There's no doubt about it. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a blockbuster commercial success. Its early wins are impressive. According to Take Two Interactive, it's earned the record for having the "biggest opening weekend in retail sell-through across all entertainment releases" at more than $725 million. This statistic is not just comparing itself to other video games, but music and movie releases as well. It's also the most pre-ordered full game ever on the PlayStation Network, as well as the biggest one-day and three-day sales on the PlayStation Network. There's so much of it for fans to love. It's a completely immersive experience in a massive open world that could take players months to finish completely. Characters and storylines have depth and are fleshed out, and actions taken early in the game affect gameplay as time goes on. As a western, it's an incredible simulation. As a game, there's a huge variety of activities and adventures to keep players busy.

But don't take on too much at once. As one reviewer for CNET says, "Don't attempt to marathon your way through Red Dead 2, because this game will break you." Such a giant world is bound to be packed with details that might be easily missed. We've poured through dozens of fan guides and YouTube videos to find some of the more coveted and rare hidden items in the game. For players with enough patience and curiosity to find them, ancient weapons, powerful pistols, items from crime scenes, and some downright weird experiences await. Here are 20 hidden items in Red Dead Redemption 2, and how exactly to find them.

Viking Helmet

So what are Viking artifacts doing in a cowboy game? Well, this actually does make some historical sense. History buffs know that Vikings did make it to the New World long before Colombus ever did, and some Viking artifacts have popped up in North America.

There is an actual Viking ruin you can visit in the game, northeast of Beaver Hollow. Near what looks like some kind of burial ground, you can find a tunnel close by. Go into the tunnel and you'll see an alcove on the wall with several skulls placed therein. Next to the skulls is an ancient Viking Helmet. Not only can you take it, but you can wear it! It will appear in on your character as it does above.

UFOs

We know what people might think. "UFOs. Really?" Yes, really. Any nerdy conspiracy theorist will tell you that if you study the history of UFOs, you will find that people have been reporting them since long before the modern age. But we'll save all that speculation for Ancient Aliens.

If you want to catch a glimpse of a UFO in Red Dead Redemption 2, you'll have two chances. If you go to a dilapidated house on the northern shore of Emerald Lake, you'll find a sermon the table mentioning a "Voyager of Time and Galaxies." If you happen to be in the shack at 2am, you'll see a UFO above you. Another UFO of the more traditional "saucer" variety can be seen on the peak of Mount Shann at midnight. The truth is out there, we reckon.

Granger's Revolver

Granger's revolver is partially modeled after the historically real Cattleman Revolver, which was the Army standard issue side-arm beginning in 1873. It's a single-action six-shooter with gorgeous engravings and a dark metal finish. It can fire a large variety of different kinds of ammo. You can earn Granger's Revolver by getting in a duel with Emmet Granger over a hilarious and unfortunate pig manure incident. Let's just say we bet Granger wish he had a parasol.

Be prepared: Granger is a little jumpy and also a quick shot. Granger's little pig manure farm is just east of Flatneck Station. You can unlock the mission by examining a photo after accepting a gunslinging mission in Valentine.

Bigfoot Skeleton

Does Bigfoot really exist? Like UFOs, this is a question that generally separates people into two camps. One side believes in a mysterious harry hominid that roams the American West and others believe it's just a rural boogeyman that's big on legend and low on evidence.

But in Red Dead Redemption 2, you can actually encounter such evidence. You don't see a living Bigfoot, but you can find an enormous humanoid skeleton that definitely fits the description of this mythic beast. As protagonist Arthur Morgan writes, "Found a massive skeleton. Wonder how big the man was, or if he was a man at all." You can find Bigfoot's remains at Horseshoe Overlook, in Big Valley near Mount Shann.

Midnight's Pistol

Midnight's Pistol is a rare gold-plated Ma pistol with custom engravings and a wooden handle. It has a 10 round capacity and can fire most kinds of pistol ammo. "Ma" is the name of a real-life weapons manufacturer from and this particular pistol was modeled after the ones used by their military starting in the 1890s. Midnight's Pistol most closely resembles the Ma C96, which was manufactured up until the late 1930s.

You can swipe Midnight's Pistol off Mr. Midnight after a duel on top of a train. In Valentine, when you accept the Gunslinger mission, you can unlock this mission by examining Midnight's photo. From there, go to the post office in Rhoades and talk to the clerk. You'll end up boarding a train, and finding Midnight drinking on board. Despite Morgan just wanting to talk, the situation escalates quickly.

A Meteorite

Rocks from outer space have bombarded the earth in every time period, so it shouldn't be that surprising to run into a meteorite in Red Dead Redemption 2. What is surprising is that you can actually collect a piece of it and sell it for money, which is really the only practical use for space rocks for a criminal in the Old West.

In Roanoke Valley, West of Brandywine drop, you can find a house with some gross things on a table. From the hole in the roof and the still smoking rock from below the floorboards, you can pretty much put together that these unfortunate folks were struck by a meteorite. It's a rough scene, but luckily you can still turn a small profit by hocking a piece of that rock.

Rare Shotgun

The Rare Shotgun is a powerful shotgun that you can actually find in two different spots in the game. It has a gorgeously custom-carved wooden stock. It's powerful in its own right, which is great because you won't be able to customize it if you take it to the gunsmith.

The most popular way to get the shotgun is by dueling with an angry recluse who has an isolated cabin in Manito Glade, just north of Annesburg. Merely approaching his house will cause him to throw fits and start shooting at you. Naturally, as Arthur Morgan, you will feel obliged to shoot back. When you win the duel, make sure to look closely at the aftermath and collect the shotgun right away. You won't be able to find it if you leave and double-back.

Ancient Tomahawk

There's no shortage of melee weapons in Red Dead Redemption 2, and hatchets, in particular, are fun to toss around. Be forewarned about your aim, though. If you aim too high you might find your hatchet stuck on a roof or in a tree and you won't be able to climb up and get it back.

Of one of the most stylish hatchet-style weapons is the Ancient Tomahawk. It's an old, but still sturdy and usable weapon that you can find stuck in a wooden target overlooking Calumet Ravine. You can find this area slightly northeast of the Wapiti Reservation, near the northeastern point of the river. Simply remove the Ancient Tomahawk from the old target and it's yours.

Antler Knife

Arthur Morgan sure does encounter a lot of strange things throughout the course of Red Dead Redemption 2 and when he runs across the aftermath of an unfortunate skirmish, it often implies a tragic story. It is from such a tragic circumstance that you can find the antler knife, taken from a hunter who met his demise in a fight with a bear. The bear didn't make it out, either. You can loot the antler knife from his body.

The antler knife has a handle carved from a deer antler and a partially damaged blade. You can find this scene near Little Creek River just northwest of Hanging Dog Ranch.

Broken Pirate Sword

Vikings. Bears. Pirates. There's certainly no end of interesting characters you might run into out here in Red Dead Redemption 2, though sometimes you run into them long after they have shuffled off their mortal coil.

While it might seem like an unlikely thing to run into a pirate skeleton out here in the Old West, there's no telling how long this skeleton has been here. His remains are still in a boat and for all we know this pirate may have met his demise a hundred years ago or longer. From the looks of it, he may have been done in by his own sword. But his loss is your gain, as you can collect the old cutlass and add it to your arsenal. You can find the pirate skeleton and sword on some tiny islands southwest of St. Denis.