Red Dead Redemption 2's fictionalized United States is ginormous, and the game's world is based on amalgamations of huge parts of the country. It's no secret that Lemoyne is based on Louisiana, for example, and New Austin on parts of the American southwest like western Texas and New Mexico.
Beyond the broad strokes, however, there are many direct parallels between in-game locations from singular sites to entire towns that Rockstar closely based on real-world places. Here's a breakdown of the Red Dead Redemption 2 locations most closely based on real-world counterparts, what they have in common, and why Rockstar might have included them in the game.
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Although it's now largely a tourist attraction, Tombstone, Arizona was once the site of some of the most famous incidents of Wild West legend. It was immortalized by the shootout at the O.K. Corral that took place between a group of outlaws and famous Old West gunslingers Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday in 1881. The event has been portrayed in movies like Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and Tombstone. Red Dead 1's Landon Ricketts is likely based on Earp himself judging by his looks, with his role in the Blackwater Massacre standing in for Earp's famous fight.
Tumbleweed, like Tombstone, is already a ghost town by the time Red Dead 1 takes place, and is in decline during the events of Red Dead 2. Both were once mining towns, and during their decline became hideouts for criminal gangs. As one of the Old West's most famous ghost towns, it's easy to see why Rockstar included a town based on Tombstone in its game.
In one of Red Dead 2's most direct parallels, Saint Denis is clearly based on New Orleans, Louisiana. Both names are French in origin, with Saint Denis a famous Parisian martyr who gave his name to one of the French capital's suburbs. The game's statue of JD McKnight is based on New Orleans' statue of Henry Clay.
Even the Saint Denis cemetery has a basis in reality. All of its tombs are above ground, which is common in its real-life counterpart due to the swampy environment making it difficult to bury bodies in the soil. Even the in-universe death of Officer Henry Jenkins and the local paper's suggestion that Angelo Bronte and Italian criminals were involved is based on the historical murder of Police Chief David Hennessy, and the infamous lynching which took place after the acquittal of several Italian-Americans.
Annesburg is largely based on Pittsburg, California. Historically, Pittsburg, CA was a coal mining town, and became known as the Black Diamond. The town's success led to the creation of the Black Diamond Coal Mining Railroad, which is paralleled in the trains that export coal from Annesburg. Coal towns like Annesburg were common along the Mississippi river as well. It's likely that locations like the Buxton Historic Townsite in Iowa provided inspiration too, as well as the many company towns that dotted America during the time Red Dead 2 is set.
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Braithwaite Manor in Lemoyne is an almost 1 for 1 recreation of the Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana. Braithwaite Manor sits on what was once a slave plantation just like the real-life Oak Alley sugarcane plantation. When the player returns to the manor in 1907, it seems the Braithwaite family has died out. Similarly, the early 20th century saw the owners of the Oak Alley Plantation struggle with its upkeep, exacerbated by a virus which destroyed much of its sugarcane crop. Above all else, however, Braithwaite Manor and Oak Alley Plantation both have recognizable Greek Revival architecture, and large oak trees leading up the path towards the main house.
Other likely inspirations include Houmas House Plantation and Whitney Plantation, both also in Louisiana. The latter was the filming location for Candyland in Django Unchained, which is likely one of the reasons Red Dead 2's developers were drawn to include a plantation manor location in their game.
Big Valley is based on Yosemite Valley, California. Although the similarities are more subtle than the direct references to real-world locations found elsewhere in Red Dead 2, there are some key clues. In both Big Valley and Yosemite Valley, Gray's Lupine wildflowers are common, adding a touch of purple to the green scenery. The name Big Valley likely comes from the '60s Western TV show The Big Valley, which took place in California.
Like Braithwaite Manor, the Old Tomb point of interest in Roanoke Ridge, New Hanover, is one of the game's more direct recreations of a real-life location. It's based on America's Stonehenge, found in Salem, New Hampshire. The fact that players can find Norse items in the Old Tomb is a reference to an early-20th century hoax where the site's owner William Goodwin claimed that the area was created by pre-Columbian Europeans in the Americas. In fact, it's believed that much of the modern site was probably created by Goodwin, but Red Dead Redemption 2's version appears to be the real thing.
Blackwater is one of the most important locations in Red Dead 2's story, the site of the infamous massacre that sends the Van der Linde gang on its downward spiral. The name most likely comes from Blackwater, Missouri, a 19th century trading town whose population has shrunk to just a few hundred by the 2000s. The towns have almost identical layouts, too, and the railroad and telegraph station in the game's version of Blackwater are recreations of the real town's. Blackwater's real-life counterpart may not have been the home of an infamous massacre like the version in Red Dead 2, but the town is one of few to retain the same layout and name as its real-life inspiration.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is currently available on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
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