Non-spoilery tips for people starting Red dead redemption 2
Here are a few things I wish I'd known before I started the game:
- Chapter 1 is a tutorial. The game doesn't start to feel like the game until you reach ch 2.
- Read Arthur's journal. Not only is it a great insight into that man's thoughts and character, it's more or less the only way to understand why he's stuck in a mountain with his gang at the start of the game (you can talk to people about it, but you only get fragments of what happened).
- Reading the newspapers will also keep you in touch with what's going on in the world. It's fun and costs very little.
- Never buy a horse. At the start of the game, you're going to be short on money. Don't spend what little you have on horses. Tame them wild. Steal them. Keep the big black boy Hosea gives you in ch 2, it's awesome. The only horses you'll want to buy in the game are the Missouri Fox Trotter and the Turkomans, which are available from ch 4 (some are only available from the epilogue), and by then, you'll have the money.
- Continuing on horses, don't bother taming the Saddlers or the Morgans. Go for the more rare variants, like Mustangs, Nokotas, Appaloosa, or American standardbreds. I value speed above all other qualities in horses because I roam around in the game a lot, so I especially love the Thoroughbreds.
- Take care of your horse! Feed them at least twice per day, hay, carrots, apples... Buy the brush from the stables and make sure to keep them clean. It will make them bond with Arthur faster and a fully bonded horse is the best thing you'll have in the game.
- The saddles that the trapper makes you are great. They boost stats. Check them out once you find him and hunt the required animals for pelts.
- Take care of Arthur! Like your personal cowboy Tamagotchi, he needs some attention. I made the mistake of only eating when his stats were low, and that rewarded me with an underweight Arthur. Like normal people, he needs a meal at least twice per day. Shoot a deer or a boar, pick some herbs, and cook him some meat. Use canned food for filling up his health and stamina core. Let him take a bath once in a while, it boosts his stamina. Let him sleep, or else his stamina core drains faster. Buy a new shirt for him once in a while. It won't affect his stats but our boah looks so nice in new clothes.
- On the subject of Arthur, don't worry if you don't like him at first. I didn't. Actually, let him be an asshole in the start; there are plenty of opportunities to augment his honor as the game processes. That's what redemption is. He slowly grows on you until you can't help but feel like he's... you. And yet not. I went from "ugh ok tough cowboy" to "I can't live without this man" in a matter of days.
- Whenever you're robbing homesteads, make sure to check the fireplaces or hearths for a bit of extra loot.
- Don't shoot people left and right; some can be intimidated to show you where they keep their valuables.
- Buy the varmint rifle for hunting small game like birds and rabbits, and the Springfield rifle for hunting larger game like deers. The game provides you with opportunities to get other important weapons, like the rolling block rifle, shotgun, and bolt action rifle, for free. Use high velocity bullets for larger animals like cougars.
- COUGARS. Don't feel bad if they straight up murder you whenever you see them. I've died so many times because of these hellcats. They are silent and deadly and will appear out of nowhere. Equip your bow with improved arrows or the Springfield rifle with high velocity bullets.
- Speaking of hunting (and killing people) the bow you get in the first chapter is often the best (and stealthiest) weapon in the game. Shoot a few birds, get the flying feathers, and craft improved arrows. Craft small game arrows for animals like squirrels. Once you get the recipe for the poison arrows, you can kill anything, even huge grizzly bears (but don't eat the meat.)
- Speaking of recipes. You have to read the pamphlets to learn them. It's not enough to buy them and keep them in your satchel. D'oh.
- Treasures. They're fun and allow you to explore the map but they're not needed to have enough money. In fact, my biggest problem with the game was having too much money and nothing to spend it on because I found all these awesome treasures.
- Don't worry about not having the time to loot a lot of bodies. One or two is fine, they usually don't yield a lot anyway.
- Take it slow. Don't stress. Avoid main quests whenever you want and just enjoy spending time with Arthur. Whenever you start feeling bored, do a main quest and the story will advance.
- Play the game how you want it. Don't feel like doing the bandit challenge? Then don't. It's your gameplay.
- Buy the leatherworking tool from the ledger. Pearson can craft you some awesome satchels, and some nice things for the camp.
- My favorite part of the game? Hunting. And spending time at camp at night, the banter and singing. The interaction between characters is like nothing I've ever seen in a game before. It pulls at your heartstrings and hardens your guts.
Anyways, feel free to add in if you wish!
