Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2) brings a dynamic honor system that impacts gameplay, interactions, and the storyline based on your moral choices. Whether you lean toward being a hero or a ruthless outlaw, your honor level affects how the world in RDR2 perceives your character, Arthur Morgan. Checking your honor level on PC is straightforward, and it can enhance your experience by helping you understand the consequences of your in-game actions.
How to Check Your Honor Level in RDR2 on PC
- Open the Player Menu: To check your honor, access the player menu by pressing the default key (
Lkey) or via the in-game options menu. - Look for the Honor Bar: In the bottom right of the screen, you’ll see an honor bar. This bar indicates your current honor level, ranging from red (negative honor) to white (positive honor).
- Honor Symbol: A visible icon will also appear above the honor bar, showing where your honor level currently stands. As you make decisions, this icon shifts accordingly, letting you know if your actions are pushing you toward a higher or lower honor standing.
What Affects Honor in RDR2?
The RDR2 honor system rewards or penalizes you based on your choices throughout the game. Here are some common actions that influence honor:
- Positive Honor Actions:
- Helping strangers in need, such as saving a person from an ambush
- Completing honorable side missions, like assisting townsfolk with various tasks
- Choosing to spare lives instead of resorting to violence
- Donating money to camp or giving to the needy
- Negative Honor Actions:
- Stealing, robbing, or killing innocents
- Getting into bar fights and starting unnecessary confrontations
- Ignoring people in need or failing to act with empathy
- Looting dead bodies or committing other morally questionable actions
Why Honor Matters in RDR2
Honor in Red Dead Redemption 2 isn’t just cosmetic; it has substantial impacts on gameplay, storyline, and interactions:
Gameplay and Interaction
- Higher Honor: If your honor is high, you’ll notice more favorable treatment from townspeople, cheaper prices in shops, and improved interactions. NPCs will view Arthur as a hero or at least as someone respectable, opening up unique conversations and benefits.
- Lower Honor: A low honor score leads to hostile reactions from NPCs, higher prices, and potential challenges from strangers. This “outlaw” reputation can make gameplay more intense, aligning with a ruthless, no-nonsense Arthur Morgan.
Ending Variations
RDR2’s storyline also adapts based on your honor level, leading to different endings. A higher honor score typically aligns with a more sympathetic, redemptive conclusion, whereas low honor often leads to a darker, more tragic ending. This choice in moral alignment allows for replayability, as you can experience different sides of Arthur’s character.
How to Increase Honor in RDR2
If you want to shift Arthur’s character arc to a more heroic stance, try increasing honor through simple actions. Some easy ways to boost honor include greeting strangers positively, helping people on the road, and choosing non-lethal approaches in situations. By making honorable choices, you gradually shift the honor bar toward positive, unlocking new conversations and different storyline dynamics.
Tips for Playing with High or Low Honor
- High Honor Tips:
- Stick to helping others in random encounters for quick honor boosts.
- Avoid violence unless necessary, and choose mercy over brutality.
- Make donations to the camp to maintain a generous reputation.
- Low Honor Tips:
- Engage in robberies and heists, and don’t hesitate to loot valuables.
- Go after high-risk bounties, ignore pleas for help, and take down rival gangs.
- Start confrontations with rival gangs or even local authorities.
Conclusion: Make Every Decision Count
The honor system in Red Dead Redemption 2 adds depth and replayability, giving players a chance to mold Arthur’s character based on personal choices. Whether you prefer playing the game as a noble gunslinger or a feared outlaw, checking and managing your honor level on PC will enhance your RDR2 experience. It’s not just about making choices; it’s about defining the legacy of Arthur Morgan in the vast world of the Old West.
