10 Red Dead Redemption 2 Gameplay Tips You’ve Probably Missed

Open-world games often bring a ton of exploration for their players, and Red Dead Redemption 2 is no different. Players are constantly discovering new things and mysteries in the game, even after they have completed the main storyline a few times and have more than a couple of hundred hours of playtime behind them.

As a veteran player myself, I got the idea to compile a list of things I think are important and that I haven't noticed for long in this vast game. Just to be clear, we're not talking about bugs or exploits here, but instead, not-so-obvious tips and tricks that are part of the game, which can make your gameplay a bit easier and more efficient.

10 Use Shops to Fast Forward Time

A Loyal Customer

In RDR2, shops close down at evening, and if you want to skip the whole night, you can walk up to the door of any shop and press the button to "Wait Until Morning." This little neat trick helps a lot if you want to quickly skip to daytime and don't want to hop on your horse, leave town, camp, or look for beds in town.

Some players, like me, don't like playing at night due to poor visibility (yes, I'm in the 30+ club). I try to skip nights whenever I can, and this game mechanic has proved more than useful! Shootouts, hunting, traveling, etc., can become a nuisance when it's pitch black outside.

9 Go to Saloons to Have Shootouts

Proper Shootout Needs to Be Planned

We all know that sooner or later, you want to lie back and have a massive shootout with the law. I say with the law officers, and not bandits, since they are the only ones that can offer an unlimited supply of enemies for you to practice your headshot skills on. But if you don't want to get ambushed after 10 minutes, you need to plan things out.

One of the best places that you can have a shootout in is saloons, because they offer a great mix of an authentic Wild West vibe, combined with a lot of obstacles that you can hide behind and not get ambushed easily.

In general, you don't want to fight the law from a building that has a ton of entrances, as law officers will use that to surround you. The ideal situation is to have a perfect hiding spot and one or two entrances that you can easily cover. Other similar buildings and rooftops can also be great for keeping yourself safe.

8 Warning Shots

Sometimes You Need Bullets to Make Your Point

One mechanic that is so obvious and yet can be entirely missed for dozens of hours of playthrough is the way you deliver warning shots.

It may sound silly at first, but this element of the game can be used for things like dispersing the civilians during missions, stopping witnesses who are running away, and even clearing an unsafe camping environment when the game says there is "activity nearby." Not to mention it's extremely cool doing it while robbing someone.

If you didn't know about this one, just like me, here are shortcuts on how to do it on every platform:

• PlayStation: Hold L2, tap Up on the D-pad, then press R2 to shoot.
• PC: Hold right-click to aim, then hold the U button while shooting with the left-click.
• Xbox: Hold LT, tap Up on the D-pad, and press RT to shoot.

You're welcome!

7 Cinematic Mode Done Right

It Ain't Perfect

Even though the game explains how the cinematic mode works at the start, for some reason, it didn't work for me as intended. I would always go off course or hit someone in my path, so I dumped the whole idea of using that mechanic until one day I realized that it kinda works, but it's buggy, and you can't be AFK while playing it.

You need to sprint whether with Arthur/John or with your horse, and hold the cinematic button while doing it. After you enter cinematic mode, release all controls, but be ready to break it at any time. Very often, it will happen that you will run into an NPC on a horse, and fall down, you will be ambushed by a gang, or a side event will be offered to you, and you'd want to stop and see what's going on.

Unfortunately, this mechanic isn't as laid-back as the game presented it to be, but it can still give you some great moments and screenshots if you're ready to jump in at any moment.

6 Perfect Pelts Are Around You More Often Than You Think

Hidden in Plain Sight

Besides the obvious way of getting perfect pelts by hunting down 3-star animals with the required weapons, there is another trick that can help you get these crafting commodities. Anytime you see an animal connected to a stranger event, like a wolf attacking an NPC who is yelling for help, you are actually looking at an animal with a perfect pelt. Naturally, this one is easy to miss, since we all want to save the guy or simply finish the side event in front of us ASAP, and nobody thinks about getting a clean kill on the animal to reap the pelt.

Also, if you see animals that aren't marked by any star, and you have studied them before, know that those two have perfect pelts if you perform a clean kill on them. I found tips like these really helpful, especially when I can't find perfect skins or pelts of some animals for a long time.

5 Quick Horse Taming Tactic

You Don't Have to Put Up With All That Bucking Off

RDR2 is among the top games out there that reward exploration. And, exploring new and better horses and changing them often can be fun, but what is not fun is taming them. They'll keep running away from you, only to buck you off as soon as you saddle them. Luckily for us all, there is a small ingenious trick that makes this process easier.

All you need to do is shoot the wild horse with a poison arrow. When it goes down, you cure it with a horse reviver, and after that, you can saddle it without being bucked off. The horse is damaged by the poison arrow, and you will be allowed to ride it without interruption, thus making this whole process easier and faster. No lassos, no chasing around. You'll thank me later!

4 Use Trains Better

Trains Aren't There Just For The Looks

Trains look fun to ride in RDR2, but they are very useful tools if you look at them closely. Firstly, they are ideal for getting rich as you can stop them in the middle of the ride, and rob on average 20-30 people that are inside. After that, go for the safes of the train that contain extra money. With this robbery technique, you could easily score $100+ on every robbery. Be careful, though, as the law can come and get you pretty fast.

Another great thing trains can be used for is escaping the law. If you're getting chased by a mass of law officers, hopping on a train can help you get rid of them quickly. I know a horse is good enough in most cases, but sometimes, especially when you get surrounded in a town, a train offers a quick escape with no effort.

3 Playing During The Night Has Its Benefits

Be A Night Owl

Even though some of us avoid playing at night because we don't see half the things going on, it's actually beneficial to do so in RDR2, as certain events only happen at night. I learned that after 100+ hours of playing, so you don't have to!

Without spoiling the game too much, there are side events and stranger situations that you can witness only at night and usually in the wilderness. Additionally, some animals, such as owls and opossums, will appear mostly during the night, so you can easily miss them if you don't go around much at night. Details like this just go to show why many gamers believe that RDR2 is the most immersive game out there.

2 Arabian Might Not Be The Best Horse

Fastest Doesn't Always Mean the Best

I know the internet is full of praises for the Arabian as the best horse out there, but hear me out. It's understandable that everyone wants to use that great speed and stamina, especially since the White Arabian can be found in the wild for free early on in the game, but there might be a better choice for your overall gameplay.

Yes, Arabian horses do pack some great stamina and speed, but they can get easily spooked by predators and gunfights. On the other hand, a warhorse like the Andalusian Perlino, which is overall a strong horse with a great HP pool and sturdiness in the face of danger, can prove much more useful throughout the RDR2 adventure.

1 Use Eagle Eyes Often

Easily Forgettable Mechanic

Eagle Eyes is an awesome mechanic in RDR2, but it's easily overlooked and forgotten. In my first playthrough, I believe I only used it when hunting legendary animals and never besides that. But this cowboy spider-sense can help you loot plenty of valuables in places you'd never look, as well as find collectibles more easily.

Sometimes, when you're looting a house, you can easily overlook certain compartments (often secret) that can be looted. This is where Eagle Eye comes in to help you. To be honest, after I used it a few times to successfully find loot, one of my first reactions now when looting is to turn it on, even though I see the obvious looting spots right away. Just in case I don't miss anything.

Lastly, collectibles like cards can often sit on a table and blend into the environment. If you don't turn on Eagle Eye or approach the card to see the "Examine Card" prompt, you will easily miss it. Eagle Eye is so valuable that I wish it were one of the RDR2 systems that make it to GTA 6.