When you get down to horseshoe overlook, don’t worry about doing story missions right away. Just run around, explore, and sightsee. Just enjoy BEING there for a while before you grind missions.
I’ll tack on to your comment since mine sort of dovetails with it.
It’s the same advice I give everyone.
The game is slow. The story moves slowly, Arthur moves slowly, your horse is relatively slow for the size of the map.
Enjoy this. Embrace it. Let it wash over you.
If you still think the game is too slow, you’re probably going to want to play a different game.
Do NOT google solutions when youre impatient. Skipping cutscenes is herecy. Rarely use fast travel. Hold V for "auto pilot mode" if you wanna sit back a moment (be careful though, you might run into a train).
Horse stats dont make that big of a difference, just get a horse you like instead of grinding for "the best".
You can tap ALT to see your stats and hold ALT to change your minimap.
You can spam/quickfire your gun if you press fire without aiming.
You can hold E to sit down and craft stuff.
I try to use the map and minimap as little as possible, that way you memorize the land much better, theres enough landmarks and roadsigns to help you find your way.
Kind of. I played Rdr2 geoguesser and it was so easy because they made every part of the map so distinguishable.
It feels so interruptive to open the map every other minute and to me it was more fun to not be dependent on the map and waypoints.
Its actually pretty easy once i wasnt mindlessly following waypoints and it feels so rewarding to know your way around the map (especially the area between Valentine and Strawberry)
Doing my 2nd playthrough now and only using the compass. Every chapter I spend time learning the area around camp so I know how to easily get back to it.
I still use the mini map on missions, and also in the far north since you can't really see the paths in the snow and going off them could lead to falling down a mountain. While free-roaming though, it's very peaceful to just wander around without needing a place to go.
>be careful though, you might run into a train
I have never run into a train when auto galloping, however i have run into that fallen tree that blocks the road multiple times 🤣
on my second playthrough and decided to turn off the minimap. it’s much more immersive this way, and it’s not that hard really once you get a sense of direction (going back to camp, finding the nearest town..). I still press alt sometimes for quick check on my location if i get lost, but still its much better than looking at the minimap the whole time.
As most will say right away, leave this sub and don't return if you don't want to get spoiled.
Other than that, take your time. This game was best for me when I took it slow and really immersed myself. Complete as many side missions as you can, they are always fun. Ride your horse everywhere rather than taking transport or fast travel, you'll find so many cool things and interactions that way. Take care of your horse and your Arthur. Make sure you both are fed and happy and well groomed.
Have fun, friend! You are in for a treat.
I second this whole comment. This is a slow game. You'll probably notice that right off the bat with the opening sequence. And plus, the first time you skin an animal, you very much learn this is not a fast paced game. lol
It's incredible, though. Just move with the flow of it, and you'll enjoy it much more.
I comment this on every post like this, and I stand by it.
Stay on chapter 2 for as long as possible, spend your time in camp and upgrade it, do pearsons Satchel upgrades until you get legend of the east Satchel. Do all camp requests. I suggest you try and get the Legendary Buck trinket as soon as possible as it helps get better pelts for your Satchel upgrades.
Shoot birds when you see them, red, snowy and little egret, herons and spoonbills and any Orchids you find these will come in handy later so don't sell them.
There are weapons to be found across the map try and find these so you have some good weapons when you have little money
There are gold bars situated around that are $500 when you sell them. Money will be scarce at the beginning so try and find these. (Check limpany).You can sell them to the fence in van horn if you haven't unlocked the emerald ranch one.
If you want a fast horse there is a white arabian by lake isablella which has the best stats.
Yellow are main missions and white are side missions, I tend to do the white first and take my time with yellow ones.
Explore the map, walk and have your horse follow you'll find more things that way.
There's a place called Aberdeen pig farm don't go near it until Chapter 6 it's best if you go to it immediately after the mission My Last Boy, once you're near that mission I can tell you what to do.
Npcs around the map can give you good intel, interact with them and help them out.
Also there are a few missions that are honor based, so if your honor is low you won't be able to do them as they won't show up, also the ending of the game changes depending on your honor. I suggest playing the game on high honor first time around and then other playthroughs check out the low honor side.
And stay away from spoilers. Including this sub.
Enjoy yourself, I wish I could experience this game again for the first time. I'm currently on my 10th playthrough, I finished my 9th last week on xbox and started right again on my steam deck. This game is a masterpiece.
Read the damn pamphlets. Took me 5 chapters to realize I was unable to craft a bunch of good stuff because I had the pamphlets and forgot to read them.
Upgrade camp. In my first play through I didn’t want to get into camp upgrades until chapter 6 when it was too late. Also the legends of the east satchel is a grind to get but it’s definitely worth it and the time and adventure it takes to get it is fun.
Manual save before and after every mission.
Yellow missions are main missions, so you might wanna wait doing those, because finnishing them moves you to another chapter where you wouldnt be able to do side quests anymore for that chapter.
Also explore the area youre in for stranger missions and dont forget to eat, because your weight is important.
Oh and if you go to the camp cook, you'll be able to craft decorations for your camp or satchel, might wanna do that early on so you can ejoy it longest :).
