Modder turns Red Dead Redemption 2 into Pokemon & it’s unbelievable

Popular mod-focused content creator ‘Blurbs’ brought Pokemon-style gameplay to the wild west in Red Dead Redemption 2, and it’s actually incredible.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, you play as Arthur Morgan, the last of a fading era of gunslinging outlaws. Naturally, it’s a third-person shooter at its core. In Pokemon, you play as a Trainer, catching creatures to use in battle. The two games couldn’t be more different.

Yet, despite their differences, a spectacular mod has tied them together. Blurbs created a way to effectively play Pokemon in the world of Red Dead, and the results have to be seen to be believed.

“What if instead of being an outlaw on the run, Arthur Morgan became a Pokemon trainer?” Blurbs asked to kick off a Twitch stream. What ensued was hours of coding as he made that reality.

Pokemon comes to life in Red Dead Redemption 2

As usual with coding, when endless strings of code are involved in holding together a AAA experience, even the slightest tweaks can result in head-scratching yet hilarious bugs.

From bizarre animations to animals of the wilderness going to the bathroom at the wrong times, it was certainly an adventure as Blurbs pieced his experience together.

Bit by bit, the vision came to life, though. By throwing a legally distinct red ball at any animal, be it a land, sea, or air creature, your perspective shifts to a custom camera as you watch a random-chance capture. Of course, you still have to make the crucial decision of which starter to pick, and here your options are Poison (Snake), Water (Fish), or Flying (Bird).

When you’ve got a small army of critters ready to fight, you simply aim your gun at any villager or nearby Gym Leader to start a battle. This is where it morphs into a proper turn-based game, as you pick from attacks, abilities, and even healing options in your attempt to take down the enemy’s captured animal.

For now, you can enjoy the highlights of the chaos, but you can’t play it yourself just yet. Blurbs assured, however, he’s “going to try and release this one” for viewers to enjoy, “but [he needs] some time to clean up the code.”