The Digestive System of Red Dead Redemption 2: A 14-Day NPC Experiment

We’ve all heard about the legendary attention to detail in Red Dead Redemption 2, from the dynamic weather to the horse physics. But one of the most staggering examples of Rockstar’s "over-engineering" is something most players sprint right past: the way NPCs eat. Unlike most open-world games where food is just a disappearing prop, every citizen in the city of Saint Denis eats their meal bite-for-bite.

But does this detail extend to a daily routine? I spent 14 days (in-game time) inside the Bastille Saloon following one specific NPC to see if his eating habits were as programmed as his animations. Here is what I discovered about the secret life of a digital diner.

1. The Bite-for-Bite Animation

Rockstar didn't just create a generic "eating" loop. In the Bastille Saloon, NPCs use their cutlery to slice meat, lift individual peas, and wash it all down with a beer. When the meal is finished, the NPC even performs a "cutlery check"—sharpening the knife or checking the quality of the silverware—before resetting. It is a level of intricate programming for an action 99% of players never stop to watch.

2. The Mystery of the "Prime Rib Seat"

During this 14-day observation, a strange pattern emerged. It appears that certain chairs in the saloon are hard-coded to trigger specific meals. If an NPC sits in the "prime rib seat," a dinner spawns automatically. Interestingly, these meals rarely begin while the player is looking; the game typically requires you to "walk in" on a meal already in progress to maintain the illusion of a living world.

3. The Menu vs. Reality

While the Bastille Saloon menu lists a "Prime Rib" served with potatoes dauphinoise and spring salad, the digital plate served to NPCs actually consists of roast beef and peas. Furthermore, Arthur Morgan only receives one slice of meat when he orders, whereas the NPCs are served three. In the world of Saint Denis, it seems the background characters are getting the better deal.

4. The 12-Hour Smoking Loop

Following our subject (nicknamed "Josh Brolin") for a full 24-hour cycle—which takes exactly 66 minutes of real-world time—revealed a grueling schedule. When not at the saloon, he spent nearly 12 consecutive hours leaning against a theater wall. His routine consisted entirely of lighting a cigar, taking one puff, tossing it, and immediately lighting another. He is a digital husk fueled by nicotine and a never-ending loop.

5. Discarded Props and Life Events

The experiment highlighted the cold logic of game design. When a scripted event ends—like a robbery in the street—the game world "discards" the participants. In one instance, a husband picked up his deceased wife and rode clear out of the city limits, only to drop the body in the woods and vanish. Once the "prop" is no longer needed for the player's experience, the simulation simply tosses it aside.

6. The Limit of Digital Empathy

The experiment concluded with a realization about player behavior. We find it humorous to disrupt an NPC’s dinner or follow them into the fog, yet many of us would never dream of shooting a digital dog in the same game. This inconsistent empathy highlights how successful Rockstar has been at blurring the line between pixels and "fake life."