When the firstRed Dead Redemptiongame released in 2010, it took the gaming world by storm. Far more than justGTAin the Wild West,Red Dead Redemptionproved itself as a stunning, stylish, and emotive piece of interactive storytelling, with a compelling open-world to explore and an unforgettable cast of characters. But while it is more grounded than Rockstar’s other leading franchises in some ways, it also took considerable creative leaps that have yet to be repeated in a modern Rockstar game.
Red Dead Redemption’sUndead NightmareDLCis an inextricable part of its enduring legacy. The expansion was a major left-field arrival at the time, pleasantly surprising those familiar with the likes ofGTA 4’s DLCs, which were far more conservative variations on the base game. This was not the case forUndead Nightmare, which follows John Marston as he attempts to find a cure for a zombie plague that has overtaken the US, infecting Abigail, Jack, and Uncle in the process. As one would expect, the expansion transforms just about every aspect of the game’s open-world, filling it with zombies, Horses of the Apocalypse, and various unique weapons. The world ofUndead Nightmareis fantastical, absurd, and delightfully entertaining, which is why many fans are frustrated with Rockstar’s reluctance to revisit these ideas.
Undead Nightmareisn’t part ofRed Dead Redemptioncanon, which allows the DLC to be a no-holds-barred experience.
Rockstar Shouldn’t Steer Clear of Fantasy Forever
As infamous as any widely publicized Rockstar trend is the studio’s unwillingness, or inability, to recapture the magic ofUndead Nightmare.GTA 5notoriously received no single-player expansions whatsoever, and while some are still holding out hope thatRed Dead Redemption 2may get its ownUndead NightmareDLC, it doesn’t seem like that’s happening, at least not in any official capacity.
Like with most things, there are positives and negatives to these decisions. Though Rockstar’s output has been sparse in the past decade, the company has prided itself on realism and technological prowess, withRed Dead Redemption 2’s incredible attention to detail and immersive storytelling being a testament to this. Ahyper-realistic game likeRed Dead Redemption 2could be undermined by something likeUndead Nightmare, possibly compromising its creative vision in a way that wasn’t necessarily a concern with its less-realistic predecessor. Plus, for better or worse, Rockstar was more experimental during the age of the firstRed Dead, willing to get its hands dirty with weird, risky ideas.
Whether in GTA 6 or Elsewhere, Rockstar Needs to Lean Into Fantasy Again
Having said all that,Undead Nightmareis a fantastic expansion, and something that many consider to be an essential part ofRed Dead Redemptiondespite its fundamental differences from the base game. The creative success of this expansion proves thatRockstar could make a standalone fantasy game, either centered on campy horror elements similar toUndead Nightmare’s, or other subgenres like high fantasy or sci-fi. The developer’s staple open-world design, not to mention its surplus of talented writers, animators, and artists, could work wonders if unshackled from overwhelming realism.
Alternatively,GTA 6could see the return of single-player Rockstar DLC, getting its own version ofUndead Nightmare. It wouldn’t need to center on zombies or horror necessarily, but a more out-there and absurdist narrative would have a lot of potential, and would arguably synergize better with the tone ofGTAthan that ofRed Dead. With the live-service scene getting more hostile and volatile with each passing year, maybe Rockstar will choose to double-down on attention-grabbing single-player DLC for its post-launch support, especially considering recent successes likeElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.
Red Dead Redemption
WHERE TO PLAY
America, 1911. The Wild West is dying. When federal agents threaten his family, former outlaw John Marston is forced to pick up his guns again and hunt down the gang of criminals he once called friends. Experience an epic fight for survival across the sprawling expanses of the American West and Mexico, as John Marston struggles to bury his blood-stained past, one man at a time.Red Dead Redemption is a Western epic, set at the turn of the 20th century when the lawless and chaotic badlands began to give way to the expanding reach of government and the spread of the Industrial Age.
