Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Solid"

There are so many games based around a zombie apocalypse today that it might as well be its own separate genre. Even other games are adapting to this new trend like the Call of Duty series, and now Rockstar's latest western hit, Red Dead Redemption. Unlike most zombie games though, the new Undead Nightmare add-on takes us away from the modern setting and shows us what a zombie apocalypse would be like in the old west. Not only does this pack provide a satisfying excuse to play Red Dead Redemption once more, but there is plenty of content to be had for just a grand total of $10 (or 800 microsoft points).

The DLC starts out toward the end of the main game of Red Dead Redemption, John living a peaceful life with his Abigale (his wife) and Jack (his son). It's a dark and stormy night as John and his only family are sleeping soundly. Suddenly, the doors spring open as Uncle, a worker on John's farm, walks into the room....with what appears to be rotting flesh. He attacks John and Abigale but John manages to grab his rifle and is forced to shoot him. Unfortunately, Abigale was bitten and starts to attack John herself (after biting and infecting Jack). Unwilling to shoot his family, John ties them up and locks him in his bedroom. John dresses up and rides into town to find out what is going on, only to find that all of Texas is overrun with these undead creatures. Now, John must find a way to cure this infection and save his family, and the rest of the world.

Usually, games and movies based on a zombie apocalypse are set up in a modern setting. This DLC pack gives us a new setting altogether, which is surprisingly enough to give you a different experience on a somewhat tired genre. The funny thing is zombies weren't even mentioned too often before the 1930's, and it shows here. Nobody even calls them zombies, they don't even know what the hell these things are or what is going on. This sort of ignorance toward zombies adds to the old west atmosphere (if it were overrun with zombies). Even the animals are zombified. The story itself is interesting as John will start north and slowly head south into Mexico, meeting old friends along the way from his previous adventure. Granted, each character has only about a mission or two for you but it's nice to see these old faces again, even if these meetings are brief. The whole story itself is interesting for a "what if" scenario, but the ending felt very anti-climatic to me (and I liked the original RDR's ending). Other than that, the world is familiar, but with a new spooky atmosphere that almost makes it feel new again.

There isn't too much to say on the gameplay since it plays like the original game. You start out with very few weapons like the pistol and the lasso but you will find more weapons as you progress. All of the old weapons are back, but there are more weapons to help you out such as a torch, holy water, and a blunder bust that shoots zombie body parts (what's not to like?). Seeing as how the whole world is possessed by the undead, that means all shops are closed which means buying ammo and equipment is out of the question. In fact, there's no money at all. Instead, ammo should be your biggest worry since you have to find it (and every mission rewards you with ammo instead of money). Don't worry, the survivors in each town have plenty to spare.

Another thing that can get in your way is your horse can become a zombie, which results in you possibly losing control of your horse so getting a new one when this happens is recommended. Either that or you can find the four horses of the apocalypse, four horses found in certain areas on your map that have special abilities, such as one horse that lights zombies on fire as you ram into them and another that has infinite stamina. These horses add to the game's enjoyment, and they're really fun to use.

Your main goal in this terrifying new world is to go from town to town and help the survivors fight off the zombie hordes. Towns that are being attacked appear on your map, showing that they need your help. You can assist the townsfolk by either A) giving ammo to survivors to defend themselves or B) kill every zombie that moves. Like most zombie games, the best way to kill them is to aim for their heads, otherwise killing them may take a bit more effort. Once every zombie is dead, the town is now safe and you can collect more ammo or save your game. Liberating towns is exciting, although the problem is that once a town is safe, it can be attacked again which means you have to go all the way back and save it again which can get a little tiresome. A town can lose all survivors, but it doesn't seem to effect too much. There are main and side quests to complete too, and there's more to them than killing zombies, so the game keeps you busy while trying to survive the apocalypse.

That's not all. For all of you multiplayer fans out there, this DLC also includes a zombie survivor mode called "Undead Overrun". You and up to 3 other players are put up against endless waves of zombies. Your death is unavoidable, but not before you take down as many zombies down with you as you can. You can choose your class before the game starts. Throughout the game, you can run to and open coffins which give you and your friends extra ammo as well as newer weapons like holy water, and you're gonna need it all. This game picks up in difficulty pretty quick so make every shot and throw count. Like co-op, you can revive your partner when he's down, but there is a time limit this time. When time runs out, when you die, you are permanently dead until your partner(s) finished the round (if he/she/they do) and you earn more time. This is an excellent survivor mode and it's a great addition to the already large list of multiplayer game types.

As for open world, a new feature called "Land Grab" has been added. There are certain spots on the map that you can claim. Once you take a spot, you are challenging other players to take the territory. You must hold it off from other players and hold it for as long as you can. The player with the most time and kills in the territory is the winner. This is a neat new feature to the free roam and it gives you and your friends something to do if you're bored with gang hideouts. Another feature in the pack is 8 new playable character skins including a zombie John Marston.

Unlike the main game, which is lengthy, you can probably beat the single player aspect of Undead Nightmare in 6-8 hours. But for only $10 for so much content, who's complaining? This DLC is one of the best you'll find with a thrilling new take on both the old west and zombie horror genres and it is the perfect excuse for you to play the already amazing Red Dead Redemption once more. If you're a fan of Red Dead Redemption already, you'll find plenty of fun and excitement in the Undead Nightmare pack.