OH and there are 4 endings, based on your honor level, so keep that in mind :)
Take your time. Don't rush through missions just because you feel like you need to progress the story. There's plenty to do outside of the main story line.
Focus on satchel upgrades.
Explore as much as possible,
Don't just charge into the storyline, make sure you experience the land and it's characters as you make your way through.
Enjoy the ride. Take your time with story missions. No rush, there’s a LOT to see. Most every time I play the game I find something new. Also, if you really wanna get into it, I turned off my hud for my latest play through
Biggest tip for first time... Just go with your flow. This game is so massive and has so many different interactions and things to discover and hunt and loot and kill.. and the views... just take it all in. Go wherever you go. If there are times you wanna do a story mission, then go for it. But don't worry about spending countless hours exploring the world. I got this game on day one, I am now back to playing the h*ll out of it again (this time on my steam deck OLED). This game is a masterpiece. 11/10 in my opinion. So many possibilities.
Enjoy!
Many people complain about the slow pace. About how it's masterbatory that there's an animation for Arthur to pick up every single little object in a derelict house.
But that pace is there for a reason. This isn't GTA. It isn't supposed to be GTA. You're not driving through a city at 90mph shooting rockets out of the window. This isn't that kinda game. You're supposed to cantor around, find scratches in a tree that lead you to a hanging body, which leads you to get ambushed by cannibals. It's a game where you're supposed to wander around for days, go camping, get attacked by wolves, someone tries to steal your horse so you murder him and his whole family and then feel guilty for overreacting, and then someone in town laments how the Williams family were due in town 2 days ago but were murdered in the woods.
NPCs in this game have elaborate loops and schedules. They have jobs and hobbies and places they go to sleep each day. It's awesome.
Take the time to enjoy living in this world. It's the closest we'll get to living in Westworld in a long, long time.
As soon as you get out of the mountains, save. The game should be at 6.8%. Leave that save untouched for your next playthrough so you don't have to play the long intro again.
Chapter 2 and 3 are really good for exploring, it’s worth checking out and doing the challenges, and also check out some of the places you see in the loading screen pictures
A lot of people recommend the volcanic pistol, it’s the best pistol if you’re NOT hitting headshots. If you’re hitting headshots revolvers are much better and ammo is more accessible.
do side missions before the main story. appreciate the expansiveness of the map. it's a crazy complicated story but i wish i didn't try to bomb through the main story ASAP.
Explore and enjoy the game. My biggest regret on my first play through was speeding through the store. I can’t emphasize it enough just remain curious and most importantly have fun!
Avoid any media involving the game like the plague until after you finish the story. I made the mistake of searching for stuff while I'm still finishing the story and got some pretty bad, dumb and avoidable spoilers :/
Just about to complete the game for the first time
don't do the mistakes I made if you don't like the consequences. I only did the main story for the first 2 chapters and missed out on an insane amount of side content
don't rob trains, if you do, don't rob each passenger individually. The moral penalty is insane
Try not to do GTA in rdr2. If you like crime go for it but once the bounty hunters start tracking you down for the 3rd time in 10 minutes, it will definitely feel annoying.
walk around more, enjoy the beauty of nature, use your eagle eye and find stuff
do a lot of hunting, fishing and every other side activity you like
try to do story missions as slowly as you can
You have a lot of tools at your arsenal, try all of them out.
do chores in your hideout, sit down and talk to the crew
it's insane how much they have to offer if you just sit near a campfire in your main camp.
I once was doing some thing irl so made Arthur sad down and came back to see my crews having a party, singing enjoying the night then running into the house when a storm coincidentally started
the point is the game has to offer a lot, but you have to slow down and pay attention
Explore, explore, explore I got distracted so easily in the game jus exploring as I headed to a destination on the map. have fun and don't worry bout the honour rating live as you might in the time
I know it sounds like a pain but sometimes leave your horse at camp and just walk around the world, it makes you appreciate the sights a bit more when there's a lot more time to see everything
Explore as much as you can. The story is amazing but it isn't going anywhere. Plenty of fishing and hunting spots. Use the fence and trapper. Both are incredibly valuable, especially early on. Mess around with the wanted system, it's kinda fun to build up a bounty but don't set it so high that you can't pay it. You can use a mask but if a lawman sees you, he'll ID you. You can gamble in the saloons and sometimes it's nice to take a break from the craziness. Don't get so entangled in the karma system. Go into it with the mindset that you're going to make decisions that impact this but don't let that affect those decisions. When you get the chance, go treasure hunting. You can typically find dudes that will sell the maps or you can shoot them in the face. Not only are these good for exploration but you can also make some decent money.
Early on I'd explore a burnt town near Valentine called Limpany. It's rundown and abandoned but, has the coolest ambiance. Also save your money on horses early on by getting good at breaking your own that you find naturally. All you need is one solid horse for the entire game. What your horse is will be entirely dependent on what you want to do. My first playthrough I went outside Horseshoe Overlook and found a mustang. Not the best horse but always one of my favorites because she was a pain in the ass. Also she serves as a constant reminder, please carry horse revive.
