author: Miriam Moszczynska
This RDR2 Mechanic Worked Much Better in First Game
Bandanas and honor in RDR2 is a rather convoluted issue that has perplexed players more than once. All because of the ambiguity when we are wanted.
In theory, wearing a bandana should affect the perception of our character in the game world. Red Dead Redemption 2 does it a little differently, however, which definitely annoys the gamers. The vast majority feel that this cosmetic item was much more useful in the first installment of Red Dead Redemption.
Bandana in RDR1
It can be said, and it won't be an abuse, that bandanas in RDR1 work as they should. Namely, when our face is covered, all the actions we perform, positive or negative - do not affect our level of honor..
What's more, wearing a bandana also means that our level of fame does not increase.. On the other hand, when we want to feel like a true bandit, committing a crime in the mask, it may be useful to remove the scarf. Thanks to this, Marston's wanted level will decrease and we will become less suspicious.
Bandana's effect in RDR2 is... peculiar
The prevailing opinion among western fans is that they don't actually know how bandanas work or why they are even in RDR2. Such opinions are far from the truth, however, because covering your face in the game is not useless, but rather convoluted.
Starting with the basics: if you commit a crime while wearing a mask/bandana - a search will start. This is not surprising, just a natural state of affairs. From this point on, the game can take three paths:
- The crime will be noticed, the witness will report it to the authorities, but will not know who the criminal is (e.g. by the fact that we are wearing a mask) - we are not punished.
- Crime will be noticed, the witness will notice Arthur and run to report it to the law enforcement (there is an option to kill the witness to avoid punishment).
- If at the time of the crime there are no witnesses around us, since no one saw anything - we are not wanted and can sleep peacefully (although privately plagued with guilt for, for example, murder).
Moreover, masked Arthur is not welcome in cities. Law enforcement officers will not react positively to the bandana and will insist that we take it off. If we disobey the authorities, we could be arrested.
How does this relate to honor?
When talking about the consequences of a crime, we cannot forget about honor. In RDR2 bandanas or masks have no effect on it. The only thing that matters is the act we commit and whether it's okay or not.
Below you will find a table from the game's official guide, in which the honor system and the scoring of given actions is described in detail.
Source: Reddit
So we can say that the bandanas from RDR1 worked more predictably, while in RDR2 much more attention was paid to the character's overall morality - judging it independently from whether or not they are masked.
