TreeFitty

Might as well add my findings here.... Southeast corner of mainland is approximately 12507.65, -15994.22 (couldn't get to the actual corner, waypoint teleport wouldn't go any further) Northwest corner of mainland is approximately -12195.19, 8584.709 (overshot to compensate for previous) That gives an approximate overall distance of 24500 each way. If that's in feet, then it's 4.6 miles each way or around 21.5 square miles for the mainland US/Mexico. edit: Tried with the other corners and similar numbers. Turns out the waypoint teleport wall is along the southern edge. Managed to get better measurments of the east and west coasts which were 12753.33 and -11712.2 respectively = 24465.53. Note that's at the water line. The top of the cliffs is set in further. Top of cliffs (approx): North = 8000 East = 12600 West = -11585 South = -16400 ???

That first one giving me GTAV vibes. Weather mod to sunny skies, remove fog, then raise up some more + zoom in to get a better perspective. I hope someone does the whole map like the V satellite view.

Forgot to post the specs and other stuff from the later newswire post... Red Dead Redemption 2 For PC Now Available to Pre-Purchase via the Rockstar Games Launcher First Screenshots, New Details and System Specs Revealed Red Dead Redemption 2 arrives for PC on November 5th, and starting today, you can pre-purchase the game exclusively via the Rockstar Games Launcher. With a host of new additions and a range of technical, graphical and performance enhancements to make Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC the ultimate version of Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang’s open world epic. Here are the first stunning new PC screenshots and additional details. From now until October 22nd, you can pre-purchase Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC exclusively via the Rockstar Games Launcher and receive special bonuses - including two free classic Rockstar Games PC titles from the following: Grand Theft Auto III Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Bully: Scholarship Edition L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition Max Payne 3: The Complete Edition All pre-purchases made on the Rockstar Games Launcher also include free upgrades to the Premium Editions of Red Dead Redemption 2, with the Special Edition and Ultimate Edition both discounted by $20 each. Additional pre-purchase bonuses via the Rockstar Games Launcher include: Outlaw Survival Kit for Story Mode War Horse for Story Mode Le Trésor des Morts Treasure Map for Story Mode Cash Bonus for Story Mode 50 Gold Bars for Red Dead Online For additional where to buy information including other digital retailers, click here. Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC takes full advantage of the power of the PC to bring every corner of this massive, rich and detailed world to life from the windswept snowy peaks of the Grizzly Mountains to the dusty roads of Lemoyne; from the mud-spattered storefronts of Valentine to the cobbled streets of St Denis. New graphical and technical enhancements for deeper immersion include increased draw distances for better navigation; higher quality global illumination and ambient occlusion for improved day and night lighting; higher quality snow trails, improved reflections and deeper, higher resolution shadows at all distances; tessellated tree textures and improved grass and fur textures for added realism in every plant and animal. Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC also offers HDR support, the ability to run high-end display setups with 4K resolution and beyond, multi-monitor configurations, widescreen configurations, faster frame rates and more. Click on each of the new high-resolution screenshots to see the world of Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC and see the game's official system specifications below, along with additional info. In addition to the technical enhancements, Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC brings additional updates to the world of Story Mode, including: 3 New Bounty Hunter Missions: Herman Zizendorf has been stealing tools from tradesmen – track him down in Blackwater. Ex-Confederate Cavalry Officer Camille de Millemont is wanted dead or alive out by Catfish Jacksons, but his loyal men are never far behind. Bart Cavanaugh and his gang are camping out in Big Valley. Take Bart dead or alive without alerting his gang if you want to avoid a whole mess of trouble. 2 New Gang Hideouts: Take on the deadly Del Lobos gang in new hideouts at Gaptooth Breach and Solomon’s Folly. 2 New Treasure Maps: Search for treasures across the new Landmarks of Riches and The Elemental Trail maps for gold bars and other rewards. New Mission “To The Ends of The Earth” – collect requested herbs for a range of rewards New Weapons for Story Mode including: M1899 Pistol – all-new Semi-automatic handgun with clip loaded ammunition Evans Repeater – high capacity repeater (previously available in Red Dead Online only) High Roller Revolver – ornate double-action revolver (previously available in Red Dead Online only) Le Mat Revolver – powerful revolver with the ability to shoot shotgun shells (previously available in Red Dead Online only) New Horses for Story Mode including: Warped Brindle Arabian – a fast and agile mount Few Spot Appaloosa – beautiful and hardy, ideal for cross-country journeys Perlino Andalusian – a healthy, sturdy animal, ideal for hunting (previously available in Red Dead Online only) Red Chestnut Arabian – a fleet-footed beast with a distinctive coat (previously available in Red Dead Online only) Plus 3 new wild horse variations – keep an eye out for wild herds featuring the Buttermilk Buckskin Kentucky Saddler, Liver Chestnut Morgan and Gold Palomino Tennessee Walker 5 New Trinkets to collect with new effects: Hawk Talon – permanently decreases Stamina bar drain speed by 30% when drawing a bow Cat Eye – permanently increases the length of Fortifying tonic effects by 20% Shark Tooth – permanently increases horse bonding experience bonus by 10% Turtle Shell – permanently increases health bar refill speed by 10% Crow Beak – permanently increases looted ammo by 10% Red Dead Redemption 2 has been specifically developed to perform on a wide range of machines: Minimum Specifications: OS: Windows 7 - Service Pack 1 (6.1.7601) Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-2500K / AMD FX-6300 Memory: 8GB Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 770 2GB / AMD Radeon R9 280 3GB HDD Space: 150GB Sound Card: DirectX compatible Recommended Specifications: OS: Windows 10 - April 2018 Update (v1803) Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-4770K / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X Memory: 12GB Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB / AMD Radeon RX 480 4GB HDD Space: 150GB Sound Card: DirectX compatible Stay tuned to the Rockstar Newswire for more on Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC including a new official 4K 60FPS trailer. And for more information on all versions of Red Dead Redemption 2, head over to the game’s official site at rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption2.

