Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Review - IGN (2024)

If, like me, you were waiting for more things to accomplish as John Marston, you shouldn't hesitate to pick up Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare. Rockstar's latest downloadable content for Red Dead is very obviously a love letter to B-movie horror flicks with a touch of fantasy added for good measure. It's unapologetically campy, and that is what makes it so special. Whereas Red Dead Redemption was a serious story in a serious landscape during serious times, Undead Nightmare twists the formerly grave game into something much more lighthearted.

With all new cutscenes (the intro is truly epic), voice work from the original actors, creepier landscapes to explore complete with zombified animals, and a whole new soundtrack, it's clear that Rockstar put a lot of work into making this a complete, high-end production.

The nightmare begins when John and his family are having a peaceful evening together at their ranch at Beecher's Hope. It's a dark and stormy night, and all of a sudden regular folks are transforming into flesh-eating monsters. Relatives rise from the grave only to grab a bite out of their loved ones, and best friends quickly turn into bitter enemies due to fear. Luckily, John Marston is around and he's not going to stand for such a dire situation.

Now, before you head into the undead-infested wilds by your lonesome, keep in mind that general zombie survival rules apply:

1) Zombies are jerks that want to nom on your tasty brains, so don't trust them.

2) Always aim for the head.

3) If its head hasn't exploded, it's probably still coming to eat you.

4) Stay away from hordes.

5) Zombies can't climb ladders, so get up high for a better chance of survival.

Killing zombies is really fun -- I imagine that's why they're commonly cast in videogames and horror flicks. To make it more enjoyable, you'll have some new weapons at your disposal: holy water, undead bait, and the ever-awesome blunderbuss. Using leftover zombie body parts as ammo, the blunderbuss will literally evaporate anything that is stupid enough to wander down your sights. Sweet. Using these new tools you can mix up your strategy when fighting off waves of brain-eaters -- bait and bomb them or just pull off a series of head shots using Dead Eye. There are also new close-up kill animations that are pretty cool and can help get you out of tough spots.

Now, not all undead are created equal. In fact, a few of the zombies in Undead Nightmare look like they shuffled on over from a popular zombie shooter. The normal walkers -- slow from far away but will start running once they catch a whiff of your scent -- are obviously the most common. There are also big fat ones that will try to knock you down, oozing green ones that spit poisonous venom, and creepy crawling ones that sort of remind me of that chick from The Grudge movies.

Variety aside, the coolest aspect of the undead infection is that the virus spreads in real-time. So if you see a poor soul bitten by one of the damned, don't turn your back on him -- he'll likely rise up and try to feast on you.

Though the game has received a zombie face-lift, it still plays out in a very familiar way. The missions are the same style as in Red Dead Redemption, but they're altered. So instead of hunting for fugitives, you'll search for lost family members, and clearing out graveyards is a substitute for the gang hideouts. There are five new challenge ranks to conquer, wacky side-missions to enjoy and a main storyline full of theories of how the dead rose from their graves.

It's every man and woman for themselves in a zombie apocalypse and the only thing worth fighting over is ammo, which explains the lack of cash in the economy. Such desperate times also call for desperate measures, and thankfully your actions are no longer measured by an Honor meter. So do what you want -- kill survivors and swipe their ammo or work in tandem with them. It's up to you. The intention of Undead Nightmare is to play around and have fun in a giant ludicrous sandbox world, not to make you feel guilty over murdering someone for a few bullets.

imageUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fxboxlivemedia.ign.com%2Fxboxlive%2Fimage%2Farticle%2F113%2F1130683%2Fred-dead-redemption-undead-nightmare-20101026052838156-000.jpg&caption=Aim+for+their+ugly+mugs.When you come across towns you once explored in New Austin, West Elizabeth, or Mexico, you'll see they're slightly different this time around. Mainly, the undead are taking over and it's up to you to lend a helping hand. Your motives don't necessarily spring from the kindness of your heart. When you clear out a town, you are rewarded with ammo chests and the ability to use a safe house there.

