In previous Rockstar games such as Grand Theft Auto, local law enforcement has often been laughably inept. You can commit crimes such as robbery and murder and escape scot-free simply by hiding out for a few minutes. In Red Dead Redemption 2, though, things will be different. The game will allow you to engage in illicit activities, but you won’t be able to do so with impunity.
Red Dead Redemption 2’s Law-Abiding NPC’s
The recently released second gameplay trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2 showed that crime can be lucrative. Players can stick up banks, rob stage coaches, and even hijack trains if they’re looking for a quick payday. However, as GameSpot recently noted in a hands-on preview, players should also ensure there are no witnesses to their crimes.
Many NPC’s who catch the player doing something they shouldn’t be won’t hesitate to call the authorities. Players can intercept such wannabe-do-gooders and try to cajole or threaten them into silence, but such tactics aren’t foolproof. It’s entirely possible for an NPC to act as if your threats changed their mind only for them to report you anyways. Of course, murdering witnesses is also an option. However, if you gun down someone who merely saw you stealing or trespassing and *another* person witnesses your act of murder, things can quickly go from bad to worse.
Measures to conceal your identity (such as covering your face with a bandana) can and should be taken whenever possible. NPC’s will remember your face if they catch you engaging in even minor crimes, and they won’t hesitate to report you should you cross paths with them at a later point in time.
Once law enforcement is after you, they also won’t be so quick to give up the chase. Depending on the severity of your crimes, you’ll have to actively avoid and/or deal with both local deputies and hired bounty hunters, and the price on your head won’t just go away if your break your pursuers’ line of sight.
Both the above trailer and Red Dead Redemption 2’s initial gameplay trailer are worth watching if you want to get a good sense of how the game differs from its predecessor. Red Dead Redemption 2 arrives on October 26 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.