https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/61153/Red-Dead-Redemption-2-Coming-to-PC-November-5th RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 COMING TO PC NOVEMBER 5TH PRE-PURCHASE VIA THE ROCKSTAR GAMES LAUNCHER STARTING OCTOBER 9TH FOR FREE CLASSIC TITLES, PREMIUM EDITION UPGRADES AND MORE Today, we're proud to announce that Red Dead Redemption 2 is coming to PC on November 5th, with special bonuses available to players who pre-purchase through the Rockstar Games Launcher starting October 9th. We also want to say thank you to the millions of people who have already downloaded the Rockstar Games Launcher and received their free copy of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. For those yet to download the Rockstar Games Launcher, be sure to download by Tuesday October 8th to get Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for free. Read on for more details about the long-awaited launch of Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC and stay tuned for more information to come next week. The first game in the Red Dead Redemption series to be featured on the PC platform, Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC features a range of graphical and technical enhancements for increased immersion along with new Bounty Hunting Missions, Gang Hideouts, Weapons and more. Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC also includes free access to the shared living world of Red Dead Online featuring all previously released improvements and the latest content updates for the complete online experience including Frontier Pursuits and the specialist Roles of Bounty Hunter, Trader and Collector for players to progress through and earn unique rewards. Pre-purchases for Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC begin at 11AM ET on October 9th exclusively on the Rockstar Games Launcher through October 22nd, with a limited time offer during this period of two free Rockstar Games PC titles from the following: Grand Theft Auto III Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Bully: Scholarship Edition L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition Max Payne 3: The Complete Edition Pre-purchases made on the Rockstar Games Launcher also include free upgrades to the Premium Editions of Red Dead Redemption 2, with both the Special Edition and Ultimate Edition discounted by $20 each. Further pre-purchase bonuses via the Rockstar Games Launcher include: Outlaw Survival Kit for Story Mode War Horse for Story Mode Treasure Map for Story Mode Cash Bonus for Story Mode 50 Gold Bars for Red Dead Online Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC will also be available to pre-order at the Epic Games store, Greenman Gaming, the Humble Store, GameStop and additional digital retailers starting October 23rd with a pre-order bonus of 25 Gold Bars for Red Dead Online. Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC will also be available to purchase on Steam this December. Red Dead Redemption 2 is currently available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One systems and will also be available this November as a launch title for Google Stadia. Check back to the Rockstar Newswire on October 9th for the first screenshots, system specifications and additional details.