Undead Nightmare encourages (well, sort of forces, I guess) you to go out and explore the wilderness with the removal of campsite fast travel. It's too dangerous to park your tiny caravan randomly, so instead if you want to get around quickly you'll need to save settlements. Thankfully, you have easy access to a zombie horse -- just shoot your regular horse in the head, wait, and whistle. The undead steeds are much more resilient and won't get tired, but they're tough to control. Yeah, this can be a pain in the ass, but really, how are you going to find those mythical creatures if you fast travel all the time?

That's right: mythical creatures. As you roam, you might get a notification that there's something in the area. If you see this, it usually indicates that one of the four horses of the Apocalypse is running around, just waiting for Marston's gentle touch. War, Pestilence, Famine, and Death are all available to break and use just as you would any other horse, and they're so much better. With basically unlimited stamina (which comes in real handy when traversing long distances) and a special power (War lights people on fire while Pestilence is almost impossible to kill), these horses kick ass. But if an outfit description is to be believed, there are even more amazing fantasy creatures out in the wilds to be tamed.

A 6-plus hour side-story that takes place toward the end of Red Dead Redemption, Undead Nightmare is a separate entry into the Wild West that you access from the main menu. Don't worry; it won't mess up your old saves. That said, if you haven't seen the credits roll in Red Dead Redemption, you might want to complete that story before heading into Undead Nightmare. While nothing will be spoiled for you, you'll miss humorous references scattered throughout the journey, and you probably won't appreciate the ending.

Finally, the single-player portion of Undead Nightmare isn't without minor frustrations. John Marston can still be difficult to maneuver (especially when you're trying to shimmy up a ladder while there are hungry zombies nearby), there's some slowdown, and it crashed on me once. Despite these technical shortcomings, this add-on is still worth every penny.

The single-player portion, while a significant chunk of this DLC, isn't all you get. There are two new multiplayer modes included, as well. The first, Undead Overrun, should feel very familiar -- you and some friends (or strangers) team up against wave after wave of zombies until you're overwhelmed. It's pretty fun and seems like a decent way to rack up XP points for your multiplayer characters. The second mode is found in Free Roam and actually has nothing to do with the undead at all. Titled Land Grab, you're basically trying to secure seven different locations throughout the map. It's available for anyone to play, but only folks with Undead Nightmare can initiate a game.

Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Review - IGN (2024)

FAQs

How long is Undead Nightmare 100%? ›

If you're a gamer that strives to see all aspects of the game, you are likely to spend around 12½ Hours to obtain 100% completion.

Why is Undead Nightmare so awesome? ›

One of the best things about Undead Nightmare is how it's so similar yet so different from the original Red Dead Redemption. The zombies are very different from your standard outlaws. For one almost all of them fight hand to hand which makes cover less important than finding higher ground.

What is the 100% reward in Undead Nightmare? ›

"Attain 100% Game Completion statistic in Undead Nightmare." After obtaining 100% completion, unlimited item and ammo creation becomes available, making the ammo problems of the game almost virtually gone. This is only applicable to build ammunitions, not all types of ammunition.

Was Undead Nightmare a success? ›

Undead Nightmare received generally favorable reviews at its release, and the retail disc sold two million copies by 2011.

Will there be an Undead Nightmare 2? ›

It is a damn shame that Rockstar Games decided not to release Undead Nightmare 2, because I'm sure it would have been another critical and commercial success. But it is what it is. Red Dead Redemption 2 is out now on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Is Undead Nightmare hard? ›

The start is by far the hardest, you have really limited ammo and you'll probably feel very overwhelmed. Once you progress, however, things get much easier. A tip - zombies always change straight for you, take advantage of this by running around like a madmen and shooting them at point-blank range.

