Jump to content

Undead Nightmare

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Czar (talk | contribs) at 11:06, 12 July 2016 (Czar moved page User:Czar/drafts/Undead Nightmare to Undead Nightmare without leaving a redirect: mainspacing draft). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Undead Nightmare
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Undead Nightmare is an expansion pack to the 2010 video game Red Dead Redemption. It adds a zombie horror-themed single-player campaign, two multiplayer modes, and multiple cosmetic additions.

Gameplay

Undead Nightmare is a modified expansion of the 2010 video game Red Dead Redemption.[1] The latter, the base game, is an open world western action-adventure in which the former outlaw John Marston is coerced by the federal government to capture former members of his gang in exchange for his family's freedom.[2] Undead Nightmare is an alternate timeline expansion that add a full story in a zombie horror theme and reworks the base game's environment to appear dark and spooky. As corpses begin to rise from the dead to become flesh-eating zombies, some of the living go into hiding and others become hostile.[1] John Marston, the protagonist from the base game, seeks to find the plague's cause and its cure for his wife and son.[3] The game's story lasts about six hours and includes new cutscenes, voice acting, and music. It is accessed separately from the main game menu with its own save files.[1] It does not share play progress and items from the main game,[4] nor does it require the base game in any form.[5]

Similar to the base game, the player is sidetracked from the main quest with requests from strangers, checklist challenges, and side-missions.[3] Missions share the style of the base game but with replaced objectives, such as hunting for family members instead of fugitives or emptying graveyards instead of gang hideouts. Marston is called to liberate towns overrun by the undead, which unlocks ammo, new places to stay,[1] quests, and the assistance of the living townspeople.[6] After Marston's assistance, the towns remain free of zombies for several in-game days, but will eventually require the player's assistance when zombies return once again.[3] The player decides whether to share ammunition with the townsfolk: ammunition serves as a currency in the game since the shops have closed.[6] The player has fewer correctives for immorality, such as helping or killing other survivors, given the dire circumstances. The game puts a greater emphasis on hyperbolic fun.[1]

The expansion's zombie enemies are similar to that of other games. "Walker" zombies are slow from afar but run when they near the character. Fat zombies attempt to knock the player-character down and others spew green venom. Marston has new weapons, including holy water, bait for the undead, and a blunderbuss that uses zombie parts as ammunition. The player can use a combination of these skills to defeat hordes of reanimated humans, who stop only once their heads explode. For example, Marston can bait a group to an area to set off a bomb, use the time-slowing Dead Eye mode to shoot each in the head,[1] or eliminate enemies from a roof because zombies cannot climb.[6] Other non-playable characters who contract the infection turn into the undead in real-time and are likely to attack the player.[1]

Undead Nightmare removes the traditional fast travel features of the base game, and this encourages the player to use settlements to store their caravan. Marston rides undead horses in the expansion, which he can summon by whistling. Four mythical horses—the four horses of the apocalypse—with faster abilities are scattered throughout the game for the player to find, tame, and ride.[1] Other mythical creatures to hunt include Sasquatch, El Chupacabra, and a unicorn.[3] Also included are two new outfits for Marston, other cosmetic options for weapons and player horses ("mounts"),[1] and achievements[3]

Apart from the single-player story, Undead Nightmare adds two multiplayer modes: Undead Overrun and Land Grab.[1] The former is a horde mode in which up to four players cooperatively fight off waves of zombies. Players must open coffins between waves to replenish a countdown timer, which discourages players from camping in the same location. It is also designed so as to encourage cooperation such that players can revive each other if nearby.[6] The other mode, Land Grab, is an additional game mode within the main game's multiplayer free roam and otherwise unconnected to the undead theme. In Land Grab, players attempt to secure seven areas across the game's environment. While players with the base game can join in Land Grab games, only Undead Nightmare owners can initiate them.[1]

Development

Following the 2010 release of the base game, Rockstar prepared and released a series of downloadable content packs, of which Undead Nightmare was one. The Red Dead Redemption world was designed to be not necessarily serious but within the Western genre without regressing to "cheesy or camp" pastiche. After finding success, Rockstar wanted to make more content in-keeping with the game's atmosphere. The team balanced the "inherently ridiculous" zombie concept with their horror aspects and some self-aware humor. They relied on the backstory of the universe's characters and popular associations with the American countryside to build the narrative's emotional content. In the game's canon, the Undead Nightmare scenario fits in the time between when Marston returns home and the end of the base game, though the expansion's events do not cross the main story in any way.[7]