Crazy how open Great Plains/Tall Trees/Hennigans Stead is...

Very interesting. Amazed you could connect so many dots.

Your family can wait. This is important, once-in-a-lifetime stuff.

https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/61006/Opening-Soon-in-Los-Santos-The-Diamond-Casino-Resort While sitting in bottlenecked traffic on the LS Freeway, you may have noticed a new construction project taking shape at a small building nestled between Vinewood Hills and the scenic backdrop of the Tataviam Mountains. Don't let the recent removal of that faded "OPENING SOON" sign dissuade you, The Diamond Casino & Resort – a brand-new luxury destination and the largest mass entertainment complex of its kind in Southern San Andreas – will open its doors later this summer. With something for everyone, The Diamond Casino & Resort will feature lavish amenities, exclusive shopping, first-class entertainment and state-of-the-art gaming facilities. Whether you’re having a night on the town with friends or a seeking a brief solitary escape, The Diamond Casino & Resort is open to one and all. Come experience the tasteful luxury that the Diamond has to offer including best-in-class concierge, valet parking, the exhilaration of spinning the Lucky Wheel for a chance at life-changing prizes, a finely curated selection of spirits at the bars and lounges, a range of sophisticated table games and much more. Stay tuned for more details and an inside look at the largest and most extravagant addition to the sprawling metropolis of Los Santos, coming soon.

Official soundtrack coming July 12th. https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/60997/The-Music-of-Red-Dead-Redemption-2-Original-Soundtrack-Available-July

EPIC BUMP https://www.twitter.com/RockstarGames/status/1139230966537433088 "Opening soon: A luxury casino in the heart of Vinewood..."

