There are over 1,000 non-playable characters (NPCs) in Red Dead Redemption 2. Each NPC in the game has his own unique personality and mood state, and the interaction with each of them is fairly detailed. There are also around 1,000 unique actors to voice NPCs throughout the entire game.
Interactions With Gang Members
The camp of Van Der Linde Gang is a fundamental aspect of the game. This is where you can interact with other gang members and depending on your actions, you can increase or decrease your bond with them.
Greeting your gang mates as well as providing funds and provisions to the camp will increase your bond with them thus resulting in more meaningful conversations with them and they will provide you assistance in certain activities and missions. This will change the stories told around the campfire. While chatting with gang members at the campfire, they might reveal hints to items hidden in the map and if you neglect to visit these locations, they'll criticise you for it.
| Actions | PS4 Button Prompt | X1 Button Prompt |
|---|---|---|
| Give Request | Triangle | Y |
| Greet/Defuse | Square | X |
| Antagonize | Circle | B |
| Interact | Hold L2 | Hold LT |
Bonding with gang members will also start storyline missions and side missions. Whether they are main missions, side missions, or just random encounters, they are all part of the main storyline of the game. They will also give certain abilities and offer to join you in free-roam activities. When doing missions, you can lead gang members or ask someone else to lead. You can address orders to gang members by pressing L2.
You can also antagonize gang members by pressing Circle for PS4 or B for Xbox One and will get you negative reaction from them. You can either Defuse (Square for PS4, X for Xbox One) or antagonize them further. Doing the latter will decrease your bond with them thus resulting to harsh comments from them whenever you pass them by. If you do it too much, John Marston will punch you in the face and throw you out of the camp, decreasing your honor rating.
Some of your gang members can be killed but you can also hire new ones throughout the game.
Interacting With Other NPCs
Each time you interact with a NPC, you are presented with a set of responses with button prompts, like a button assigned for a friendly or casual response or greeting and another button assigned for rude or aggressive response, and another button assigned for robbing or stealing from the NPC which will lead to different reaction from the NPC. You can speak with any NPC by pressing and holding the left trigger (LT button for Xbox One, L2 button for PS4) and selecting a positive or negative interaction. These play out differently each time, based on the context: what you're wearing, if you have blood stains or mud stains, location, what the NPC is doing, your Honor rating, what weapon you have holstered or equipped, how much alcohol you’ve consumed, and more. You will also get a different response from the NPC even if you choose the same response twice in a row.
These are the default button responses in both platforms:
| Actions | PS4 Button Prompt | X1 Button Prompt |
|---|---|---|
| Aim Weapon* | R2 | RT |
| Rob | Triangle | Y |
| Greet | Square | X |
| Antagonize | Circle | B |
| Interact | Hold L2 | Hold LT |
* No need to hold the left trigger button.
If you have done good or honorable things in the past, they will commend and praise you when you greet them. The opposite goes when you have done crimes that they have witnessed. A bartender for example will ask to not start any trouble when you return to his saloon after starting trouble previously. Depending on the severity of your actions, some NPCs might even curse you, ask you to leave, or call the sheriff. Some NPC interaction is automatic, such as teasing John Marston about his scars as he walks by.
Some NPCs also have dialogue giving you directions involving routes and landmarks regardless if you turn on or turn off your HUD.