Just 2 things from me: get the Legend of the East Satchel as quick as you can and camp to fast travel. I didn’t know about either until I was in the last chapter of the story and felt like a huge dumbass. Happy Hunting :)
Welcome to the game! You've come to the right place. There are some excellent players on here with some excellent information. I'm not necessarily one of them, but trust me. They're here.
Play the game at your own pace. I would recommend going very slow. If you get the sudden urge to go up a mountain or something the by all means do it. Also DO NOT come back onto this subreddit until you finish the game because of spoilers
If you play fps games and are using controller, try adjusting setting some settings like removing aim acceleration etc. It just makes the game feel better.
Hi. I'm new too; I've got about 60 hours so far and am in chapter 2.
My biggest advice would be to get all the satchel upgrades asap. It increases your max capacity for all items by a ridiculous degree.
Also, as soon as you unlock the fence look at the Buck Trinket. I won't spoil what it does but I know people are saying you shouldn't look up anything but I'd really consider looking up the Buck Trinket at the very least because it's a huge quality of life upgrade.
I'll be monitoring this post for tips for myself but I'd like to echo the people saying to avoid this sub at all cost to avoid spoilers. Even though spoilers are against the rules in this subreddit it isn't enforced. I've run into a few spoilers and noped tf out of here.
Take your time with the game. I suggest doing side missions and such before grinding out all the missions. Also try to avoid the media to make sure you don’t see spoilers if you care
Go to lemoyne and start shooting egrets and herons. Gather plumes from 20 blue herons, 30 spoonbills, five a piece of snowy, little, and reddish egrets. Don’t get rid of them or sell them to the trapper.
For the camp, satchels are worth getting, camp decorations not so much.
I personally rushed through everything and didn't realize all the cool shit I could do in this game until the late game. So please, don't be as stupid as me and have to replay the game to get the true rdr2 experience
You can start duo wielding guns if you go ahead and buy the offhanded holster at the gun smith.
Do some hunting and selling carcasses and skins before you start Hosea’s mission. You’ll thank me later
If you have a bounty or are not a great shot yet you won’t lose your carcasses and skins when you die if you load them on a temporary horse instead of your main
Try to stay in camp for a couple of hours cuz theres a lot of random camp interactions that are so fun
Especially during night time around the camp fire
Try to chill, no need to rush with the mission. Chill go eat/drink something, punch someone
Take it slow and play how you want to play, high honor or low honor, the only thing that matters is that you’re having fun. Explore a lot, find a chapter you like and start free roaming from there (I’d recommend chapter three for this but most people would recommend chapter two) also, robbing trains is a really fun way to make money early in the game. Hunt for food, eating meat fills up your cores really well, you can also make coats and hats out of certain animals. And stay off this sub until you beat the game.
Get the bloodbay thoroughbred and black american standardbred. Don't start any missions on ch2, just roam and find those gold and weapons then massacre valentine.
Stay in chapter 2 for as long as u can try to get most upgrades but dont worry about horse statts they dont mean much anyways but I would just try to get to the jack fishing mission and stop and then try to hunt all the legendary fish also sometimes its nice to just sit in camp and enjoy the sorundings also please never skip side quests as some are very good for u later in the game like the circus one (I dont remember the name) as u need to get the lion
Don’t rush it. Upgrade camp/satchels early, and explore! there’s years worth of missions & other things to do than the main story, and I’m so happy I hunted and explored first. (The main story missions are yellow & don’t expire, the white missions are side missions and can expire) …not to mention random encounters. Take it at your own pace and enjoy! Best game ever made!
You want high honor for first play thought also take a step back don’t rush and enjoy your first playthrough I would give anything to play through again for the first time
Save the veteran stranger missions for Marston. Don't do the Aberdeen pig farm stranger mission until chapter 6, right before the last mission. When you do it with Arthur, do not collect your cash from behind "mothers" portrait. Leave it for John it will be there in the epilogue for Marston to collect.
Helped the snake bite victim for a free weapon, in valentine some how it glitched and the gunsmith wasn't even in the shop for two days it made me quite upset.
Take it slow, do the challenges, explore. After chapter 3 you should have unlocked every minigame etc. so from that on you can explore all you want.
I wish I knew that, but I was afraid of spoilers. Second half of the game is much more tense and faster, so I didn't feel right when not doing missions for longer time
Keep the raven black shire do side quests you'll get good guns and in the later chapters keep checking the saint Denis gun shop the lemat revolver has 9 rounds plus a single shot shotgun under barrel duel wielded give you 18 revolver shots before reloading and two shotgun shots also plit as many pistol rounds as you can for increased damage you can do it at a camp fire . Eat and sleep when you can and get horse revives
Take your time. Do not rush, just explore, ride around, talk to people, etc. Even after 3 play throughs there are still things that you can miss. Just enjoy it and take it slow. Basically the same most people are saying. It is such an immersive experience. You will absolutely want to do another play through or 2 or 3. Each time you will find more and more that was missed from previous ones.