Red Dead Redemption 2's most beautiful space is also the most rarely used in regular gameplay. Guarma is only seen in Chapter 5 for five missions that are almost all strung together. Even when you have a chance to explore, the area you are confined to is small. Fortunately, ways were found to break out of the map and allow free exploration of almost the entire island. There is more to Guarma than the main area seen in the story. Cut content including entire swaths of un-purposed land have been found. So let's take a look at what's out there... Get to Guarma the Long Way During regular gameplay of Chapter 5 you are confined to the creek and a bit of forest by a sniper. You need to gain access to Guarma when you are in the United States so the sniper is deactivated. Various methods to get out of the map in RDR2 have been found but each typically gets patched so look for the most recent one. Some allow you to take your horse but these are rare. It is easier in Red Dead Online since some areas allow your horse to spawn nearby. Other methods use boats which may or may not be quicker. Once you manage to get outside the map, you need to get to the area where both maps (US/Mexico and Guarma) meet. The area is in the southeast corner of the map. Depending how or where you got out, it may be easier to follow the low-resolution (aka low-poly) line in the landscape. Keep in mind the low-poly land is not solid for the US/Mexico map so do not cross over. While moving along the southern low-poly line southeast of St. Denis eventually you will climb up an invisible hill. The hill is directly south of the eastern edge of St. Denis. This is Guarma's map. Simply walk south on this hill and cross the low-poly line. When you do, the US/Mexico map will disappear and the Guarma map will load in. Welcome to the island! Upon entering Guarma you will be on low-poly land. Do not worry about this. All low-poly land in Guarma is solid. Off to your right (west) you will find high-resolution land. If you continue over and onto this land you will "officially" be in Guarma including a change in the minimap and pause menu map. Feel free to retrace your first blurry steps on the beach in the northern corner of the map. Note that if you go down the original hill and cross back over north, you will switch the maps back and stand on invisible land under the US/Mexico map. You can explore the now invisible beach but be careful of the water line. There is a similar map line in the southwest region of Guarma but more on that later. For Red Dead Online, as of this writing you cannot access the high-res Guarma areas without being teleported to St. Denis. There is a work around, though, that will let you explore the rest of the island. All you need to do is stay on the low-poly parts. You can head south and then west under the main Guarma map. Save Point (patched) Prior to being patched, it was possible to create a save in Guarma. Make sure you are officially in Guarma (go all the way to the main map area to be sure) and simply create a new save file. DO NOT ENGAGE ANY SOLDIERS OR CAUSE THE SNIPER TO ACTIVATE. If you save with the sniper active it will always be so for that save file. Also note if you do activate the sniper after saving, you will need to restart the game to clear it. Reloading the save will not work. Transportation in Guarma Unfortunately your horse will not be available after reloading the save since there is no spawn point for it. There are donkeys available in two locations. First is a pen just west of the bridge over the creek. The second is up the hill just outside the fields. On the map look to the top of the "AG" in AGUASDULCES. Both donkey locations are just inside the sniper zone (see below) so if that is active you will need to run in, grab the donkey, and run back to safety. There are no wagons or other horses available. You cannot use cheats in Guarma either although it appears it is possible after completling the game. Guarma also lacks boats of any kind. If you used a boat to get out of the map it will not likely stick around if you stray too far from it. Map Limits Before exploring the island it is good to know the overall layout and some tricky areas. There are also some terms we use to describe certain areas or limits. Given map A term we will use to describe the map shown in the pause menu and used for the minimap/radar. Note this is only the northwest quarter of the island. High-poly The areas used in regular gameplay which are very detailed including grass, bushes, vines, etc. Medium-poly An unofficial name we will give to the areas outside the high-poly. Textures on the ground remain high quality but details like bushes and such disappear. You may notice the edges of different textures that are not blended together. Some trees are solid but most (noticably low-poly) are not. The most obvious sign you are in the medium-poly area is a lack of shadows from the low-poly trees. Another way to tell a medium-poly area is to look at the beach. High-poly areas have white bubble textures where the water and beach meet that are smoothly transitioned. The medium-poly areas have a hard texture edge where the water meets the beach. There may or may not be a bubble texture on top. Low-poly As stated previously, all low-poly areas are solid in Guarma. Be careful when transitioning from low to medium since the landscapes are not usually lined up and can have significant height differences. There is a northern, eastern, and southern low-poly line. The northern line is the map transition boundary. The southern boundary is just outside the given map. There is technically a western line at the southwest corner where the shark spawns (see "Points of interest (given map)" below) as the land across a small cove is north of the line but is still low-poly. Map transition boundaries These are the lines where the Guarma and US/Mexico maps will switch. There is a northern line well within the given map and a western line just outside it. Mexico landscape boundary A less noticable transition area. The Guarma map sits under the far outer regions of Mexico. While in the main areas you will not see the landscape above but once you move outside the given map parts of Mexico will appear. You may notice floating trees to the north and slim rocky texture walls in the sky or out over the east and south coasts. Fun fact: the US/Mexico map is actually a gigantic island! More on that later... Some of Guarma's peaks rise above these textures while visible. From the given map, go to the southwest corner and head south from there. You'll find a steep incline with a couple small trees around. At some point climbing up this mountain you'll pass through the Mexico landscape. At the top you can look out and see how much effort was put into the outer areas that no one was ever supposed to see. Slip walls Note any slip walls present during regular gameplay are still present. These normally keep you from accessing areas you are not supposed to go by forcing your character to "slip" and fall away from the boundary. For Guarma they keep you in the forest area around the creek. Outside of the creek is the sniper. The high-poly landscape will also cause your character or mount to slip on steeper surfaces. The low-poly landscape is much more forgiving and you can climb up quite steep hills without issue (stamina depletion aside). If you have issues slipping, try moving across the hill not directly up it. Sniper wall During regular gameplay, if you manage to get past the soldiers, the sniper will make sure you don't get much farther. The sniper is deactivated when returning to Guarma but you need to stay out of certain areas or else it will reactivate. These activation zones are around the fort/factory and the port area. When you enter the zone soldiers will become hostile (red blips on minimap). Even if you leave the zone without causing issue, the sniper will still be activated. It is important to know the fort/factory zone extends down to the creek so avoid the area after spawning and head west before crossing the creek. Note there is an overlap of the boundaries above the fort/factory so it's essentially a deadman area where you'll activate the sniper and be shot at immediately. Points of Interest (given map) There are many things to see in Guarma outside of the main area. Beach Camp In Chapter 5 when you first stumble upon Dutch and friends they are sitting at a campfire nestled against some rocks. There isn't much to it afterwards but the small indent is there. Rock