The Truth About Red Dead Redemption 2's Ghost Train
Red Dead Redemption 2, being a huge open-world game, contains plenty of secret Easter eggs: there's Meteor House, a Hobbit hole, and mammoth bones, among others. But RDR2 is also no stranger to supernatural occurrences. Eagle-eyed players have found aliens, vampires, ghosts, and the macabre donkey lady, not to mention a bunch of Grand Theft Auto references. You can also fight other mythical creatures, such as a werewolf and a horrible mutant that resembles several different animals rolled up in one.
Players have also discovered the ghost train, a mysterious apparition that is hard to find and can only be seen once. It can only be found in Lemoyne at three o'clock in the morning, and it's not guaranteed the first time you go there. So, what's the secret behind the ghost train? Where can it be found, and what's the point of it? What could it be a reference to, if anything?
How to find the ghost train
According to ScreenRant, the way to find the ghost train is to travel to the "northwest region of Lemoyne in the middle of Scarlet Meadows" and find the sign that welcomes characters to Lemoyne. From there, it should be easy to find the train tracks. Then, wait around until three o'clock in the morning. Get on your horse and ride back and forth for a bit; once your horse starts to spook, the ghost train should be on its way.
If you don't encounter the ghost train on the first try, wait until the next day at three o'clock and try again. Make sure to pay attention to your horse's behavior and you should encounter the ghost train in no time.
While the train doesn't reward you with anything but the experience, the location is close to the spot where you can also find RDR2's legendary wolf, according to ScreenRant. Hunting the wolf is a good time-waster while you're waiting for the train, and will give you some serious loot.
Inspired by another familiar ghost train?
If you've also played Super Nintendo's RPG Final Fantasy 6, this ghost train could look familiar; it seems to be uncannily similar to the Phantom Train boss from that game. In fact, both Jeremy Dick of Horror Geek Life and Derek Stauffer of ScreenRant have theorized that Red Dead's ghost train is a direct homage to Final Fantasy. Thankfully, RDR2's ghost train doesn't have to be battled, and there's no combat leading up to seeing the train.
In Final Fantasy 6, the Phantom Train, or GhostTrain, will attack players with moves like Diabolic Whistle, Acid Rain, and Saintly Beam. The Phantom Train can be defeated by using a Phoenix Down or Sabin's Meteor Strike, which the Phantom Train is surprisingly weak to.
While the ghost train in RDR2 doesn't do anything, and cannot be attacked or boarded, it's still a cool experience and potential nod to Final Fantasy 6, which came out on the SNES in 1994. For now, there's no confirmation regarding if Rockstar Games decided to intentionally include a reference to Final Fantasy 6 or not, but it's neat nonetheless.