RDR2 Story Arc Guide: Prologue — Escape from Colter
A complete walkthrough of all six Chapter 1 missions in the snow-covered mountains of Colter, with gold medal tips for every mission and advice on surviving your first hours as Arthur Morgan.
Xbox button notation is used throughout this guide: LT/RT (triggers), LB/RB (bumpers), LS/RS (stick clicks), A/B/X/Y (face buttons). PC players using a controller will see these same prompts in-game. Keyboard/mouse players: check Settings → Key Bindings for your equivalents.
The Gang on the Run
Chapter 1 is effectively a tutorial. The Van der Linde gang is fleeing the disastrous Blackwater job with Pinkertons on their trail. You're in Colter, a frozen abandoned mining town high in the Grizzlies. Every mission here teaches you a core mechanic before the world opens up properly in Chapter 2.
There are six story missions:
1. Outlaws from the West — introduce yourself to the gang
2. Enter, Pursued by a Memory — hunt an elk with Charles
3. The Aftermath of Genesis — skin animals with Dutch and Arthur
4. Old Friends — repel an O'Driscoll ambush
5. Who the Hell Is Leviticus Cornwall? — rob Cornwall's train
6. Eastward Bound — leave Colter for good
The prologue cannot be free-roamed extensively — complete all six missions to unlock the full map.
Outlaws from the West + Enter, Pursued by a Memory
Outlaws from the West is pure intro. You'll meet Dutch, Bill, Micah, and the rest of the camp. Follow the prompts — there's no way to fail this one. You'll introduce yourself around camp, then take part in a brief confrontation with the O'Driscolls to rescue a family.
Gold Medal: Get 3 headshots and complete the mission without taking damage. Use Dead Eye (tap RS) for headshots — in Chapter 1 it works as a slow-motion aim assist even before you unlock tagging.
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Enter, Pursued by a Memory introduces hunting with Charles Smith. You're tracking a large bull elk through the snow.
- Follow Charles and use Eagle Eye (LS+RS) to highlight tracks
- When you reach the elk, use your bow — a rifle shot will spook it and make the hunt longer
- Aim for the lungs or heart for a clean kill
Gold Medal: Get a perfect kill on the elk and complete within 5 minutes. A perfect kill requires the right weapon (bow or rifle shot to a vital organ) and not wounding the animal with a weak hit first. If you wound it, it runs and you'll likely miss the time limit.
Eagle Eye is your best friend in Chapter 1. Activate it with LS+RS to highlight animal tracks (blue), points of interest (yellow), and plants (green). You'll use it constantly during the hunting missions and it's well worth getting into the habit early.
The Aftermath of Genesis + Old Friends
The Aftermath of Genesis is another short tutorial — hunting and skinning with Dutch. You'll bag a few deer and return to camp. This teaches you the full hunting loop: track → kill → skin → sell.
Key tip: Always skin animals where they fall before loading them onto your horse. A full animal carcass on your horse degrades faster than a pelt, and the weight can tire your horse.
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Old Friends is your first proper combat mission. The O'Driscolls ambush the camp and you need to fight them off, then pursue a fleeing group with Dutch.
- When the ambush starts, immediately get into cover (press RB to vault over cover)
- O'Driscolls flank from both sides — watch your left as much as your right
- The pursuit sequence on horseback: stay close to Dutch and use Dead Eye on the riders ahead of you
Gold Medal: Kill 5 O'Driscolls with headshots and complete without using health items. The headshots are easy with Dead Eye. For no health items: stay behind cover, don't take unnecessary risks during the pursuit, and keep your horse's health up.
Who the Hell Is Leviticus Cornwall? + Eastward Bound
Who the Hell Is Leviticus Cornwall? is the first big heist — stopping a train owned by the tycoon Leviticus Cornwall. This introduces train robbery mechanics and sets up a major antagonist.
- You board the train from horseback — hold your horse steady alongside the locomotive, then press X to board
- Clear the carriages front to back; most guards will surrender or fight depending on your approach
- When Cornwall's men arrive, retreat to the train's rear and use the terrain for cover
- The explosive barrel sequence: you'll need to blow a door — wait for the prompt and take cover before detonating
Gold Medal: Kill 6 Pinkerton agents using Dead Eye. There's plenty of opportunity during the train fight — activate Dead Eye before each group.
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Eastward Bound is a cutscene-heavy farewell to Colter. Sit back and enjoy it — you can't fail. When it ends, Chapter 2 begins and the full world opens up.
Before leaving Colter, do one thing: ride to the top of the mountains near Colter and look around. This area is inaccessible from Chapter 2 onward without warping back (it's gated). It's hauntingly beautiful and a great early screenshot opportunity. There's also a frozen homestead to the north of the camp with some loot if you explore before the final mission triggers.