Reviews// Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare

All this soon becomes bearable when you work out your own survival technique. Within an hour or so I was popping heads off with ease - A true zombie slayer - and I wondered how I had ever got surrounded in the first place. In fact, if you thought Dead Eye was satisfying before, then this might blow your little mind a bit.

Flogging a Dead Horse
One thing that constantly impresses is just how much has been put into this little package. It's not a one-zombie-type deal here. Rockstar has clearly been inspired by the like of Left 4 Dead, because spitters and crawlers have made it into the game.

It's also a good idea to bear in mind that undeadness isn't exclusive to humans. Animals also have the bug. In fact, nothing is immune from the infection not even your trusty horse, and soon enough you'll find that you mode of transport is now a decaying corpse.

The new undead horses sound like a great idea but I had quite a big issue with them. They react differently to living horses. On the plus side the have unlimited stamina, potentially making long trips shorter, but to counter that they are harder to control.

What I mean by that is that if you are galloping along in a straight line your horse will randomly pull to the right or left every twenty seconds or so. To me, that's not a fair trade off. I got so frustrated with it that I spent the next hour or so looking for a new horse, but all I could find were more zombie horses.

Imagine my relief then when I discovered my first horse of the apocalypse. There are four (obviously) hidden within the game, each with their own special powers making them a staple in your transportation. I mean, a horse that not only doesn't run out of steam but also sets fire to any undead that comes into contact with it is just full of win isn't it?

Yes it is.

Adding Up
Progression through the story can be a little repetitive at times. This is down to the simple fact that it mainly consists of clearing graveyards or collecting objects from zombie-ridden areas.

That said, I found the action so compelling that the repetition and lack of ideas in the missions themselves didn't really bother me. I knew there was another cutscene or old friend to see just round the corner and that's what guided me through the game with a smile on my face.

There are two price points for this little gem of an add-on. 800 MS points/£7.99 on PSN if you have the original game, which is a steal. It costs £25 for the disc version, allowing you to play the game without owning the original. The disc version also contains all previous DLC.

It's a nice little package but I don't really understand why it exists. Most of the joy in Undead Nightmare comes from previous knowledge of the world and characters within it. I can't imagine what a newcomer would think if they missed out on the main game.

What we have here is a marvellous addition to a fantastic game. It's filled with proof that it's not just a money-spinner or a nice little idea. It's a well executed side-story that will give you more fun than you would expect for the asking price. It'll leave you satisfied and will raise your expectations of what downloadable content can and should be.

Conclusion
Those who have done their home work will get more than expected out of their money. Rockstar has really gone the extra mile with this one. There is enough here to keep you entertained for well over 10 hours and every hour is as entertaining as the full priced outfit. This is quite possibly the best piece of DLC ever released.

SPOnG Score: 90%