Red Dead Redemption 2 amps up the immersive RPG elements up present to some degree in previous Rockstar games to an unprecedented degree. For people who like immersive sims, or gameplay loops in survival games, they will adore what this game has to offer. Others might find themselves a bit shocked at what will be a game that focuses more on the slow burn than the instant gratification that so many other games deliver.
In this guide, we look at some of those immersive sim/RPG style elements.
UNLOCKING PERMANENT FAST TRAVEL
Yes, fast travel isn’t available wantonly in Red Dead Redemption 2, a concession to convenience that even games like Breath of the Wild made. Rather, it is available in a very limited fashion, and full fledged fast travel must be unlocked. The video below specifically shows how this can be done, but bear in mind this is a spoiler. You might just want to wait to get to that point in the game rather than spoiling this for yourself.
HEALTH, STAMINA, AND DEAD EYE CORES
Okay, so Red Dead Redemption 2 gives you three stats to manage: health, stamina, and dead eye, and it calls them “cores” and “rings”. The terminology might seem confusing, but it’s all really straightforward.
- Cores are your “pool” for that statistic. It basically represents your overall potential for that statistic so to speak. For instance, if your Health core is high, the maximum HP available to you will be higher, as well as the regeneration. Cores need to be recharged manually, usually by eating
- Rings are like your traditional health or stamina meter. They are reliant on how much of your core you have for that stat at a given point in time, but they recharge over time. Your health ring is basically your HP, your stamina ring your SP. Both of these will regenerate automatically, but the rate of regeneration, as well as how much of each you have available to begin with, is dependant on your “cores” (which is why keeping your core topped up is so important). Rings can be “fortified” (completed and topped up so they won’t deplete) using certain in game items (usually tonics)
You “level up” your rings (your cores don’t expand) by engaging in an activity relevant to that stat. As one example: running increases stamina. Go you.
The Dead Eye ring and core work a bit different—the only difference is that your ring doesn’t regenerate automatically, but rather when you kill something and drinking tonics.
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