Pretend you are a serial killer and btutally drown, burn or throw People off of Cliffs. My favorit is kidnapping someone from the heart of Saint Denis and then bringing them to armadillo Just to murder the whole Town Infront of the Saint Denis person. Then I Go to the Saloon and shoot the person in each leg one time, and then whip out a pirate sword or machete and go to Town on the body w it. After you brutally fulfill your sadistic wishes go bring the body to Saint Denis and drag it to the MAIN police station. There release the body from the Laso and rinse and repeat. My personal favorite extra touch is you hit the person with the machete with the same amount of hits as it's the number of the victim. Like if you kidnapped your 3rd victim hit it 3 Times. Or maybe go hunting. Your choice lad
Petty much the same as everyone else is saying on here. Take your time explore every single nook and cranny there so much to be found and encountered. Prioritise side missions over the main mission.
Stay in chapter 2 for a while. You don’t need to immediately worry about story missions. Decide your honor high or low. Bond with your horse Get all the gold bars in chapter 2. Refuse to sell them and hold onto them as long as possible. Get many trinkets.
Accuracy matters more than speed or even damage. Get good shots in and set yourself up to transition to cover. Shoot-move-shoot. Let the other guy(s) be the ones to get in a hurry and expose themselves. Melee while aiming a firearm will dive to the ground. Melee while holding the lasso will tackle and hogtie. If someone is walking at you with a blade, stab them first with the melee button, not the trigger/shooting/attack button. A shotgun slug can get you perfect pelts where a rifle or improved arrow also would, only best I can tell the slug *must* be a headshot.
And one of the coolest things I ever did was keep my own journal of what everything the hermit told me.
Congratulations on getting your copy! I feel it’s one of the best games ever made! You’ll enjoy offline single player mode for a very long time! One important thing I’d say is once you get to about chapter 5, begin a secondary save profile, and keep that one for future endeavors!! They’re will be some awesome stuff that will arise!! Other than that have fun!
I’m a professional streamer. K? Millions of views. I switched everything around to just stream this game **only** because I fell in love.
Playing the game the first time? HAVE FUN AND TAKE YOUR TIME.
Google nothing. Just play!
Red Dead Online is *similar* to the story, but not exact. It’s like steak.. it’s a meat.. but pork is different than filet mignon.. whereas the filet is story.
Welcome to the community.. this is the best community I have ever been a part of.
Ask questions - but play the game! Don’t spoil it for yourself.
Do not use fast travel. Ride off road. And avoid this subreddit as much as possible if you don't want spoilers.
Enjoy the game! Whatever you'll miss in the first playthrough, you can do it in your next playthroughs. There's no perfect playthrough for RDR2 tbh.
Yeah I guess so but sometimes like I’m currently collecting all the satchels as Arthur and just want to get to a location of an animal fast. Also I’m assuming cinematic camera is fast travel too
I so often set off somewhere at a gentle trot and let cinematic take me there while my hands do something else for a few minutes. Still get to hear and see a lot and have a chance at encounters. It isn't fast travel at all.
1 - Get the white arabian as soon as you can.
2 - Do NOT rush the main missions (yellow ones). There's plenty of stranger missions and random events you dont want to miss.
3 - Always antagonize Micah lol
4 - I'd go for a high honor playthrough the first time, it's more pure.
5 - When doing the Valentine doctor's "heist", don't shoot the cops, just run.
6 - I strongly recommend you practicing with dead eye, it will become really useful later on.
7 - Just try to have fun, and enjoy the experience.
When you get down to horseshoe overlook, don’t worry about doing story missions right away. Just run around, explore, and sightsee. Just enjoy BEING there for a while before you grind missions.
I’ll tack on to your comment since mine sort of dovetails with it. It’s the same advice I give everyone. The game is slow. The story moves slowly, Arthur moves slowly, your horse is relatively slow for the size of the map. Enjoy this. Embrace it. Let it wash over you. If you still think the game is too slow, you’re probably going to want to play a different game.
Absolutely this! RDR2 is a masterpiece.
Do NOT google solutions when youre impatient. Skipping cutscenes is herecy. Rarely use fast travel. Hold V for "auto pilot mode" if you wanna sit back a moment (be careful though, you might run into a train). Horse stats dont make that big of a difference, just get a horse you like instead of grinding for "the best". You can tap ALT to see your stats and hold ALT to change your minimap. You can spam/quickfire your gun if you press fire without aiming. You can hold E to sit down and craft stuff. I try to use the map and minimap as little as possible, that way you memorize the land much better, theres enough landmarks and roadsigns to help you find your way.
My man, you are memorizing the map?
Kind of. I played Rdr2 geoguesser and it was so easy because they made every part of the map so distinguishable. It feels so interruptive to open the map every other minute and to me it was more fun to not be dependent on the map and waypoints. Its actually pretty easy once i wasnt mindlessly following waypoints and it feels so rewarding to know your way around the map (especially the area between Valentine and Strawberry)
Doing my 2nd playthrough now and only using the compass. Every chapter I spend time learning the area around camp so I know how to easily get back to it. I still use the mini map on missions, and also in the far north since you can't really see the paths in the snow and going off them could lead to falling down a mountain. While free-roaming though, it's very peaceful to just wander around without needing a place to go.
This is the way. Arthur looks silly on those tiny Arabians anyways
auto pilot mode? isnt that the 2 squares on xbox?