Is RDR1 Undead Nightmare worth playing? ›

Undead Nightmare, as a single-player upgrade, is an exceptional bargain for the amount of new gameplay that it provides. But including the highly entertaining Undead Overrun multiplayer mayhem makes this a cannot-miss DLC purchase for Red Dead Redemption gamers.

Is Undead Nightmare the best DLC? ›

Red Dead's outstanding DLC in a box. Simple as. Undead Nightmare may sound gimmicky at first, but it quickly becomes clear that Rockstar spared no expense creating what is arguably one of the best DLCs of all time.

Does Undead Nightmare spoil the game? ›

yes, there are spoilers for the main game.

Is there an ending to Undead Nightmare? ›

Epilogue. Upon heading back to Beecher's Hope, John finds that Abigail and Jack are fine, and they are happy again. A few months later, John is dead at the hands of Edgar Ross, and in Escalera, Seth is shown stealing the ancient mask, causing all dead, including John, to return as undead.

Do cheats work in Undead Nightmare? ›

Working Cheat Codes for Undead Nightmare

Press "Pause" and select the "Options" menu. Scroll down to "Cheats" and press "Y". The keyboard will pop up and you'll be able to enter your code and unlock the cheat you wish to use. Cheats will be logged into your "Cheats" tab and can be toggled "On" and "Off" at will.

Can you save a lost town Undead Nightmare? ›

There are three safe zones, which are Fort Mercer, El Presidio, and Casa Madrugada. Lost: If the player does not help survivors in a town and they are all killed, the town will be lost forever. While clearing out the undead will allow the town to return to be labled "safe", it will usually come under attack more often.

Are they remaking Undead Nightmare? ›

Rockstar Games confirmed a re-release of Red Dead Redemption and its zombie spin-off, Undead Nightmare, is coming to PS4 and Nintendo Switch, on August 17, 2023, but this news has massively disappointed the already neglected Red Dead fanbase.

How many hours is Undead Nightmare? ›

Story mode for Undead Nightmare lasts roughly around six hours, not near as long as the base game. It is however like the base game, an open world and the player can diverge from the story and do side missions as well.

Is Arthur in Undead Nightmare? ›

Roger Clark as Arthur Morgan - The primary protagonist of both Red Dead Redemption 2 and Undead Nightmare 2. Arthur is a high-ranking member of the Van der Linde gang whom in Undead Nightmare 2, is searching for cures for each supernatural threat while defending the living from the supernatural.

Guide for Red Dead Redemption - Undead ...TrueAchievementshttps://www.trueachievements.com ›

No worries as the Undead Nightmare DLC brings 14 new single player missions along with 10 single player achievements and 2 multiplayer achievements. In this DLC...
Use the links below to navigate the portion of this wiki guide devoted to the expanded Undead Nightmare content. Get help with just the required missions, or.
Ive played through both red dead 1 and 2 many times. Love bith games, rdr2 being my favorite game of all time. If finished both games an abundance of…

How to 100% complete an Undead Nightmare? ›

100% Completion
  1. 14 Missions. Main story and Stranger Side Missions.
  2. Saved all 20 towns at least once, not concurrently. Spinning Plates requires it to be concurrent.
  3. Cleared the 5 graveyards. All 5 are done during missions.
  4. Save all 15 Missing Persons. ...
  5. 4 Challenges. ...
  6. Break the Unicorn.
  7. 3 Outfits.

How long is undead Siege Nightmare? ›

Depending on difficulty, the game will last for 3 days and nights on Casual mode and for 5 on Hard and Nightmare mode.

How long does it take to 100 RDR1? ›

Red Dead Redemption length

Story-focused: 20-25 hours. Story + side activities: 25-35 hours. Slow and thorough/100% completionist: 35+ hours.

How long is Devil May Cry 5 100%? ›

To 100 percent complete Devil May Cry 5, you'll need to complete every mission on the highest rating, and beat the game on every difficulty level. There are also several secret missions to find and conquer. To do all of this, it will most likely take around 67 hours.

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