Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
When I first stumbled upon Red Dead Redemption, I honestly thought it was the perfect gaming combination. Rockstar, the makers of the seminal Grand Theft Auto series, trying their hand at a sandbox game set in the Old West.
For many (including myself), Red Dead Redemption has been the highlight of their gaming year. It looks beautiful, it plays amazingly and it features a good solid plot.
Without sounding too gushing, it is almost the perfect game, and certainly a contender for my personal game of the year.
So it’s encouraging to see that Rockstar have released additional content for the game, which actually turns things on its head a bit.
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare was released earlier on in the year as DLC, so those unlucky enough to not have online access on their gaming consoles can breath a sigh of relief as the new 6-hour campaign has finally made it onto shiny, shiny disc.
Undead Nightmare is a completely new campaign. Side tracking things from the original story, things start off with our protagonist, John Marston waking up to find out that a mysterious plague has engulfed the land and that the dead are rising.
With both his wife and child infected, John heads into town to find the doctor. Naturally, the town is in trouble and John offers his help to sort out this unholy dead mess.
From culling the undead to cleansing local graveyards, things never get tiresome. Initially armed with a torch, a shotgun and a pistol, there is always something for John to do.
Even between missions – on his way from one village to another – he will encounter people in need of assistance. The side missions range from rescuing civilians from zombie attacks, capturing a live zombie for a doctors research or escorting an individual to safety.
As you progress through the land you’ll encounter undead animals such as cougars, bears and boars. All very mental.
All the controls from the original game are still present and correct, so those that have played it will feel right at home. Those that haven’t played the original can pick it up rather quickly. It should also be pointed out that you do not need to own the original to play the disc version of Undead Nightmare.
Naturally, the game has the player running around a bit more, since the undead hordes are unarmed there is no need to duck for cover. A steady aim is also required – ammunition is low, so as a result it is advisable to take out the undead with a single bullet to the head if you can.
Rockstar have done a fantastic job in giving the game a horrific make over and have clearly done their research into what makes a horror story so enjoyable.
This is immediately evident from the Vincent Price-style voice over featured in the opening cut scene. >From the offset, you know things are going to get creepy and more importantly, insanely fun.
Undead Nightmare has its tongue so firmly in its cheek, the whole experience is almost comical. From the one-liners courtesy of the main hero, to the “stating the bloody obvious” quotes from the next undead victim, Rockstar’s twisted sense of humour is stamped all over the game.
Graphically, the game is still very strong and very much looks the part it did when it first came out. Naturally, it’s had a bit of a creepy makeover, with the towns and villages looking a bit run down.
When thinking of any issues with the game, I struggle – the best I can come up with is the fact that the undead are not slow wandering kind like in a George A. Romero movie, but more like the kind in 28 Days Later. But at the same time I can see why they’ve gone with them – lets face it, a slow-moving undead corpse wouldn’t really feel at all threatening in a video game these days. Even the Resident Evil series has ditched them.
Anyway, I digress.
The only other problem is the combat. A minor issue being that it can be repetitive, with the key to surviving the nightmare often relying on John to run away for a bit, only to turn back and shoot the undead from a distance.
However, with its sheer charm and wit, I can’t recommend Undead Nightmare enough. It is exciting, funny and horrific, proving that almost any gaming genre can be improved by adding a horde of zombies.
The Undead Nightmare disc also features the additional content Outlaws To The End, Legends and Killers and Liars and Cheats.
Verdict: 9 out of 10
The Good
Good solid campaign
Cool voice acting
Insanely good fun
The Bad
Combat can get repetitive
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