How do I save my progress before a stranger mission?

Saving your progress before a stranger mission in Red Dead Redemption 2 is a crucial step to ensure you don’t lose any hard-earned progress or miss out on unique opportunities. The game’s save system is manual, meaning you must actively save your game to preserve your current state. This is especially important before starting stranger missions, as these missions often involve unpredictable outcomes, unique rewards, or potential failures that could impact your gameplay experience.\n\nTo save your progress, you need to access the game’s pause menu. Press the Options button on PlayStation or the Menu button on Xbox to open the pause menu. From there, navigate to the ''Story'' tab, which is the first option on the left. Inside the Story tab, you’ll find the ''Save Game'' option. Select it, and you’ll be prompted to choose a save slot. You can either overwrite an existing save or create a new one. It’s recommended to create a new save file before starting a stranger mission to avoid overwriting a critical save point.\n\nOne common challenge players face is forgetting to save before a mission, only to realize they’ve missed a crucial item or made a decision they regret. For example, some stranger missions, like the ''A Test of Faith'' mission with the paleontologist, require specific items or actions to complete successfully. If you fail to save beforehand, you might miss out on unique rewards or have to replay significant portions of the game. To avoid this, make it a habit to save your game whenever you approach a mission marker or encounter a stranger in the open world.\n\nAnother important mechanic to consider is the game’s autosave feature. While autosave is helpful, it doesn’t always trigger before stranger missions, and it can overwrite your progress if something goes wrong. For instance, if you fail a mission or make a poor decision, the autosave might lock you into that outcome. To prevent this, always rely on manual saves before engaging in any mission. This gives you the flexibility to reload and try again if things don’t go as planned.\n\nPractical examples of when to save include missions like ''The Noblest of Men, and a Woman,'' where you track down famous gunslingers. This mission involves multiple stages and can be time-consuming. Saving before each encounter ensures you can retry if you fail to collect a photograph or miss a critical dialogue option. Similarly, missions like ''The Widow of Willard’s Rest'' require careful decision-making, and saving beforehand allows you to explore different outcomes without penalty.\n\nFinally, here are some practical tips for saving your progress effectively. First, always carry a portable campsite or visit a town with a hotel to save your game manually. Second, create multiple save files to avoid overwriting critical progress. Third, pay attention to mission markers and save before approaching them. By following these steps, you’ll have greater control over your gameplay experience and avoid unnecessary setbacks.