Arch (north) While marching in a chain gang, the soldiers get ambushed near a rock arch. Note the top of the rocks just before the arch are not solid so you will fall through the map if you try to get on top. El Nido After escaping the chain gang, everyone flees into the forest. Hercule brings you to an outpost in the woods named El Nido to grab weapons and fight off the soldier reinforcements. There are no more weapons after the fact but there are plenty of explosive crates to blow up. Cinco Torres The abandoned fort taken over by rebels and home to the climax of action in Guarma. Any items you didn't loot from inside the fort will be available. Unfortunately the warship does not exist outside the final Guarma mission. Southwest Overlook If you follow the southwest road away from the main area you'll go up a mountain. At the top where the road ends you will be forced to look between two rocks out over a bay. There are no official names for these places but it was likely cut content from when the playable map was much larger. Rock Arch (south) Under the previous overlook in the northeast corner of the bay is another rock arch. It's the same size as the other. The Monolith North side of the same bay are two rock islands. The western one is much larger and can be seen from numerous places along the coast or from the mountains. Rebel Rock At the southwestern end of the bay is a large rock separated from the landmass. It can be tricky to get on top due to slipping but it is easier using a mount. The Peak Overlooking the entire main area is a mountain to the east with very light-colored rock on the west side. The area near the top is detailed and you can get most of the way up before hitting a slide wall at the very top. This may have been cut content. Lower Peak Northwest of the previous is another overlook that provides some views of the area. El Hueco Overlook Right outside the low-poly line east of The Peak. Top of a ridge that has sweeping views of El Hueco and the surrounding areas. Great Valley Overlook Just south of the previous, this location provides good views of the low-poly valley and surrounding hills to the southeast. Hidden Pond Going northeast of El Nido into the low-poly zone there is an inlet sticking into the landscape. The inlet in the game itself does not go as far as the map. Just south of this is a large pond tucked away behind the hills. The Box Something completely different. While exploring the forest in the southwest of the given map you may be faced with a gigantic floating box that appears from thin air. It's similar to a giant alien spaceship with the south edge sticking into the hillside. The box has a shadow but is not solid. Although awesome when you first come across it, it is likely leftover from development. There are similar small boxes scattered around the map in various places. Shark(s) An extremely rare animal in RDR2 - and doesn't exist in the compendium - the Tiger Shark has been found in a few places in Guarma. Even more rare is a Hammerhead Shark. The first area is the most common and where the Tiger Shark always appears. It's actually outside the given map but will be included here. Head to the southwest corner of the map. You'll come to the southern low-poly line along the beach. There is a small cove you'll need to get to the far side of. Note you will hit the western map transition boundary and the land will become invisible. Carefully make your way to the northwest corner of the cove. You may need to drop into the water on the ocean side to get the shark to appear. Take a good look at the landscape before going past the boundary so you have an idea of where you are. If you fall into the water while going north, you'll need to go east and then south to get out. The north side of the hill has a steep drop. For whatever reason the shark will die when it comes close to you and usually drifts around onto the invisible hill. The second area is north of the main bay (Bahia De La Paz) above the peninsula with the small islands. Both Tiger Sharks and Hammerheads appear here (one at a time). You'll need to wade out into the middle of the bay and then return to the east beach to cause the shark to spawn. These sharks remain alive but will not engage you. The third area that has yet to be confirmed is the main bay of Bahia De La Paz. A few snapmatics list the Tiger Shark as present in the bay. Exactly how to get the shark to spawn here is unknown. The snaps were taken from Cinco Torres. Notes about shark spotting: They will not "glow" when using Eagle Eye like other animals. If using binoculars they will be listed as "Shark" when in view as normal but you cannot study them. Photos will automatically tag the shark on Social Club. Points of Interest (outer areas) While there are plenty of things to see in the given map area, there is much more to explore. As stated, Guarma is an island and it actually exists in full. Designers took time to landscape the entire thing including the southern and west coasts that players would never see in regular gameplay. It is assumed most of these areas are cut content from early stages of development. Maybe there will be added DLC stories in the future using the rest of the island but that is only a dream at this point. El Hueco There is an area on the east coast of the island that definitely looks like it may have been set up for a coastal village of some sort. Using the leaked map for guidance, it has El Hueco ("The Hollow") in the area where this village may have sat. North Peak The highest peak on the northside of the island. Numerous trees limit views. Volcano The region Guarma is located in may not be famous for volcanoes but they do exist and formed most of the islands long ago. A volcano caldera can be found in the southern part of the island southeast of the main area in the low-poly. You can even go down into the center. The caldera's rim forms the second-highest peaks in Guarma. Top of the island West of the volcano is a large ridge that has the highest peaks of Guarma. It is essentially straight south of the fort/factory well into the low-poly area. It is possible to see almost the entire island but clouds typically block your view. Hidden Beach This one requires avoiding the Guarma trigger boundary so the map and water does not load. In the southwest corner where the shark spawns is a low-poly rock formation jutting north into the water. When crossing the map transition boundary, everything disappears as normal but if you look down under this formation you'll notice palm trees, bushes, and some grass. There is a small stretch of beach hidden below the map. You can actually drop down to it as some parts are solid. Although, getting down there involves falling through the map until you can maneuver over to the solid parts so you'll likely smash into the solid land and die. The Ocean Beyond Off the Guarma island are two smaller ones. South Island Off Guarma's southwestern coast is a decent sized island out in the ocean. It is actually possible to visit the island but you need to stay along the southern portion or else it will disappear from the map transition boundary. The entire island is solid, though. It is possible this is left over from the original Cinco Torres which was a small island on the leaked map. North Island Farther away to the northwest is another island. Unfortunately this one cannot be visited. It is deep into the mainland US over New Austin. It is not solid. Lights to the North On a clear night look north-northeast across the water and you'll notice what looks like a distant city of lights on the horizon. At first you may think it is another island out in the ocean but it's actually St. Denis in the US. This may have been an oversight from the developers. Mainland Coasts As noted previously, Guarma is under the Mexico map. While exploring the outer areas of Guarma you can see and pass through the low-poly landscape. On the southern coast of Guarma you may notice the land above appears to slope down towards the ocean. If you manage to acquire a boat and steam away from the map for a bit, you'll actually find an end. The mainland US/Mexico map is a giant island with steep cliffs all around it. Like Guarma's low-poly areas, the mainland outer areas have varying textures and some landscaping. Amazing since, like Guarma's outer areas, these parts of the main map were never meant to be seen. For more videos about Guarma check out Basement Gamer Bros here. There are also videos about RDR2 cheat locations and more!

