Geniuses Behind Red Dead Redemption 2’s Photogrammetry Mastery Made Rockstar Games to Go Beyond Their Limits for the First Time

The open world of AAA titles is easy to get lost in. With the number of quests available to players, losing sight of the tiny details in games is not uncommon. As the size of these open-world titles grows bigger, the level of detailing that goes into the game also gets much finer. Because these fine details are the ones that make the game the marvel it is. Red Dead Redemption 2 is no different. The masterpiece of a story is just the first layer to an expansive title. It is a gift that keeps on giving, even today!

Reports emerged on Twitter that indicated Red Dead Redemption 2 was the first game that had a dedicated team handling all the photogrammetry assets inside the game.

Red Dead Redemption 2 used the services of Quixel in its game

What one must realize about games is that every single thing present in the game has been built from the ground up. Everything from massive structures to the smallest blades of grass is designed. As a result, developers had quite a task on their hands when it came to Red Dead Redemption 2. The game’s entire setting takes place in nature, filled with rocks, pebbles, trees, and more.

Rockstar Games hired a dedicated team from a company called Quixel. Quixel is a one-of-a-kind organization. Their job is essentially of collectors. Unlike most people, they collect landscapes, pebbles, rocks, and other natural structures. Consequently, they use these scans in video games, such as Red Dead Redemption 2.

The entire process sees the organization take scans of natural features. While they did not reveal what kind of equipment they used, the detailing of these scans is incredible. One would think these scans only contain the size and shape of the object. However, Quixel goes far beyond that. Minute details such as the way an object refracts light or the texture of the surface are also scanned! It is a completely new level of realism. In a single raw scan, the amount of data recorded is over hundreds of gigabytes!

Quixel turned into a crucial company for developers

Following the scans of objects, Quixel creates a database for its clients to use. This database has scans of petabytes of data, waiting for developers to use. While developers can put their own spin on these models, they are easy to identify for members of Quixel. More importantly, this frees up a lot of time for developers. Quixel founder Teddy Bergsman said, “Creating photorealistic nature is one of the most difficult tasks you can have as an environment artist. Difficult and boring.  Artists don’t want to sculpt the hundredth rock or the thousandth stick.”

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Making a game realistic means each component, no matter how small, needs detailed work. Using these scanned models gives an accurate and detailed version of objects, leaving developers free to work on other aspects of the game. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a great example of the company’s work. The game remains among the most beautiful titles released even today, with unparalleled visuals and detailed landscapes.

Since Rockstar Games made use of Quixel’s services already, it may be possible a team will be hired for GTA 6. It could make the game much more immersive. Only time will tell.

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