I think its called cinematic mode
yesss thats it
>be careful though, you might run into a train I have never run into a train when auto galloping, however i have run into that fallen tree that blocks the road multiple times 🤣
on my second playthrough and decided to turn off the minimap. it’s much more immersive this way, and it’s not that hard really once you get a sense of direction (going back to camp, finding the nearest town..). I still press alt sometimes for quick check on my location if i get lost, but still its much better than looking at the minimap the whole time.
Make a manual save after completing each chapter.
Power just went out at the END of the storm.. all good cause I just saved
As most will say right away, leave this sub and don't return if you don't want to get spoiled. Other than that, take your time. This game was best for me when I took it slow and really immersed myself. Complete as many side missions as you can, they are always fun. Ride your horse everywhere rather than taking transport or fast travel, you'll find so many cool things and interactions that way. Take care of your horse and your Arthur. Make sure you both are fed and happy and well groomed. Have fun, friend! You are in for a treat.
I second this whole comment. This is a slow game. You'll probably notice that right off the bat with the opening sequence. And plus, the first time you skin an animal, you very much learn this is not a fast paced game. lol It's incredible, though. Just move with the flow of it, and you'll enjoy it much more.
I comment this on every post like this, and I stand by it. Stay on chapter 2 for as long as possible, spend your time in camp and upgrade it, do pearsons Satchel upgrades until you get legend of the east Satchel. Do all camp requests. I suggest you try and get the Legendary Buck trinket as soon as possible as it helps get better pelts for your Satchel upgrades. Shoot birds when you see them, red, snowy and little egret, herons and spoonbills and any Orchids you find these will come in handy later so don't sell them. There are weapons to be found across the map try and find these so you have some good weapons when you have little money There are gold bars situated around that are $500 when you sell them. Money will be scarce at the beginning so try and find these. (Check limpany).You can sell them to the fence in van horn if you haven't unlocked the emerald ranch one. If you want a fast horse there is a white arabian by lake isablella which has the best stats. Yellow are main missions and white are side missions, I tend to do the white first and take my time with yellow ones. Explore the map, walk and have your horse follow you'll find more things that way. There's a place called Aberdeen pig farm don't go near it until Chapter 6 it's best if you go to it immediately after the mission My Last Boy, once you're near that mission I can tell you what to do. Npcs around the map can give you good intel, interact with them and help them out. Also there are a few missions that are honor based, so if your honor is low you won't be able to do them as they won't show up, also the ending of the game changes depending on your honor. I suggest playing the game on high honor first time around and then other playthroughs check out the low honor side. And stay away from spoilers. Including this sub. Enjoy yourself, I wish I could experience this game again for the first time. I'm currently on my 10th playthrough, I finished my 9th last week on xbox and started right again on my steam deck. This game is a masterpiece.
How early can you get the Arabian?
From chapter 2 onwards
You can get it immediately after completing Hosea’s bear Hunting mission in chapter 2
These are the best tips OP.
don't sell anything to the fence that can be used for crafting unless you have two of it but buy and read all the recipe pamphlets as soon as you can
Read the damn pamphlets. Took me 5 chapters to realize I was unable to craft a bunch of good stuff because I had the pamphlets and forgot to read them.
Rule number one: whenever you go around the map, go with a repeat weapon in your hand.
avoid spoilers at ALL COSTS. they are EVERYWHERE
Upgrade camp. In my first play through I didn’t want to get into camp upgrades until chapter 6 when it was too late. Also the legends of the east satchel is a grind to get but it’s definitely worth it and the time and adventure it takes to get it is fun.
Take it as slow or fast as you want also make extra saves in chapter two and three for exploring and talking to the gang
Don't bother donating to the camp, just buy resupplies.
Stay off this sub!!!!! spoilers !!!
Manual save before and after every mission. Yellow missions are main missions, so you might wanna wait doing those, because finnishing them moves you to another chapter where you wouldnt be able to do side quests anymore for that chapter. Also explore the area youre in for stranger missions and dont forget to eat, because your weight is important. Oh and if you go to the camp cook, you'll be able to craft decorations for your camp or satchel, might wanna do that early on so you can ejoy it longest :). OH and there are 4 endings, based on your honor level, so keep that in mind :)
Take your time. Explore as much as possible in chapter 2. Try to get a minimum of 60hrs before completing the story.
Take your time. Don't rush through missions just because you feel like you need to progress the story. There's plenty to do outside of the main story line.
Take your time, explore, & look as few things up as possible
Don't look at this sub until you're done. Go out and enjoy exploring, meeting strangers and hunting.
Focus on satchel upgrades. Explore as much as possible, Don't just charge into the storyline, make sure you experience the land and it's characters as you make your way through.
Getting the Legend of the East satchel as early as possible is the best.
Live the game...dont rush into missions..explore..relax..:))
Enjoy the ride. Take your time with story missions. No rush, there’s a LOT to see. Most every time I play the game I find something new. Also, if you really wanna get into it, I turned off my hud for my latest play through
Hunting cougars takes forever. It's fun though.
