‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ Has Some Brutal Executions

Red Dead Redemption 2 players are finding that the game’s combat system allows them to pull of some particularly gruesome executions against enemies they tackle to the ground.

Rockstar Games’ new Red Dead game has several mechanics and gameplay systems that aren’t explicitly taught to players in the beginning, and one of those is a feature that lets players plow enemies into the ground before being presented with several options. By running into an enemy and pressing the melee button just before impact, Arthur Morgan will tackle them to the ground and can either beat them up or use his in-hand weapon. Some players have reported that pressing other buttons works as well, but using the melee input will always result in a running tackle.

One of the most practical uses of this mechanic is to hold onto a lasso and tackle someone which leads to an option to immediately hogtie them. It’s especially handy for bringing in bounties, but for less essential enemies, Arthur can end them right away by executing them with whatever weapon he’s holding. The animation differs depending on the weapon, and you can see an example of a few of the moves below.

Cinematic Mode With a Revolver

A common execution that revolver-wielding players will see is the one above that shows a Redditor by the name of Much118 tackling an enemy in cinematic mode with a dramatic, gruesome finisher at the end.

Using a Rifle

Running with a rifle and pointing it in an enemy’s face looks a bit awkward compared to how natural the handgun looks in Arthur’s hand, but the clip from OfficeLinebakr above shows that it leads to the same result.

Using a Sawed-Off Shotgun

Finally, there’s the clip that shows what players saw in Rockstar Games’ promotional images for Red Dead Redemption 2 where Arthur Morgan stands over someone while holding a sawed-off shotgun. Ghostbuster_119’s video shows that using a sawed-off shotgun to execute someone from a first-person perspective is perhaps the most brutal way to finish off an opponent.

Water Executions

Other players pointed out that there’s at least one execution that’s based on where Arthur Morgan is located. Tackling an enemy in the shallow parts of bodies of water will result in the protagonist attempting to hold the enemy underwater and drown them. There’s a chance that there could be more executions like this that players haven’t found yet though, so it’s always worth tackling enemies around different areas to see what’s possible.