Rockstar found a match in the Red Dead Redemption universe for their long-standing aim to create a zombie game. In lieu of making a new intellectual property for such a game, Rockstar instead wanted players to see how a zombie outbreak affected a world already familiar to them. The company thought that this would make the zombie trope more interesting. Rockstar also saw similar "cinematic heritage" between the western and zombie horror genres. The team used the analogy of a 1970s film set to explain their ambitions—that Undead Nightmare in the Red Dead Redemption universe would feel like its characters filming a "serious, revisionist Western" by day and a "somewhat insane horror movie" with the same cast and set by night. Following its experience with Grand Theft Auto 4's downloadable content packs, Rockstar wanted its add-on packs to be a separate story with possible overlaps rather than a continuation of the main story. Rockstar vice president of creative Dan Houser described several reasons for not using the Grand Theft Auto universe for the zombie release: (1) that Red Dead's shooting mechanics, including its slow-motion Dead Eye feature, were a better fit for zombie headshots, (2) that zombies were a better fit for the Great Plains landscape, more reminiscent of a 1970s horror film, and (3) that John Marston was a better fit for hunting zombies than the protagonists of Grand Theft Auto games.[7]

Houser said that reviews of the base game had little impact on the development of Undead Nightmare, though the team used the smaller downloadable content packs and patches to add features that others wanted in the main game. "I don't think we ever saw the phrase 'what this game is missing is the supernatural'", Houser recollected on the team's feedback and their interest in doing something that would not be expected by fans yet enjoyed nonetheless. "And that is part of what attracted us."[7] Rockstar released Undead Nightmare on October 26, 2010. Rockstar's Dan Houser said that the team was satisfied with their results and how the Red Dead Redemption world and zombie theme supplemented each other's context and depth.[7]

A standalone retail disc release of Undead Nightmare followed in late November 2016.[8] The release compiles the Undead Nightmare campaign with two smaller Red Dead Redemption download packs: "Legends and Killers" and "Liars and Cheats".[5] "Legends and Killers" adds more multiplayer features, such as challenges and maps. "Liars and Cheats" adds multiplayer versions of the tabletop bar games featured in the game's single-player campaign.[9] Since the base game and its expansion share the same multiplayer, Official Xbox Magazine described the standalone Undead Nightmare as the same as the original game save for having swapped its single-player campaign for a new one.[5]

Reception

The game received generally favorable reviews[10] and was named among the best DLC of the year[12][13][14] It won the award for best downloadable content of the year at Spike's 2010 Video Game Awards,[14] and at Shacknews over other notable packs like Lair of the Shadow Broker (Mass Effect 2) and Minerva's Den (BioShock 2).[13] IGN awarded the title a perfect score as a "masterpiece" and editor's choice,[1] while GameSpot wrote that, while fun, the game was not as much a masterpiece as the original.[6] Dan Whitehead (Eurogamer) credited Undead Nightmare as proof that Marston is "one of gaming's great characters".[4]

As a continuation, "Red Dead Redemption's elegiac tone knits incredibly well with [its expansion's] arch Gothic horror", wrote Dan Whitehead (Eurogamer).[4] Critics found the expansion's story to be much more lighthearted in comparison to the main game, with a different overall feel.[1][6] IGN marked the title's exaggerated theatricality and overtones of horror B movie panache.[1] At the time, zombies were a recurring motif in video games.[11][1][3] Whitehead added that Rockstar's ability to use the "most played-out and over-exposed cultural meme" in their "epic western" without the product appearing silly or gimmicky was a testament to their design acumen.[3] For instance, a talk with Sasquatch was both absurd and poignant. The expansion's script, he wrote, understood the spirit of its characters and balanced sardonicism and honest pathos. Whitehead felt that its nuanced treatment of Marston made him "one of gaming's great characters". On the other hand, Whitehead considered the expansion's mission design lackluster and complained of too many quests in which the player fetches items for other people and traveling between points only to initiate cutscenes.[3] GameSpot praised the story's humor but felt that it was less interesting and varied compared to the main game.[6] Reviewers recommended finishing the base game before starting the downloadable content, not for spoilers but to make the most of the game's references to the original story.[1][6]