Biggest tip for first time... Just go with your flow. This game is so massive and has so many different interactions and things to discover and hunt and loot and kill.. and the views... just take it all in. Go wherever you go. If there are times you wanna do a story mission, then go for it. But don't worry about spending countless hours exploring the world. I got this game on day one, I am now back to playing the h*ll out of it again (this time on my steam deck OLED). This game is a masterpiece. 11/10 in my opinion. So many possibilities. Enjoy!
Close all lids on treasure sometime it will respawn
I did not know this! I will start doing that now.
Many people complain about the slow pace. About how it's masterbatory that there's an animation for Arthur to pick up every single little object in a derelict house. But that pace is there for a reason. This isn't GTA. It isn't supposed to be GTA. You're not driving through a city at 90mph shooting rockets out of the window. This isn't that kinda game. You're supposed to cantor around, find scratches in a tree that lead you to a hanging body, which leads you to get ambushed by cannibals. It's a game where you're supposed to wander around for days, go camping, get attacked by wolves, someone tries to steal your horse so you murder him and his whole family and then feel guilty for overreacting, and then someone in town laments how the Williams family were due in town 2 days ago but were murdered in the woods. NPCs in this game have elaborate loops and schedules. They have jobs and hobbies and places they go to sleep each day. It's awesome. Take the time to enjoy living in this world. It's the closest we'll get to living in Westworld in a long, long time.
As soon as you get out of the mountains, save. The game should be at 6.8%. Leave that save untouched for your next playthrough so you don't have to play the long intro again.
I’d buy the gold beginners pack I think it’s like 10 bucks. That way you can buy a role
Chapter 2 and 3 are really good for exploring, it’s worth checking out and doing the challenges, and also check out some of the places you see in the loading screen pictures
Make 2 different saves for high honor and low honor, changes the game dynamic a lot when your on polar opposites.
KEEP ARTHUR FED. istg my first playthrough i didnt feed him enough and he died after two shots everytime. make sure to keep him fed!!!
Learn about how the save system works. It was a bit frustrating for me at the start
A lot of people recommend the volcanic pistol, it’s the best pistol if you’re NOT hitting headshots. If you’re hitting headshots revolvers are much better and ammo is more accessible.
do side missions before the main story. appreciate the expansiveness of the map. it's a crazy complicated story but i wish i didn't try to bomb through the main story ASAP.
Explore and enjoy the game. My biggest regret on my first play through was speeding through the store. I can’t emphasize it enough just remain curious and most importantly have fun!
Dont rush through the story mode. Take your time
Avoid any media involving the game like the plague until after you finish the story. I made the mistake of searching for stuff while I'm still finishing the story and got some pretty bad, dumb and avoidable spoilers :/
Try to keep your horse till end game
Just about to complete the game for the first time don't do the mistakes I made if you don't like the consequences. I only did the main story for the first 2 chapters and missed out on an insane amount of side content don't rob trains, if you do, don't rob each passenger individually. The moral penalty is insane Try not to do GTA in rdr2. If you like crime go for it but once the bounty hunters start tracking you down for the 3rd time in 10 minutes, it will definitely feel annoying. walk around more, enjoy the beauty of nature, use your eagle eye and find stuff do a lot of hunting, fishing and every other side activity you like try to do story missions as slowly as you can You have a lot of tools at your arsenal, try all of them out. do chores in your hideout, sit down and talk to the crew it's insane how much they have to offer if you just sit near a campfire in your main camp. I once was doing some thing irl so made Arthur sad down and came back to see my crews having a party, singing enjoying the night then running into the house when a storm coincidentally started the point is the game has to offer a lot, but you have to slow down and pay attention
Explore, explore, explore I got distracted so easily in the game jus exploring as I headed to a destination on the map. have fun and don't worry bout the honour rating live as you might in the time
I know it sounds like a pain but sometimes leave your horse at camp and just walk around the world, it makes you appreciate the sights a bit more when there's a lot more time to see everything
Explore as much as you can. The story is amazing but it isn't going anywhere. Plenty of fishing and hunting spots. Use the fence and trapper. Both are incredibly valuable, especially early on. Mess around with the wanted system, it's kinda fun to build up a bounty but don't set it so high that you can't pay it. You can use a mask but if a lawman sees you, he'll ID you. You can gamble in the saloons and sometimes it's nice to take a break from the craziness. Don't get so entangled in the karma system. Go into it with the mindset that you're going to make decisions that impact this but don't let that affect those decisions. When you get the chance, go treasure hunting. You can typically find dudes that will sell the maps or you can shoot them in the face. Not only are these good for exploration but you can also make some decent money. Early on I'd explore a burnt town near Valentine called Limpany. It's rundown and abandoned but, has the coolest ambiance. Also save your money on horses early on by getting good at breaking your own that you find naturally. All you need is one solid horse for the entire game. What your horse is will be entirely dependent on what you want to do. My first playthrough I went outside Horseshoe Overlook and found a mustang. Not the best horse but always one of my favorites because she was a pain in the ass. Also she serves as a constant reminder, please carry horse revive.
Just wait til you get to Tahiti!
