For some, the default settings in Red Dead Redemption 2 feel a bit clunky and too slow. Personally, I don’t think it’s too bad, but it can be improved. The settings below are the settings that I use in the game and I think it makes combat a bit more enjoyable:
Turn off Auto-Lock while on foot
Auto-lock is good, but it takes away from the combat because all you have to do is aim down the sights while looking in an enemies general direction and it will put your crosshair directly over them. It makes everything a bit too easy, plus it’s like a super-strong magnet, which makes it hard to move your crosshair up to the head if you’re going for a fatal one shot kill. Luckily, you’re able to turn auto aim off in the settings menu; simply head to settings and then controls and look for the ‘Targeting’ section, then change ‘Lock-On Mode (On Foot)’ to ‘Free Aim’.
I would suggest keeping auto aim turned on for when you’re mounted. Trying to hit targets with free aim turned on while riding your horse can be very difficult.
Turn up Acceleration and Sensitivity
When using the default settings with auto aim turned off you aim very slowly. Luckily, by turning up the look sensitivity and acceleration this problem goes away. You’ll have to play around with it a bit to find the best level for you, but personally, I turn it all the way up—go fast or go home.
This doesn’t just help with aiming, it also speeds up the rate at which you can loot bodies and items, as you can look around faster.
FPS Mode might be for you
Red Dead 2 comes with a control scheme called ‘FPS Mode’. This doesn’t really change too much, other than changing the sprint button from A/X to clicking in the left analog stick, similar to most other games. You might not like it, but it’s worth a try!
Turn Dead Zone either down or off completely
If you don’t know what dead zone is, let me explain before I tell you to turn it off. Essentially, having dead zone on means that there’s a small buffer zone before the analog stick recognises movement, so in order to move your point of view a little, you have to move the analog stick even further. Does that make sense?
By turning this all the way down—or even off—your analog stick will be more sensitive, which means you can aim quicker. If you have an old controller that’s on it’s last legs you might want to keep it on a little; the best advice I can give is to try it yourself and set it to a level you feel comfortable with.
Try fighting in First-Person Mode
As mentioned in our Red Dead Redemption 2 Tips guide, the first-person mode in the game is done really well. It feels polished and you could potentially play the whole game using this camera angle. Personally, I prefer third-person, especially when travelling, but I have been known to switch to first-person from time to time, especially when there’s a lot of enemies trying to kill me.
If you do like to fight in first-person mode then I would highly suggest you turn on ‘First Person Aim Auto-Center (While Mounted)’. Turning this on will essentially allow you to lock on to enemies when you target them while on your horse and in the first person view mode. Without this, killing bad guys can be bothersome.
That’s about it for the best combat settings. Do you have a setup that you think works better? Let us know in the comments and we will try them out!
Leave a Reply