Red Dead Redemption 2 Modder Realistically Overhauls the Game’s Economy

Despite a large section of the community having recently held a funeral for Red Dead Redemption 2’s online element, it seems that the game’s single-player experience is still going strong thanks to modders.

Despite the title’s massive focus on realism, with everything up to and including the horse testicle shrinkage showcased throughout its wild west world designed to accurately reflect real life, it seems that one of these modders has decided that this isn’t enough.

After all, how realistic can a game be if you’re not getting charged a fairly historically accurate price for a bath or some chewing tobacco?

The Price Is Now Red Dead Right

The mod that makes the changes necessary for you to dial your immersion up to 100 is called ‘Realistic Economy Rebalance’ and is the work of modder saravaksa2, whose previous mods enact some other realistic changes to NPC loadouts and hunting.

This newest work seeks to have the same effect on the game’s brand of capitalism, with item prices, consumable effects, and ammo limits being edited to reflect reality a little better, while still remaining balanced.

So, what’s changed? Well, a lot.

For instance, if you finish your latest gunfight and head to a gun store to restock, you’ll find that you’re paying more for ammo and acquiring less of it, in addition to paying more for certain weapons that would be uncommon at the time, with the same applying to mods like scopes.

Luckily, you might be able to make some of that back by selling your horse, with common breeds now netting you 50% more cash, which you may need if you fancy upgrading to an uncommon breed, which will now cost more.

Credit: Image via Mobygames.

There are some upsides, with healing your wounds via provisions and medicines now being slightly more economical. As well as this, certain items like cigarettes and moonshine gaining more effective buffs to offset nerfs of things like chewing tobacco and partially consumed bottles of medicine.

Animal parts have also seen some significant changes in value, with certain animals being worth more in carcass form than as a pelt or hide, forcing you to consider changing the way you hunt certain creatures like deer and reptiles.

If all that maths has you exhausted and hunting down a hotel to grab a snooze or drink, there’s more bad news, as hotel room rents and bath prices have both gone up, while the price of a meal or drink will depend upon how swanky and upmarket your choice of establishment is.

Thankfully, things like haircuts and clothing are left largely unchanged, so your head shouldn’t completely explode, which is important, as you’ll need it to remember to grab the massive mod ‘WhyEm's DLC’ before installing, as it’s required to make the economy rebalance function as intended.

So, don your stetson, prep your wallet and make sure to follow us for coverage of the wacky worlds of Skyrim and Elden Ring modding.