, but he is a core part of the cult's beliefs, and it is said that anybody with a birthmark over their right eye is a descendant of Kraff. The deity is believed to be capable of mystical powers, although he never appears physically in the franchise.
The Epsilon Tract collectibles contain multiple allusions to Kraff in GTA 5, with the most significant lore-tying piece telling players the cult worships Kraff when the Earth reaches out to the ninth Paradigm. Curiously, this collectible lies at the top of Mount Chiliad, where the UFO mystery has its roots, hinting at a possible connection. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the Geology for Beginners mission introduces players to Francis Sinclair, a man living in a cabin north of Strawberry. Francis bears a birthmark over his right eye, which could be deemed coincidental but for a few strange connections later in the mission line.
While completing the mission, players will come across rock carvings depicting futuristic images, similar to those at Mount Chiliad in GTA 5. Investigating the members of the Epsilon Program in GTA 5, Carpa Tom is a person of interest in this mystery as he resembles Francis Sinclair. The Geology for Beginners mission in RDR 2 brings gamers face-to-face with Francis' mother, who explains his father, Tom, recently died. A prevailing theory in the Rockstar fanbase is that Tom and Francis are time travelers, and players will be hoping for more clarity about such mysteries in GTA 6 and Red Dead Redemption 3.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.