How to Maximize Your Honor in Red Dead Redemption 2: A Comprehensive Guide

So, you’re looking to walk the righteous path in the wild west of Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2)? Excellent choice, partner! Increasing your honor isn’t just about feeling good; it unlocks significant gameplay advantages, affects Arthur’s interactions and even determines the ending you’ll experience. In short, you can increase honor in RDR2 by performing honorable actions, such as helping strangers, completing camp chores, choosing merciful options during missions, donating to camp, and greeting people. This guide dives deep into how to become the most honorable gunslinger the West has ever seen.

The Paths to Righteousness: Earning Honor Points

Gaining honor in RDR2 is all about making choices that align with a moral code. While robbing stagecoaches and antagonizing lawmen might be fun, they’ll plummet your honor faster than you can say “high noon.” Here’s a breakdown of the most effective methods:

• The “Hey Mister!” Method: This is arguably the fastest and easiest way to consistently boost your honor. Simply greet random strangers you encounter in towns or on the road. Each successful greeting provides a small honor boost, and typically, around three greetings will visibly move the honor bar. It’s polite and effective!
• Camp Chores: Show some love to your fellow gang members by completing chores around camp. These might involve hauling supplies, chopping wood, or tending to the horses. These tasks not only contribute to camp morale but also provide a steady, reliable stream of honor points.
• Donations to the Camp: Contributing financially to the camp’s coffers is another straightforward way to earn honor. A donation of $20-$22 to the donation box yields a noticeable boost. Donating more than this amount doesn’t increase the honor gained, so stick to the efficient range. You can donate multiple times!
• Helping Strangers (and Not Robbing Them): The world of RDR2 is filled with folks in need. Rescuing stranded travelers, helping someone being attacked, or offering assistance to a person with a broken-down wagon are all excellent ways to demonstrate your honorable nature. Resist the urge to rob them after helping!
• Choosing Merciful Options: During missions, you’ll often be presented with choices that test your morality. Sparing lives, letting enemies go, and avoiding unnecessary violence are all examples of actions that will increase your honor. Think twice before pulling that trigger!
• Catch and Release: Go fishing and release the fish you catch. You will gain honor each time!
• Bonding with Your Horse: You can increase your honor by taking good care of your horse. Brush your horse, feed your horse, and pat your horse.

The Importance of Honor and its Tangible Rewards

Why bother being good in a game where you can literally rob a train? High honor in RDR2 unlocks a range of benefits that significantly enhance your gameplay experience.

• Shop Discounts: One of the most practical advantages is a 10% discount at all shops when you reach a certain level of high honor. This can save you a substantial amount of money, especially when purchasing expensive weapons, clothing, or supplies.
• Better Loot: At higher honor levels, you’ll find superior quality tonics and provisions when looting dead bodies. This gives you a competitive edge in combat and exploration.
• Unique Outfits and Encounters: Reaching specific honor thresholds unlocks special outfits and unique encounters with NPCs throughout the world. These can add depth and variety to your gameplay.
• Story Implications: Perhaps most importantly, your honor level directly impacts the ending you receive. A high honor playthrough leads to a more poignant and arguably more satisfying conclusion for Arthur Morgan.
• Arthur’s Personality: Honor level has subtle effects on Arthur’s personality and behavior. With high honor, Arthur is more compassionate and selfless, looking out for others and keeping a protective eye on the Marston family.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Honor in RDR2

General

1. Is it worth having high honor in RDR2?

Absolutely. High honor unlocks shop discounts, better loot, unique outfits, and a different ending to the game. It also influences how Arthur interacts with the world and the people around him.

2. Why can’t I gain honor in RDR2?

Your maximum honor level is capped by story progress. As you advance through the chapters, the cap will increase, allowing you to gain more honor. You likely won’t be able to max it out until near the end of the game.

3. Does Honor affect Arthur?

Yes, your honor level has a noticeable effect on Arthur’s personality and behavior. With high honor, he’s more compassionate and selfless. Low honor makes him more cynical and brutal.

4. What happens if I finish RDR2 with low Honor?

With low honor, you’ll receive a different ending. You’ll see darker and more negative reflections during Arthur’s final moments. Furthermore, in the low honor ending, Arthur is killed directly by Micah Bell.

Earning and Losing Honor

5. How do I lose the most honor in RDR2?

The quickest way to lose honor is by committing violent crimes, robbing people, and choosing to kill characters when given the option to spare them during missions.

6. Does killing bounty hunters lower honor?

Killing bounty hunters does not lower your honor. As outlaws themselves, their deaths don’t impact your moral standing. The law doesn’t care about them.

7. How do you not lose Honor when killing in RDR2?

To avoid losing honor when committing crimes, wear a mask or bandana. While it doesn’t guarantee you won’t lose honor, it reduces the likelihood of being recognized and lowers the penalty. Try to commit crimes in a more honorable manner.

8. Does kicking out Strauss give max Honor?

Deciding to collect final debt for Strauss and then kicking him out will gain you instantly max honor.

Honor and Gameplay

9. Does John’s Honor matter?

Unlike with Arthur, John Marston’s honor does not affect his personality in any way, nor does it influence the events of the game. However, changes in game-play, such as store discounts, do affect John.

10. Does karma affect the ending of RDR2?

Yes, achieving a “good” ending requires good karma at the end, though it’s not the only factor at play.

11. What does the wolf in RDR2 mean?

The wolf is a symbol of low honor and immoral choices. Seeing visions of a wolf signifies that Arthur’s actions are contributing to a darker path. The deer is the opposite of the wolf.

12. Where is Arthur’s grave if you go back for the money?

Arthur Morgan’s grave is located east of Donner Falls and northeast of Bacchus Station in Ambarino. With high honor, you will find his grave covered in flowers.

13. How much do you have to donate for honor RDR2?

A donation of $20-$22 at the Donation Box in Camp yields a noticeable boost.

Special Cases

14. Why does Micah spare high honor Arthur?

It’s likely that Micah spared Arthur in order to evade from the lawmen, or that Micah was simply too angry to think about even killing Arthur.

15. Can John get Dutch’s money?

John recovers the money stash from Micah and Dutch at the end of the epilogues, effectively replacing any money you may have lost when you completed Chapter 6.

Games Learning Society

For those interested in learning more about game design, game-based learning and other insights, you might find the Games Learning Society website valuable. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org to explore a wealth of resources.

By following these tips and strategies, you can transform Arthur Morgan into a paragon of virtue in the Wild West. So, saddle up, partner, and start making those honorable choices! The rewards are well worth the effort.