Home, home on the range. Building Beecher’s Hope in the epilogue of Red Dead Redemption 2 is a wonderfully bittersweet way to end the tragic game. We all know the ill fate that will befall John and his family, but there’s joy and warmth in building the ranch with Uncle and Charles. There's just still so much to do once you've beaten the game, it's great.
You can even go to the area in Red Dead Online and find the crappy shack and craggy land in an absolute state before John comes and fixes it up. There are a number of hidden details about the Marston family ranch. Some of the more interesting and useful ones are detailed below.
10 You Can Earn Money By Doing Chores
Once you’ve finished the epilogue, you’ll be pretty flush with cash. But, more money is still nice. Well, John really can turn his back on the outlaw life and earn money just by being a good farmhand. Of course, there are other ways to earn money.
Like the other camps, there are white dots that indicate chores that need to be done. Keep doing them and you’ll fill a wagon full of goods that John can take to town and sell for a tidy profit. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?
9 The House Gets More Furnished As You Progress
If you just blitzed through the epilogue as fast as possible then this is an easy detail to miss. The house actually gets more homely with each mission you do. Slowly but surely, the bedroom gets nicer, furniture gets added, and the place is generally tidied up. Of course, some residents leave as well, but in the end, the house looks like a lovely place fr John to live with his family.
8 A Trio Of Wolves Will Continually Spawn Near The Entrance
If you want to earn some easy cash and aren’t squeamish, you can take advantage of a tri of wolves that continuously spawns in front of the ranch. The trio of wolves may be more than just a frequent wildlife spawn though. They could symbolize Jack, Arthur, and John, three orphans who live the outlaw life together.
This may be a bit of a reach, but Rockstar has used animal symbolism elsewhere in the game, with rats spawning in the shack near Micah’s corpse to indicate he is the one who ratted the gang out to the Pinkertons.
7 You Can Get Some Alone Time With The Mrs.
Rockstar games have always shocked parents due to the presence of intercourse in their games. Well, apart from being able to eavesdrop on Sean and Mary Beth, there really isn't any in Red Dead Redemption 2. Considering most of the outlaws barely even bathe, it's probably for the best they don't knock boots too often.
This can change once you get to Beecher's Hope a married man, however. You can trigger a cutscene where John and Abigail will go into the bedroom and John will wake up in his PJs rather than his normal clothes. Not quite the R-rated car bouncing action of previous Rockstar titles, but a fun moment nonetheless.
6 New Campfire Songs
Sitting around the campfire during the earlier chapters of the game was always a delight. People would drink, sing, dance, and just generally be free and merry. That, of course, changes in the latter part of the game after Guarma, so the return of it at Beecher's Hope is welcome.
The epilogue really is a time of hope and respite after the miserable slog of Arthur's final moments. Jack will play the harmonica and Uncle and Abigail will sing a duet together. It's nice to sit, as John, and just watch everyone be happy for a while.
5 It Takes Forever To Be Able To Shave There
Changing outfits and hairstyles is a great addition to the sequel. But, if you prefer a clean-shaven John, don’t expect to get rid of his beard anytime soon. It is impossible to shave him at Beecher’s Hope until the epilogue is finished and all the amenities in the house are finally installed.
You can, of course, still go to a barber and pay to get a cut, but this isn’t as free or convenient as being able to shave at home. Weird thing to be left out of the ranch for so long, maybe John loved the beard but Abigail hated it.
4 You Are Warned Against Bringing The Law There
It’s hard to turn your back on the outlaw life forever. If in the sequel you find yourself in trouble with the law and near Beecher’s Hope, a message will appear on screen advising you to avoid leading them to the ranch. If you ignore this and continue home, eventually the game will fade to black and you’ll wake up by the fire.
It’s sort of a soft “game over”. If you stay just inside the fence and shoot at the lawmen you’ll get insta-killed. Rockstar really doesn’t want you bringing any trouble to the home front.
3 Rufus Will Attack Lawmen, Good Boy
The wild animals in the game feel like living, breathing things, and Rufus is no exception. If you stay outside the fence but have bounty hunters on your tail, a white dot will appear on your map. That’s Rufus, the dog you buy for Jack. He’ll run out of the ranch and nip at the heels of whoever is hot on your tail. What a good boy, the best boy, really. This is another great detail that really sets Rockstar apart from their competition.
2 Uncle’s Beer Cow Fantasy
If you venture into the barn while Uncle is in there milking a cow, he may start a conversation with you about how he wishes he could find a cow that would produce beer. He says it would make him rich, and if he couldn’t sell the idea he’d just go and live in a little cabin somewhere, just him and his Beer Bessie. That is a sweet dream for Uncle, a man who truly knows what he wants.
1 You Cannot Bring Dead Bodies There
Some particularly twisted or vengeful players may try to take bodies back to the ranch. Namely, they may want to present the body of Micah — who remains rotting in the snow where you left him — to the remnants of the gang.
Rockstar foresaw this apparently, because as soon as you cross the threshold with his body, or any dead body for that matter, it’ll drop to the ground. You’ll be met with a message telling you not to bring dead bodies back to Beecher’s Hope and an honor drop to really rub salt into your wounds. Maybe this was done so that there was a proper reason Beecher's Hope wasn't overrun at the start of Undead Nightmare, one of the best zombie games ever made.