Red Dead Redemption 2 is widely considered to be one of the greatest games ever made. Set in a fictional version of the United States in 1899, it is also one of the most immersive games on the market and has been heavily praised for its realism. From its jaw-dropping scenery to the way in which NPCs have their own lives within a dynamic world, the game is a masterpiece on many levels.
However, for those players who want to completely lose themselves in the Wild West, and forget they are playing a game at all, there are certain ways to make Red Dead Redemption 2 even more immersive.
6 Play In First Person
One of the easiest ways for players to fully immerse themselves in RDR2 and feel like they themselves are Arthur Morgan is to play in first person. While the game was primarily designed to be played with a third-person camera, Rockstar nonetheless included a first-person option.
Switching views is thankfully super easy as one button will scroll through the four different camera angles, all of which can be changed at any time. On an Xbox controller, the button in question is Select, on PlayStation it is the TouchPad, and on PC it is the V key. Not only is the first-person camera more immersive, but it also makes combat more interesting, offering players a slower version of the best FPS shooter games.
5 Turn The Compass Off
Compared with some other games which have rather bloated HUDs with too much on the screen distracting players from the game, RDR2 is pretty light on UI elements and features a partially dynamic HUD. While it cannot compete with God of War Ragnarok's dynamic HUD, it is still done well. Nevertheless, for complete immersion players will want to go into the display settings and turn off the radar, which is otherwise the main element that stays on screen.
With the minimap turned off, players will not only have a clearer screen, but they can also experience what it would have been like trying to navigate naturally. If players do need some help with directions they can either look for road signs, bring up the compass momentarily, or check the full map in the menu.
4 Don't Run Around Or Gallop Everywhere
One tip for immersion which can be applied to other open-world games too, is to only run when necessary, as in real life people walk unless there is an emergency or a real need for haste. This is particularly true when walking around urban centers like Valentine and Saint Denis where it would be considered rude and somewhat dangerous to run.
The same logic can also be applied to riding around on a horse, as a horse at full speed is an incredible danger and a waste of the animal's energy. By walking or trotting around, players will be able to take in more of the scenery and notice small details such as NPC interactions that they might have otherwise missed.
3 Use Immersive Mods
While RDR2 is as immersive as it gets in gaming, there are nonetheless mods that help make the world feel even more real, and some of these are the best mods for Red Dead Redemption 2 as a whole.
For example, the Immersive Scenarios mod allows players themselves to perform the small immersive actions which RDR2's NPCs are known for. There are also plenty of HUD mods, a dog companion mod, as well as mods that overhaul the combat system to make it more realistic.
2 Dress Appropriately
Red Dead Redemption 2 has a fairly comprehensive clothing system and while it can be tempting to simply just choose the best outfit RDR2 has to offer and never look back, for extra immersion it is better to dress appropriately depending on the situation.
This is already encouraged by the game itself as players will need to wear warmer clothes in colder environments and take off layers when it gets too hot. However, this can be taken further if players also think about what their character is about to do. For example, Arthur would probably wear different clothes for going out to hunt and going into town.
1 Go To Sleep And Have A Schedule
One of the ways to increase immersion in Red Dead Redemption 2 is to fully roleplay and treat every in-game day as if it is a real day. Thankfully, the game has many built-in mechanics to help with this, such as being able to go to a camp or hotel to get some sleep.
When players wake up they can break their fast and then go about some morning chores, maybe shave, chop some firewood, or go out hunting. Players might also aim to eat a proper meal around noon and then as evening descends they might head down to the local saloon for a drink. When Arthur gets dirty from his busy life as an outlaw, he should also make sure to get a bath at one of the hotels.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.