| “ | Well, maybe when your mother's finished mourning your father... I'll keep her in black... on your behalf. You think on that, boy. | „ |
| —Arthur Morgan to Archie Downes |
Sodom? Back to Gomorrah is a mission in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Mission Overview[]
With the heat in Valentine having died down, Bill decides it's finally time to hit the bank. Karen causes a distraction while Arthur handles the vaults.
Story[]
While in camp at Clemens Point, Bill asks Arthur to speak with him. Informing Arthur that him and Karen have planned to rob the bank in Valentine, Bill tells Arthur to come along. Arthur is skeptical at first, but eventually comes around to the idea. Lenny joins the group, and the four change into new clothes and prepare to ride out. Before they leave, Strauss informs Arthur that Thomas Downes is dead and that his wife has the debt he was supposed to pay, and tells Arthur to reclaim it.
After arriving at Valentine, the player can choose whether Karen can pretend to be either a drunken harlot or a lost dame, and she enters the bank. After the people inside are off-guard, Arthur, Bill and Lenny burst in and hold up the bank. Lenny gives Karen the key and she opens the door behind the counter, and Arthur takes the teller and forces him to open the vault door. However, the teller can't open the safes, so the player is forced to either crack them silently or use dynamite. If the safes are cracked, lawmen don't start pursuing the group until they've almost reached their horses. If dynamite is used, the gang must fight their way from the bank to their horses. After mounting up, the gang members ride out of Valentine and kill pursuing lawmen, eventually losing them thanks to a passing train, and they split the cash.
Afterwards, Arthur rides off to the Downes Ranch to get a debt from Thomas's wife. He will offer a half-hearted apology to her before getting into a minor confrontation with her son. She gives him the money, and Arthur leaves, heading back to camp.
Gold Medal Objectives[]
- Loot all the safes.
- Headshot 5 mounted lawmen during the horseback escape.
- Get to Downes Ranch within 1 minute and 55 seconds.
- Complete with at least 70% accuracy.
- Complete the mission without taking any health items.
Deaths[]
- Thomas Downes - Strauss relayed the news of his death to Arthur during his bank heist planning with Bill, Lenny and Karen. Died because of complications from tuberculosis and partly from injuries done by Arthur.
- Valentine lawmen - Killed by Arthur, Bill, Lenny and Karen during the bank heist escape.
Mission Failure[]
The mission will fail if the player:
- Assaults, kills or abandons Bill, Karen or Lenny;
- Allows Bill, Karen or Lenny to be killed;
- Alerts the law prematurely;
- Shoots any of the people in the bank;
- Kills the teller before he opens the vault;
- Abandons Valentine;
- Returns to Valentine on the ride to the Downes Ranch;
- Kills or abandons their horse;
- Dies.
Trivia[]
- The title is a reference to the Biblical towns of Sodom and Gomorrah that were destroyed in the Book of Genesis.
- Even if the random event where Edith Downes comes to the camp to say that her husband died occurred, Arthur will still act as though he was unaware of this.
- Depending on whether the player opts to start this mission before or after completing the mission "Preaching Forgiveness as He Went" they will get a different string of dialogue if they choose to talk to Lenny during the ride from Clemens Point to Valentine. If the player has done "Preaching Forgiveness as He Went" before the Valentine Bank Robbery Arthur can ask about "[That] gang at Shady Belle" and get a conversation between Lenny and Arthur about the Lemoyne Raiders that is otherwise not available.
- During the final part of the mission, there are three bits of foreshadowing quotes that Arthur will remember later on in the game depending on his Honor. The first two lines from Edith Downes about her husband Thomas, recalled in "A Fork in the Road", are: "He didn't have a choice. He was good and he did good" (if Arthur's Honor is high); and "And you've as good as killed him yourself..." (if his Honor is low). The last line will be from Arthur himself if his Honor is low during the final ride to camp in the "Red Dead Redemption" mission: "You speak as if killing is something I cared about."
- If the player takes too long to unlock the safes if they decide to crack them, the law will show up outside and the player will have to fight their way back to the horses, just like the option of blowing open the safes.
- The Valentine Sheriff Curtis Malloy is not present during the bank robbery. However, he can be seen in his office when the gang arrives in town.
- In the bank there will be two lawmen instead of the usual one that acts as a guard and both of them will have unique outfits that are unseen prior to the mission.
- This is the only time where the Saints Hotel owner and the doctor Ben Calloway can be seen in the bank.[1]
- The last lawman on horseback is riding a Rose Grey Andalusian, although a method to keep it has not yet been found.
- On Patch 1.00, it is possible to keep the robbery outfit after the mission. The player must abandon the mission after the first cutscene plays out and retry the checkpoint. After restarting the checkpoint, the outfit will glitch and will be stored on the horse once the mission is complete. The money bag, however, cannot be saved.[2]
- If the player is finished cracking the safes before leaving the bank and sparing the civilians, they will get a slight honor boost.
- Before entering the vault, a pink jewelry box can be seen on the desk. Shooting it will allow Arthur to pick it up.
Gallery[]
