Red Dead Redemption 2 includes a helpful navigation feature that makes it easier to identify points of interest, but most players will have missed it completely/
Red Dead Redemption 2 includes lots of little features that players could miss if they don’t know where to look for them. From the hidden settings that players can enable to make combat and movement much easier to the way that you can automatically ride a horse. Another feature that you may have missed regards navigation in the game.
The Red Dead Redemption 2 map is massive but by looking carefully in the distance, players can more easily identify places that are worth visiting. Specifically, players are able to look at the game’s sky and see if they are able to spot black plumes of smoke billowing in the air.
These lines of black smoke highlight locations that players may want to check out. This includes enemy gang camps, stranger NPCs who will ask Arthur for help, or players may even find an NPC offering them help instead. It may also indicate the location of a homestead that’s worth robbing. Robbing homes can be a lucrative way to earn cash as NPCs’ homes are full to the brim of valuables such as pocket watches, wedding rings and packs of premium cigarettes with collectible cards. These valuables and stolen goods can be sold to a fence for a decent price, making it well worth a player’s while to follow the smoke.
However, it should be noted that this feature only works best in certain lighting conditions. For example, in the image at the top of this post, it is in the middle of the night in Red Dead Redemption 2‘s in-game time. The plume of black smoke was just about visible in the distance – visible enough that a player would be able to notice it (it’s highlighted with a red patch). But, just a few minutes earlier when it was dusk and the sky was still going darker, the black/greyish color of that same smoke trail made it easy to miss (screenshot of this is above).
Even, so, this is still a useful navigation tip to know. The size and scope of the game are phenomenal and it is jam-packed with things to do and see. From hunting for legendary animals to running errands and locating items for the other van der Linde gang members, the game really wants players to explore every nook and cranny. The smoke plume trick will hopefully give players a little more guidance when they go off on their next adventure.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available on PS4 and Xbox One.