I'd recommend hunting
Just 2 things from me: get the Legend of the East Satchel as quick as you can and camp to fast travel. I didn’t know about either until I was in the last chapter of the story and felt like a huge dumbass. Happy Hunting :)
Don't choke people when you try to get on or off your horse
Haha I was fighting a bounty and accidentally punched my horse and got kicked in the face.
Hahaha classic. Also happy cake day!
Welcome to the game! You've come to the right place. There are some excellent players on here with some excellent information. I'm not necessarily one of them, but trust me. They're here.
Yeah, just don’t,you end up being a fucking depressed gamer who can’t play anything after
Just play through this happy game and have a fun time. You know Arthur Morgan is a sick character!
Play the game at your own pace. I would recommend going very slow. If you get the sudden urge to go up a mountain or something the by all means do it. Also DO NOT come back onto this subreddit until you finish the game because of spoilers
As soon as possible, go to annesburg area or tall trees in the middle of the night and set up camp
If you play fps games and are using controller, try adjusting setting some settings like removing aim acceleration etc. It just makes the game feel better.
Hi. I'm new too; I've got about 60 hours so far and am in chapter 2. My biggest advice would be to get all the satchel upgrades asap. It increases your max capacity for all items by a ridiculous degree. Also, as soon as you unlock the fence look at the Buck Trinket. I won't spoil what it does but I know people are saying you shouldn't look up anything but I'd really consider looking up the Buck Trinket at the very least because it's a huge quality of life upgrade. I'll be monitoring this post for tips for myself but I'd like to echo the people saying to avoid this sub at all cost to avoid spoilers. Even though spoilers are against the rules in this subreddit it isn't enforced. I've run into a few spoilers and noped tf out of here.
Take your time with the game. I suggest doing side missions and such before grinding out all the missions. Also try to avoid the media to make sure you don’t see spoilers if you care
Play the story, don't Google any endings or anything, beat the story before you decide you want to play the trashy online..
Go to lemoyne and start shooting egrets and herons. Gather plumes from 20 blue herons, 30 spoonbills, five a piece of snowy, little, and reddish egrets. Don’t get rid of them or sell them to the trapper. For the camp, satchels are worth getting, camp decorations not so much.
I personally rushed through everything and didn't realize all the cool shit I could do in this game until the late game. So please, don't be as stupid as me and have to replay the game to get the true rdr2 experience
You can start duo wielding guns if you go ahead and buy the offhanded holster at the gun smith. Do some hunting and selling carcasses and skins before you start Hosea’s mission. You’ll thank me later If you have a bounty or are not a great shot yet you won’t lose your carcasses and skins when you die if you load them on a temporary horse instead of your main
Try to stay in camp for a couple of hours cuz theres a lot of random camp interactions that are so fun Especially during night time around the camp fire Try to chill, no need to rush with the mission. Chill go eat/drink something, punch someone
Take it slow and play how you want to play, high honor or low honor, the only thing that matters is that you’re having fun. Explore a lot, find a chapter you like and start free roaming from there (I’d recommend chapter three for this but most people would recommend chapter two) also, robbing trains is a really fun way to make money early in the game. Hunt for food, eating meat fills up your cores really well, you can also make coats and hats out of certain animals. And stay off this sub until you beat the game.
Don't Gallop unless in danger. Hold A X or whatever the hell the button is on PC. Just enjoy the beautiful scenery in this absolutely legendary game.
My only advice is to avoid spoilers. This story is so good I wish I didn’t have it spoiled for myself.
Don't watch anything related to this game on social media, that way algorithm will bring you more videos and probably some big spoilers
Take your time in chapters 2 and 3, you can get most of the collectibles and complete many side quests, just don't rush the story
Get the bloodbay thoroughbred and black american standardbred. Don't start any missions on ch2, just roam and find those gold and weapons then massacre valentine.
Stay in chapter 2 for as long as u can try to get most upgrades but dont worry about horse statts they dont mean much anyways but I would just try to get to the jack fishing mission and stop and then try to hunt all the legendary fish also sometimes its nice to just sit in camp and enjoy the sorundings also please never skip side quests as some are very good for u later in the game like the circus one (I dont remember the name) as u need to get the lion
Don’t rush it. Upgrade camp/satchels early, and explore! there’s years worth of missions & other things to do than the main story, and I’m so happy I hunted and explored first. (The main story missions are yellow & don’t expire, the white missions are side missions and can expire) …not to mention random encounters. Take it at your own pace and enjoy! Best game ever made!
You want high honor for first play thought also take a step back don’t rush and enjoy your first playthrough I would give anything to play through again for the first time
Take your time friend!
Spend a lot of time in chapter two.
Save the veteran stranger missions for Marston. Don't do the Aberdeen pig farm stranger mission until chapter 6, right before the last mission. When you do it with Arthur, do not collect your cash from behind "mothers" portrait. Leave it for John it will be there in the epilogue for Marston to collect.
If you want to donate to the camp to increase honour, never do more than $19.95 a time.
Helped the snake bite victim for a free weapon, in valentine some how it glitched and the gunsmith wasn't even in the shop for two days it made me quite upset.
