Red Dead Redemption 2 Drawing

Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption 2 is full of gameplay subtleties that are only part of the reason the game is beheld as a masterpiece and one of this generation's defining highlights. One of these subtleties involves the ability to initiate a quick draw in the style of what has been seen in old western films and the like.

The Dead Eye ability is a main focus for Red Dead Redemption 2's gunplay, which has been tuned since its release for fun third-person cover shooting. However, players also have the little-known ability to quickdraw with ne'erdowells when roaming the plans of New Hanover or swampy areas of Lemoyne.

Updated on August 24, 2021 by Hodey Johns: To this day, even as millions of gamers spend hundreds of hours in the wilderness and cities of Red Dead Redemption 2, the quickdraw feature has got to be the most decretive mechanic in the entire game. Veteran players with platinum trophies and every achievement have no idea it exists. This article was aimed at educating readers about how to pull the hidden maneuver off, but gamers continue to be baffled by its existence. This guide has been updated with bullet points, pictures, and highlighted to words to try and finally end the confusion players have with how to pull off one of the game's coolest, if relatively unknown, moves.

The Step-By-Step Process

Hold down the left trigger
Lightly squeeze the right trigger
Wait for the bar in the bottom right to fill up
Press down hard on the right trigger

Red Dead Redemption 2 might be one of the best story-driven games of all time, but that doesn't mean it's alright to be a poor shot. When you see an unsavory character out and about, or someone that you don't much take a liking to, hold down the left trigger to keep your camera focused on them.

When you feel confident that they are in your line of sight upon pulling out your revolver, lightly hold the right trigger until a circular bar at the bottom-right corner of the screen has been filled up.

Then, press down the rest of the way on the right trigger and Arthur Morgan will pull out his revolver and be able to fire away at one or more painted enemies.

It's fairly simple, once you get the hang of it. It is possible to pull the trigger too fast and end up in a Butch Cassidy situation. However, correctly executing the above steps will allow you to be one of the best shots (and vigilantes) in the west.

Counts As Entering Dead Eye

Some of the best trinkets in the game are the ones that contribute to Dead Eye. You might think that using this move instead of just going straight to Dead Eye will waste those bonuses. Thankfully, the quickdraw mechanic makes use of these trinkets just fine.

After pulling out a gun with a quickdraw, Arthur enters Dead Eye and gets all the benefits from entering Dead Eye, including any perks unlocked by talismans or plot devices.

Reason To Use Quickdraw

Players might ask themselves "Why bother with quickdraw at all instead of just entering Dead Eye?" There are two great reasons for this. First, Arthur will start off by aiming at the target with quickdraw, meaning all that time wasted trying to focus on the enemy is reduced to zero.

Second, Arthur will have his gun out at the beginning of the Dead Eye, making it so that the time wasted waiting for Mr. Morgan to pull out his gun is also reduced to zero. For a resource as limited as Dead Eye is, this tactic essentially saves the most valued core in the game from emptying out. It's like getting one of the best upgrades in the game simply for pulling this move off.

Only Works With Some Sidearms

Have at least one revolver equipped as a sidearm

There are plenty of sidearms that are capable of making this shot. Many special weapons (including some weapons where the very name of them is a spoiler) fit nicely into the category of weapons capable of pulling this off. If nothing else, the very first revolver Arthur stars with works for this ability.

But not every sidearm can pull this off; it appears as though pistols don't work. To anyone's knowledge, revolvers are the only eligible weapons for pulling off a quick draw.

Avoid Collateral Damage

Unless you play as a more villainous Arthur Morgan who mercilessly guns down innocent civilians in towns, you'd be wise to reserve your bullets for more sinister passersby or overly defensive travelers. The quick draw mechanic allows you to effectively execute pre-emptive strikes, after all, so if you feel you're in danger, don't be afraid to take advantage of the quick draw mechanic. Just be prepared for the possibility that the authorities may be on your trail should you use the mechanic without caution.

NEXT: Red Dead Redemption 2: Ranking The Van Der Linde Gang From Oldest To Youngest

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