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Here are 5 tips for starting Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is finally here. We break down how you can get up and running with the game so you can witness the death of the West in all its explicit detail.
Rockstar Games have launched Red Dead Redemption 2 for the Playstation 4 and Xbox One. It's a prequel to the original, the critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption, and it tells the story of the outlaw Van der Linde gang through the eyes of Arthur Morgan, one of its top enforcers.
Rockstar Games sent journalists a press release which emphasises the effort that went into creating the game. It has ten times the custom animations of Grand Theft Auto V and 300,000 individual animations are just two examples of its scope.
The game must be played to be believed because there's a bottomless and staggering litany of detail. If you get thrown off your horse, the mud will cake in your hair and the tiniest ancillary movements are fully animated, such as the veins in horse's necks. Even the process of hitching your horse is minutely rendered.
You wear layers of clothing – all individually rendered, of course – and you must dress appropriately for the weather because your stats drain will faster if you're too hot or too cold. Your weapons will function less effectively if you don't clean and maintain them and you must eat to keep your stamina and health up.
The cumulative effect of all this is overwhelming. After a lengthy prologue that teaches you the basic controls, you're given free reign to explore this hard and cruel place on your own. You might get accosted by members of a rival gang while on horseback or bump into the wrong person in town. Your horse might trip down a steep path, or a low-hanging branch might knock you off it. But these mistakes are instructive and you'll gradually get used to it.
Here are five hints to help you get started with playing Red Dead Redemption 2. There's an understandable frustration that comes from entering a world so vast and unforgiving, so hopefully this advice will make the transition easier for you.
1. Switch on the Speaker Name Subtitles
There are half a million lines of dialogue in Red Dead Redemption 2. It's contextual, so you'll usually be in the middle of something while listening to the characters talk. It's easy to miss something while you're carefully riding along a narrow path, or sneaking up on a rival gang.
So go to the Settings, Display menu, and turn the subtitles on, And while you're at it, go to the 'Subtitles Speaker Name' option right underneath it and turn that on too. There are 23 people in the Van der Linde gang alone and this is the best way to learn everyone's names and associate each voice with a character.
2. Use Cinema mode to make horse riding easier
You have the option to go into Cinema Mode while riding. On the PlayStation 4, press and hold down the touchpad until black 'widescreen' bars appear on the top and bottom of the screen. You can then switch camera angles by pressing R3.
You're riding a horse, so it takes a bit of time to get from Point A to Point B. There are long periods of time when that's all you're doing, but you don't have to tire while keeping pace with your gang – just enter Cinema mode during the riding sequences and then press and hold down X. Arthur will automatically keep pace and direct himself.
Think of it as 19th-century cruise control – as long as you're holding down X, all you need to do is kick back, listen to the dialogue, and take in the scenery. Don't worry – if something happens that needs your attention, the game will let you know.
3. Don't buy personal medical supplies at the general store
You can buy different tonics, alcohol, and chocolate bars at the general store to boost your health, stamina, and Dead Eye. Each of these stats has an outer Meter, which shows how much you have left, and an inner Core which affects how quickly it replenishes.
If you're smart, you'll never have to buy any of these personal items. because they're frequently found scattered throughout the world, hidden in drawers or cupboards, lying on shelves, or on the corpses of the men you kill. Save your money for upgrades to your camp or supplies for your horse, which are more difficult to come by.
4. Loot everyone and everything
This can't be emphasised enough. You'll get into multiple firefights, especially early on, with anything from 10 to 20 guys. And after the battle, each of their corpses is lootable. Even if your buddies tell you to hurry up, ignore them. Take the time to search everyone's pockets. You'll quickly be overflowing with powerups and health items so you won't have to buy things.
Search everywhere if you enter a room. Even after you clear the shelves, there might be a button prompt to search the cabinet underneath the shelf, so make sure you do that, too. If you're lucky, one of those drawers might be carrying something that you can sell for a good sum of money. But unfortunately there's no way to 'take all' because Arthur picks up each item one at a time, so keep searching until you have everything.
Also, there's usually a second floor to every explorable area, so don't forget to check upstairs – and check everywhere for a ladder to take you there.
5. Put your gun in its holster
This is a big one, and it's more of a problem than you might think. On the Playstation 4, pressing L1 will cause Arthur to draw his gun and pressing it again will holster it. When your gun is holstered, you can interact with people by pressing L2. When your gun is drawn, pressing L2 will cause you to aim.
Whenever you walk into a saloon or into a place with innocent people, always make sure your gun is holstered. Just make it a habit to check in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. If you don't, you're going to be aiming at the innkeeper's head instead of asking him for a room. And that's a quick, easy way to get the law on your tail.
Also, stay away from the R2 button until you get familiar with the controls. Anything more than a light tap will cause Morgan to draw and shoot from the hip. Again, this isn't a good way to start a conversation and an excellent way to get a bounty placed on your head.
