Guide: Red Dead Redemption 2 - 7 Tips Before You Start (Topic)

Rockstar's new Western Red Dead Redemption 2 is a massive, colossal game. After passing a small tiny prologue and access to an open world, eyes literally run up from the abundance of possibilities, but not all points in the game are explained in detail. To the point of the many gameplay mechanics, you have to come up with trial and error, and some can be skipped altogether. Therefore, we decided to save you time and today we will tell you 6 useful tips to know before playing Red Dead Redemption 2.

Forget almost everything you know about the GTA series

We'll start with the most obvious, but very important piece of advice for everyone who decided to buy or download Red Dead Redemption 2 - the new Western from Rockstars is fundamentally different from the Grand Theaft Auto series. Yes, this is a game from the same developers, yes, there is an open world and of course we are playing for a notorious, albeit a principled criminal. But RDR 2 feels completely different, and more specifically, in terms of control and gameplay dynamics.

The game is deliberately created to be slow and meditative, which is manifested primarily in the animation of the character and their number. Arthur turns around with laziness, after stopping he moves a little by inertia, and the need to spend time watching the animation of opening any oncoming box or collecting items from a corpse can almost bring impatient gamers to psychosis. In general, if you played The Last of Us, you can roughly imagine with what meticulousness the main character performs even the smallest actions.

And another point: the game Red Dead Redemption 2 severely punishes the genocide of civilians. It is possible to cut out entire villages, but in almost every settlement the police will meet the player with a select portion of lead and even after death, the fine for crimes remains in force.

Take care of the horse

Horses in Red Dead Redemption 2 are your best friend and main assistant in your adventures in the Wild West. Unlike the faceless "Roach" from The Witcher 3, each horse in the Rockstar game is a unique character with its own personality. The more time you spend with the horse, the more hardy, tenacious it becomes, readily listens to commands (sometimes it can completely throw the rider off the saddle or kick a hoof) and is even able to learn new movements. For example, drift when turning.

To make the horse more attached to you, do not forget to feed it from time to time and comb the mane. Also, it will not be superfluous to stroke a faithful cloven-hoofed friend or wash in the river from dirt. Such actions will take only a few seconds, but in the future the horse will thank its owner many times over.

The quieter you go - the further you will be

And one more tip about horses in Red Dead Redemption 2. The gaming industry has taught us that horses in games are an immortal all-terrain vehicle that can climb almost vertical surfaces without any problems (hello, Skyrim). RDR 2 is completely different due to the use of Euphoria technology. The horse realistically moves its paws, reacting to the slope of the surface and obstacles on the way, which is why, when quickly trying to climb the slope, the horse can easily stumble, overturn, break a leg or die, and at the same time crush the player with its body.

Also, do not forget that the horse does not magically go around oncoming obstacles and can easily bump its head against a tree or a boulder standing in the way. The risk of death for a horse is very high. And believe me, the need to wander around the world of the game for tens of minutes in an attempt to find a new horse is nothing compared to the feeling of frustration when you have to put a crippled animal to sleep with your own hands. Especially if you spent more than one hour with him.

Help those in need

Being an exemplary citizen and not leaving wanderers in trouble in trouble is not only good for karma, but also allows you to discover new secrets in Red Dead Redemption 2. As you explore the world, you will meet many travelers on the road asking for help. It is often a matter of five minutes to help them, but gratitude is definitely waiting for you, albeit not always right away.

For example, in the game we met a tramp stuck in a trap, helped him, he said that he would remember our act and got away. Well, okay, that's okay. However, five hours later in one of the cities we met him again. He recognized us, thanked us with money, drinks, and at the same time sent us to his friend in the local arms store, where they gave discounts and several rare goods for free.

Another example is the blind beggars in RDR 2, which can be found in large cities. By sharing a coin with them, you can find out about a nearby poker competition, get a treasure map or a tip to an interesting location.

Don't forget about camp

You can greatly simplify your Red Dead Redemption 2 walkthrough if you start to devote more time to the Van Der Linde gang camp. Nobody requires the player to throw money into the common camp of the camp, bring fresh meat or warm animal skins, nevertheless, this should be done at least for the sake of discovering useful items and opportunities.

With proper care, the camp will become a bottomless treasure trove of provisions, where you can always drop in to, for example, eat for free and satisfy Arthur's hunger. In addition, people in the camp will begin to treat Arthur better and will be able to please the player with several interesting additional quests.

Unlock Fast Travel in Red Dead Redemption 2

And one of the main advantages of the camp is the ability to open fast movement around the world of the game, we advise you to tackle this moment as soon as possible. No matter how beautiful and multifaceted the open world in RDR2 is, sooner or later anybody will get bored of jumping from one end of the map to the other.

Now for more details on how to unlock Fast Travel in Red Dead Redemption 2: donate to the camp's piggy bank, open the mod book next to the donation box, and buy the Next On List upgrade that unlocks after modifying the "most important is forward". Then take the card that appears on the back of Arthur's wagon. From now on, you can make a fire anywhere in the world and instantly go to numerous important places marked on the map.

Look for non-obvious clues and listen to characters' conversations

The game world is so detailed that even seemingly insignificant phrases said by random characters can reveal another new secret in Red Dead Redemption 2. For example, once we met a traveler complaining of stomach pains after eating a strange plant that grows nearby. At first glance, nothing special, but if you decide to pick that flower, then the plant will be poisonous and can become a dangerous weapon.

This concludes our introductory guide for Red Dead Redemption 2, and as parting words, we advise you to take your time, explore the world and just enjoy the game. Rockstar has done a tremendous job, so almost every corner of the game is always ready to surprise you.

More guides and an overview of Red Dead Redemption 2 are coming soon, but in the meantime, you can check out the history of the Red Dead series. Even after the sequel was released, the original RDR is still relevant.

The Topic of Article: Guide: Red Dead Redemption 2 - 7 Tips Before You Start.
Author: Jake Pinkman