I like how there is an insta-death zone only where the old breach was. Didn't put it anywhere else....

Nice! Can you call your horse from there? Or does it fall victim to the slip wall?

A few years ago if we saw that last pic of the clown truck/limo we'd all laugh about how that's where GTAO was going. Ha. Ha.

I think it's because they imported the mesh from the old game. You can see the darker dirt around the holes has an obvious square shape to the pattern which makes me think it was auto-generated. I've talked about the landscape on here or the discord where I believe the landscape including foilage is auto-generated based on some simple parameters the programmers set. They then do detail work for the playable areas to make it look as good as it does but the outer areas do not matter since you aren't supposed to be there.

Given the location of a few of these, I wouldn't put it past them.

While messing around in guarma I've been looking for cheats. Kind of doubt they are there since you are only allowed in a limited area for a short time but still possible.

Slip glitch looks hilarious. I always forget to try it out.

Oh wow that's a shitty one to find. Makes me wonder if there were others I went past.

Cool beans. Can you still row all the way to guarma? Might make exploring with a posse easier.

First time I saw that opening looking out over the next bay I knew it had to be cut content. It was lined up too perfectly. Aside from that I never gave it much thought.

Aside from us? I think everyone just agreed it was cut content and left it at that.

Is it just me or were you floating above the interior floor? I also wonder if that painting is there earlier in the story.

Something like this...

I have been doing the same during the few times I play. A couple places I thought for sure I would find a cheat code but no luck.