Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption 2 does have fast travel, but it's ridiculously hidden at first. Red Dead Redemption 2 has been praised for many thing since it originally launched in 2018, from the incredible graphics to its historical accuracy, but how the game handles player travel and movement has not been one of them.
RDR2 has been heavily criticized for its glacial pace. The game's developers clearly wanted to enhance the realistic elements of the Wild West by forcing players of Red Dead Redemption 2 to do somewhat mundane tasks, such as regularly cleaning their rifles or crafting new tools and weapons. At times, RDR2 can seem like more of a real-life simulation game rather than an action/adventure third-person shooter.
It may seem counter-intuitive or unproductive to make fast travel so inefficient in a game with an open world as expansive as Red Dead Redemption 2, but there’s a reason for it, which may actually be overall advantageous to players and their gaming experience, despite the annoyances it may cause.
How To Access Fast Travel in RDR2
Rockstar certainly didn’t make accessing fast travel very accessible. Players won’t even have the option to use it until they complete the game’s introduction, the Van der Lindes set up camp, and the full open world becomes available. Even then, players still need to pay to upgrade their own lodgings, which can only be done after first spending $220 to upgrade Dutch's tent. Players can access this camp upgrade menu through the Ledger, which Arthur finds after completing his first tax mission for Strauss. After Dutch's $220 upgrade, Arthur's travel map costs players another $325. Once purchased, the option to travel to major cities or points of interest will become available.
Be warned that fast travel doesn’t work both ways. While players can travel from the gang’s campsite to a city or point of interest, they aren’t able to travel back to the camp using the same method. Players are also not able to fast travel to cities in which they have a significant bounty. Later, Arthur will be able to fast travel after setting up a camp anywhere, though he will not be able to travel back to that original location.
RDR2 Forces Players To Take The Long Route
RDR2’s fast travel isn’t nearly as fast as some players expected. Some games allow players to travel from point A to point B in a split-second, but players are expected to do a bit more (and wait a bit longer) to fast travel in Red Dead Redemption 2, which hasn’t sat well with everyone. However, Rockstar may have intentionally done this to dissuade players from over-using fast travel. The point of RDR2 isn’t to complete the game as quickly as possible, but to fully enjoy the ride before getting to the final destination.
If fast travel was easier to use, then players would be more inclined to abuse it and potentially not get the full experience from the game, missing out on all Red Dead Redemption 2's small details. There are countless NPCs that players can encounter while travelling from one point to another. While this may distract players from completing story missions, it also provides for a longer and far richer playing experience – one that would be lost if fast travel was made easier to use in the game.
Red Dead Redemption 2’s fast travel feature may be inefficient and frustrating at times, but there appears to be some reasoning behind its design.