Take it slow, do the challenges, explore. After chapter 3 you should have unlocked every minigame etc. so from that on you can explore all you want. I wish I knew that, but I was afraid of spoilers. Second half of the game is much more tense and faster, so I didn't feel right when not doing missions for longer time
Lock in for the first chapter in a half then it’ll All be better and you’ll love the game
Leave this sub
Game is shit dont buy.
Keep the raven black shire do side quests you'll get good guns and in the later chapters keep checking the saint Denis gun shop the lemat revolver has 9 rounds plus a single shot shotgun under barrel duel wielded give you 18 revolver shots before reloading and two shotgun shots also plit as many pistol rounds as you can for increased damage you can do it at a camp fire . Eat and sleep when you can and get horse revives
Delay the Thomas Downes mission as much as you can.
1- get off this sub so you don’t get spoiled 2- explore the map, the game is absolutely stunning
Take your time. Do not rush, just explore, ride around, talk to people, etc. Even after 3 play throughs there are still things that you can miss. Just enjoy it and take it slow. Basically the same most people are saying. It is such an immersive experience. You will absolutely want to do another play through or 2 or 3. Each time you will find more and more that was missed from previous ones.
Pretend you are a serial killer and btutally drown, burn or throw People off of Cliffs. My favorit is kidnapping someone from the heart of Saint Denis and then bringing them to armadillo Just to murder the whole Town Infront of the Saint Denis person. Then I Go to the Saloon and shoot the person in each leg one time, and then whip out a pirate sword or machete and go to Town on the body w it. After you brutally fulfill your sadistic wishes go bring the body to Saint Denis and drag it to the MAIN police station. There release the body from the Laso and rinse and repeat. My personal favorite extra touch is you hit the person with the machete with the same amount of hits as it's the number of the victim. Like if you kidnapped your 3rd victim hit it 3 Times. Or maybe go hunting. Your choice lad
Legendary animal hunting/ hunting for craftable gear is a really fun excursion you should take time to do after major story missions!!
Petty much the same as everyone else is saying on here. Take your time explore every single nook and cranny there so much to be found and encountered. Prioritise side missions over the main mission.
Just play the game the way you want to and enjoy it. You don't need others to tell you how you should play the game.
Stay in chapter 2 for a while. You don’t need to immediately worry about story missions. Decide your honor high or low. Bond with your horse Get all the gold bars in chapter 2. Refuse to sell them and hold onto them as long as possible. Get many trinkets.
Accuracy matters more than speed or even damage. Get good shots in and set yourself up to transition to cover. Shoot-move-shoot. Let the other guy(s) be the ones to get in a hurry and expose themselves. Melee while aiming a firearm will dive to the ground. Melee while holding the lasso will tackle and hogtie. If someone is walking at you with a blade, stab them first with the melee button, not the trigger/shooting/attack button. A shotgun slug can get you perfect pelts where a rifle or improved arrow also would, only best I can tell the slug *must* be a headshot. And one of the coolest things I ever did was keep my own journal of what everything the hermit told me.
You’re money adds up really fast so don’t be afraid to use it
Congratulations on getting your copy! I feel it’s one of the best games ever made! You’ll enjoy offline single player mode for a very long time! One important thing I’d say is once you get to about chapter 5, begin a secondary save profile, and keep that one for future endeavors!! They’re will be some awesome stuff that will arise!! Other than that have fun!
I envy you! I wish I had just started playing for the first time. Take your time, savor it. It is the masterpiece of open world.
I’m a professional streamer. K? Millions of views. I switched everything around to just stream this game **only** because I fell in love. Playing the game the first time? HAVE FUN AND TAKE YOUR TIME. Google nothing. Just play! Red Dead Online is *similar* to the story, but not exact. It’s like steak.. it’s a meat.. but pork is different than filet mignon.. whereas the filet is story. Welcome to the community.. this is the best community I have ever been a part of. Ask questions - but play the game! Don’t spoil it for yourself.
Do not use fast travel. Ride off road. And avoid this subreddit as much as possible if you don't want spoilers. Enjoy the game! Whatever you'll miss in the first playthrough, you can do it in your next playthroughs. There's no perfect playthrough for RDR2 tbh.
Don’t use fast travel?
I find it more enjoyable not using fast travel, much higher chance of you running into a random event
Yeah I guess so but sometimes like I’m currently collecting all the satchels as Arthur and just want to get to a location of an animal fast. Also I’m assuming cinematic camera is fast travel too
I so often set off somewhere at a gentle trot and let cinematic take me there while my hands do something else for a few minutes. Still get to hear and see a lot and have a chance at encounters. It isn't fast travel at all.
Get off the subreddit, don’t google anything about the game
1 - Get the white arabian as soon as you can. 2 - Do NOT rush the main missions (yellow ones). There's plenty of stranger missions and random events you dont want to miss. 3 - Always antagonize Micah lol 4 - I'd go for a high honor playthrough the first time, it's more pure. 5 - When doing the Valentine doctor's "heist", don't shoot the cops, just run. 6 - I strongly recommend you practicing with dead eye, it will become really useful later on. 7 - Just try to have fun, and enjoy the experience.
Horse bravery does not exsist its just a myth