Red Dead Redemption 2 is a particularly complete title, and understanding all the nuts and bolts of it to the rhythm of the game's tutorials can sometimes be challenging. However, there are a few simple tips that will help you to see things more clearly. If you are interested in multiplayer, discover the first details about this other huge part of the game available later this month.
Arthur Morgan, the backhoe loader
If the controls respond to the fingers and the eye, the inertia of good old Arthur will quickly make players used to more flexibility goat. With all the possibilities offered by the game play and the many options for customizing the game, you'll need a little time to adapt before the title sets its pace. Note that it is possible to modify the sprint initiation, by "activating" it with a push of a button rather than by keeping it pressed. Fortunately, a fast travel system arrives quite quickly, thanks to the improvements in the camp.
Health and cores
The condition of your endurance, health and coolness gauges is subject to different stresses represented by the nuclei, these large icons representing a heart (health) and a flash (endurance). These hearts will be consumed over time, while reducing regeneration. To remedy this, you will have to take care of yourself, and the same goes for your horse: eat regularly, rest when you see that Arthur is weakening and go for a nice hot bath in the local saloon, it should make you feel better. The nuclei can also be improved (yellow icon), via food and drink bonuses. To be satisfied, go eat a bowl of stew at the camp (it is only possible to eat once every two days).
Everything comes at the right time...
As mentioned above, RDR2 will take all its time to introduce you to its many gameplay mechanics: all the ins and outs of fishing will only be presented to you, for example, during a mission taken to the camp with Hosea in the first hours of play. Each major activity centre (hunting, fishing, etc.) offers 10 challenges, such as picking a particular plant or skinning a particular specimen.
"Wanted" Status
When you kill innocent people or get noticed a little too much, the NPCs may decide to go get the sheriff, triggering the famous status sought. To get out of this state, simply escape the red zone indicated on the map, the old-fashioned way. However, people may be a little less inclined to welcome you warmly if you systematically box in the area. The bonus system is erratic to say the least and having your head set at a price sometimes means nothing, think about keeping a low profile, especially at the beginning of the game when you have little money. Changing clothes, washing and shaving will help you go unnoticed, or at least less noticeable.
Secondary quest threads
The big "?" on the map correspond to areas containing additional quest threads. It is important to get involved as soon as possible, some of them being real red threads that will require many hours of exploration, such as collecting the 30 dinosaur bones, or finding targets for duels. Each mission of this type is also recorded in your logbook, accessible at any time thanks to the left multi-directional cross. Other objectives, such as burglaries and tax collection, appear depending on your progress in the scenario and during your chance encounters.
A la carte
Unless you use cheat codes, Red Dead 2's map will reveal itself as you explore, with a "war fog" covering unexplored parts of the game. However, it remains very practical, since when you find a legendary animal habitat or good plant corners, they will be drawn permanently, saving you hours of real puzzles.
The collection of treasure maps will also be one of the most lucrative objectives of the game, with many additional threads dedicated to these priceless wonders. If this is not your cup of tea, we will only recommend this small expedition, with the enigma of statues bringing in $1500 in a few minutes.
Craftsmanship
Whether you go gathering or hunting, the fruit of your hard work will always have several functions, so you will have to systematically weigh the pros and cons and think about what you will do with all your resources once you get home, or even before: will you butcher your prey, or will you take it directly to the butcher? About legendary animal materials, they can be brought back to the trapper or fence to make powerful objects.
It's not so much the number of objects as what you can do with them that makes you dizzy in Red Dead Redemption 2 and during your first hours of play, it will probably take you a little time to adjust before you understand all the subtleties. We have obviously devoted special attention to craft in order to make your task easier.
Forced encounters
You will soon realize that RDR2 limits fast travel and forces you to immerse yourself body and soul in its content. If the big missions are noted on the map, some meetings will be the most natural in the world. It will often be an opportunity to make a series of micro-choices to determine the outcome of the discussion: for example, we have sometimes had a disagreement with an interlocutor, simply because we had been a little too nosy in his camp. Some of these actions will also influence your honour gauge and, by extension, your reputation: remember this when you measure the people you are dealing with.
Total immersion
If you want to get completely lost in the gigantic world made by Rockstar, the game offers a customizable interface: nothing prevents you from deactivating everything and relying on your instincts and Arthur's animations. To remove the entire interface but to maintain a certain comfort, the app company has a map and very useful information on an additional screen.
The game will react to your desires for total freedom and you will have to ask the little people you meet to tell you the next step of your journey. For even more gameplay comfort, you should know a few tips about the backup system, a little obscure during your first steps, manual backup does exist and it is in the "History" tab of the pause menu.
The gestures that save
- In a desire to purify as much as possible the interface of their game, the latter only displays the bare essentials at a moment T. If you want to check the status of all your gauges, a little pressure on the multidirectional cross down and you should find all the information you need.
- Remember to constantly check what you are carrying in your holsters when you are on horseback, it will prevent you from leaving naked for the battle.
- Search absolutely everything in search of many resources: the camp will constantly need you to provide for its needs, bring back valuable objects will raise the morale of the inhabitants.
- The skins you carry are perishable: if you want to get the most out of your resources, bring the meat back to camp quickly or prepare it quickly.
- Be careful with your horse, its statistics increase with each ride: it will even gain new skills at certain levels of progress. So it would be a shame to kill him in a stupid accident that would ask you to start all over again, unless you have a resuscitator on your back.
Written by Bastien "Lloyd" Dubosq-Luyer. Translated from French by Millenium.us.org.
