Zombies are cool… period! Cowboys are also cool… period… and what do you get when you mesh together, you get Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare Pack which is the latest and greatest single-player DLC for this thoroughly entertaining series. Although relatively quite short, players once again assume the role of John Marston, a former outlaw who may still be a villain or hero, depending on how you play him. So where does this take place in the history of Marston, somewhere between the start and end of Red Dead Redemption and if you haven't finished the main game... shame on you and back to the story...
 

Unfortunately for John, the dead are rising, more specifically the undead and it’s once again up to him to help rid the world of these unholy creations. The best part of Undead Nightmare is that this plague of zombies is not limited to just one section of the Red Dead Redemption map but requires you to visit a variety of places from the original game to shoot these bastards back into the ground before they eat not only the braaains of the citizens of Blackwater and surrounding towns but also yours! Without spoiling the story, there are a number of theories as to where this plague came from and with John playing the role of liberator; it’s quite a refreshing return to this familiar world as you eradicate the zombies.

In terms of gaming, your goal is simple, speak to NPC’s, accept missions and free their towns and lands from the walking dead. Apart from killing zombies, what makes Undead Nightmare so much fun is the clichéd C-grade made zombie experience as there are quite a few laughs along the way. If John does run into trouble, there are a number of survivors who will assist but like Red Dead Redemption, the majority of work is up to the player.

Other missions require you to rescue people who are in danger of the undead and the player is rewarded quite well, including some interesting new challenges like the four horses of the apocalypse. If you do manage to get one of these horses, the undead better watch out because these are not your average run of the mill horses but are actually bad assed supernatural steeds.  There are also a variety of supporting cast who return from the original game and some of their stories are quite amusing to watch… once again, no spoilers here. Maybe one though, remember the grave digger? Well, he thinks all his dreams have come true.

Combat is a little different in this game because it’s basically a man, his horse and his gun to take on the undead and thankfully these guys don’t shoot back. If you do find yourself in a Western pickle, this generally because you’ve been outrun by zombies and this is where things become dangerous. Although fire is the primary weakness of zombies, setting them alight is definitely one of the more George Romero ways of disposing them… tricky but fun. Weaponry is reminiscent of the original game but Rockstar have added some cool new additions to your artillery and I won’t spoil them because some must be experienced without prior knowledge to be enjoyed.

The game can easily be finished in around 5 hours but with more exploring, a good 10 hours will make you quite satisfied. If you’re after multiplayer fun, the game contains a new mode called Undead Overrun that allows up to four players to go against a wave of undead as you attempt to increase the clock with each victory as it gets harder and harder. Frustration developers if you have a weak party member but it's all part of the fun.