Complete Guide to the Red Dead Online Tutorial
As of today, Red Dead Online has officially entered the beta stage of development. This means features are still subject to change, but players can now experience the multiplayer aspect of Red Dead Redemption 2. To get started, you’ll need to complete the game’s tutorial, which introduces you to the mechanics and story of Red Dead Online. Below, we’ve outlined every step of the tutorial in this comprehensive Tutorial guide to help you get started.
Step 1: Create Your Character
The first thing you’ll do in Red Dead Online is create your character.
In jail, you’ll create and customize your character. Choose gender, skin color, facial features, and hairstyles to match your style. Once satisfied, take a mugshot photo to start the storyline and tutorial.
Step 2: Meet the Stranger
After creating your character, a cutscene shows them riding in a wagon northeast of Braithwaite Manor. The journey stops when Mr. Horley intercepts the wagon and invites you to meet his mistress.
To proceed, mount the nearby horse and follow Mr. Horley to his camp. Once there, hitch your horse at the designated spot, and a cutscene will introduce you to Jessica LeClerk, one of the key characters in the initial storyline.
Step 3: Equip Your Clothing
During your meeting with Jessica LeClerk, you’ll be prompted to outfit your character with some clothing.
This will open the Wardrobe menu, where you can browse the limited clothing options available to you at this point. While your choices may be minimal, take a moment to personalize your character’s look. Once you’ve selected your outfit and exited the Wardrobe, another cutscene will play to continue the story.
Step 4: Set Up Your Camp
The next step in the tutorial involves establishing your own camp, which serves as your personal base in Red Dead Online.
After your meeting with Jessica, you’ll be introduced to Cripps, who will help you set up your camp. To do this:
- Open the Player Menu when prompted.
- Select the “Camp” option.
- Choose “Set Camp Location.”
At this point in the tutorial, you’ll only have access to a Small Camp size and a single location to place it. Confirm your selection to establish your camp. Keep in mind that your camp may not appear right away—you’ll need to complete the next activity first.
Step 5: Visit the Post Office
Once your camp is set up, your next destination is the Post Office.
Mount your horse and follow the waypoint to the nearest Post Office. Once you arrive, speak to the post clerk to receive your first mission: clearing out a gang hideout. This will mark the start of your first real combat encounter in Red Dead Online.
Step 6: Clear the Gang Hideout
Your first mission involves taking down a gang hideout.
Gang Hideouts are small, enemy-filled camps that you’ll clear out to complete the objective. The specific location of the hideout may vary depending on your playthrough, but it will be marked on your map. After defeating all the enemies in the camp, you’ll encounter one final enemy holding a treasure map. Interact with this enemy to collect the map and move on to the next step.
Step 7: Find the Treasure
With the treasure map in hand, your next task is to locate the treasure.
The treasure’s location will be marked on your map. Once you arrive at the search area, activate Eagle Eye (L3 + R3 on PlayStation or LS + RS on Xbox) to help you locate the treasure chest. Inside the chest, you’ll find rewards such as:
- An Ability Voucher (used to unlock a Dead Eye card)
- Jewelry
After collecting the treasure, you’ll unlock the next part of the tutorial.
Step 8: Meet Clay Davies
To continue the storyline, you’ll need to meet Clay Davies.
Clay Davies will appear as a “C” marker on your map. Travel to his location to start the mission Honor Among Horse Thieves. This mission will introduce you to horse-related gameplay mechanics, including stealing and selling horses. Once you complete this mission, you’ll unlock Free Roam mode.
Step 9: Return to Your Camp
The final step of the tutorial requires you to return to your camp and meet with Cripps.
After completing the mission with Clay Davies, head back to your camp. Once there, speak with Cripps to wrap up the tutorial. Completing this step will unlock the full Free Roam experience in Red Dead Online. As a bonus, you’ll also earn the “Breakout” Trophy/Achievement for finishing the tutorial.
The Red Dead Online tutorial is a straightforward introduction to the game’s mechanics and story. Once you complete it, the world is yours to explore, and you’ll have access to a variety of missions, activities, and multiplayer features.
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