Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Pack

The Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Pack is a major expansion for the beloved open-world Western game, Red Dead Redemption. Featuring a goofy but grotesque version of the American Western frontier, Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare rounds up the best characters from the original game and presents a wacky yet enjoyable standalone adventure. Playing as John Marston, a humble but legendary gunslinger, players must navigate the treacherous and barren landscape of the early 1900s as they attempt to cure a virus that has ravaged the land. Armed with your rifle and trusty steed, you'll explore a sprawling map full of eccentric characters and deadly creatures in a horror-themed hit for the ages.

Main Game Features

• Expansive single-player adventure
• Tongue-in-cheek storytelling with horror themes
• New weapons, quests, and multiplayer modes

Story

When compared to the expansive, character-rich story of the base game, Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare is more straightforward and silly. Playing as the heroic cowboy and gangster John Marston, it's your job to discover a cure for a recent virus that's turning your neighbors and family into flesh-eating zombies.

After your wife and child become afflicted with the disease, you must leave your humble farm behind and journey into the deadly desert terrain. Although this sounds pretty serious, Undead Nightmare offers a humorous storytelling style, packed with campy characters and explosive violence. You'll gallop your way across the countryside, meeting various townsfolk and helping them with their problems, which range from dwindling supplies to reanimated loved ones. Overall, the story in Undead Nightmare will equally shock you and make you laugh, resulting in a truly bold and unique Western story.

Gameplay

Similar in style to other open-world games like Grand Theft Auto IV and Assassin's Creed, players explore the expansive map, picking up quests and completing a variety of activities. Although it takes place on the same map as Red Dead Redemption, there have been a lot of gameplay changes, introducing some survival-style gameplay into the mix. For starters, towns and outposts must be cleared of zombies before you can walk around freely, forcing you to defeat waves of shambling, undead enemies. No town is safe for long though, as the zombies will return after just a few short days. Due to the collapse of society, money is useless, with ammunition now being used for trading. With ammo in short supply, you'll have to place your shots with accuracy and be smart about your health management.

Like in the original game, there are plenty of side-activities to pursue, including hunting challenges, plagued graveyards to clear, and more. Some of the most entertaining content is found in the side-missions, resulting in wacky quests for quirky characters, along with some funny and surprising features. For example, there is a list of mythological creatures to hunt down, including Bigfoot, a unicorn, and the four horses of the apocalypse. You'll also encounter various strangers during your travels, who will have you complete brief but exciting missions for loot. There are a handful of new weapons to help you accomplish these tasks, including a massive blunderbuss shotgun, zombie bait, and more.

Conclusion

If you're a fan of the original Red Dead Redemption and you haven't had a chance to try Undead Nightmare, you're definitely missing out. With side-content taken into account, there are easily 20 or more hours of fun to be had with Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare.

Like the base game, you're free to take your time and explore, offering lots of opportunities for impromptu zombie-based fun. The two new multiplayer modes, Land Grab and Undead Overrun, aren't all that great, but the impressive single-player adventure more than makes up for it.

Pros

• Hilarious story with surprisingly violent cutscenes
• Killing zombies is always fun
• Exceptionally cool creatures to hunt

Cons

• Controls feel slightly clunky
• Some activities feel repetitive
• New multiplayer modes are subpar