Reviewers noted the amount of work Rockstar put into the expansion's production.[1][6] GameSpot said that the expansion added significantly new features and kept the main game's best qualities in its presentation.[6] Whitehead (Eurogamer) wrote that Rockstar's effort appeared to challenge their constraints while other developers often aim for the bare minimum. The reviewer compared the game's reinvigoration to that of the download content created for Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 4.[3] He also appreciated the continuity of the "apocalyptic" and melancholic ambience in which the base game considered the metaphorical extinction of the cowboy west while the expansion considered the literal extinction of civilization.[4] Critics noted ways in which Undead Nightmare borrowed zombie designs from the Left 4 Dead series.[1][4] This disappointed Eurogamer's reviewer in consideration of Rockstar's reputation as a pioneer rather than a imitator.[4] GameSpot's highlights from the game included its multiplayer, imaginative weaponry, and mythical mounts, and eerie soundtrack.[6]

Critics reported that players rarely need to use Undead Nightmare's new weapons.[6][4] Whitehead (Eurogamer) said that Marston's firearms are mostly indistinguishable apart from the blunderbuss, which is only useful when the player is overrun by zombies.[4] GameSpot added that the game's combat is repetitive and less fun in the expansion, as zombies barely pose a threat. The zombies, without guns, cover, horses, lack the complexities of cowboys and, apart from some of the special zombie types, are only a threat at short distances. The reviewer found little variation between weapons when firing at close range, which is more effective than aiming at a distance. The fun of the new guns quickly faded for the critic, who found little incentive to use traditional gunfight strategies.[6] Whitehead (Eurogamer) too noted that the base game relied on its use of cover during gunfights, which the expansion jettisons altogether. Thus the player is forced into the technique of backtracking and turning to use the time-slowing Dead Eye mode to clear zombies with headshots.[3] The reviewer also found the controls clumsy and often tripped on piles of zombie bodies or became stuck in doorways. While the idea of zombie animals scared Whitehead, he was both relieved and disappointed to find that bears and cougars, like the humans, died with a single bullet.[4]

Multiple reviewers thought that the lack of fast travel was an impediment.[1] Several critics noted the annoyance of returning to defend over 20 towns each with recurring zombie problems, but Eurogamer said the game mechanic is never too bothersome and even appreciated its element of time management, similar to that of the Dead Rising game series.[3] Reviewers also noted technical issues with moving Marston's character, especially when climbing ladders and outrunning zombies.[1][4]

Critics praised Undead Nightmare as a model for downloadable content[1][4] especially in balancing content and price.[1][11] Neil Davey (The Guardian) said that it was the best purchase of 2010 at its price range,[11] but staff of the Official Xbox Magazine found the price slightly too high.[5] Henry Gilbert of GamesRadar thought that the game's concept sounded like a ploy to make easy money without much work, but admitted how wrong and surprised he was at the game's depth.[12] At the time of its 2010 release, the Official Xbox Magazine counted Undead Nightmare among the best downloadable content in existence.[5]

Legacy

The expansion is recalled as among the best on record.[15][16][17] Kotaku wrote of its originality despite the trite zombie theme, and added that the expansion functioned best when Rockstar used the game's silly pretense to exercise their sense of humor, with undead versions of normal animals, and new mythical creatures. The reviewer related the game's level of entertainment to it being the first Rockstar release in years to "wholeheartedly embrace the inherently madcap nature of open world games".[15] Undead Nightmare took a good title and "put it over the top", as USgamer put it.[18] Hardcore Gamer cited the expansion as an example of downloadable content that would never fit in the main game but allows the developers to explore other ideas.[19]

Microsoft added backwards compatibility for the base game and its expansion on the company's Xbox One, the successor to the Xbox 360, in July 2016. Red Dead Redemption had been one of the most requested titles for the feature.[20][21] The game's sales position on Amazon.com spiked following the announcement.[21] The release runs at a smoother frame rate on the Xbox One.[22]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Steimer, Kristine (October 27, 2010). "Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Review". IGN. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  2. ^ Bogenn, Tim; Barba, Rick (May 7, 2010). Red Dead Redemption Signature Series Strategy Guide. Brady Games. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-7440-1030-5.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Whitehead, Dan (October 28, 2010). "Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Pack". Eurogamer. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 10, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Whitehead, Dan (October 28, 2010). "Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Pack". Eurogamer. p. 2. Archived from the original on July 10, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ a b c d e f OXM Staff (February 2, 2011). "Xbox Review: Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare". Official Xbox 360 Magazine. Archived from the original on February 2, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2016. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; July 12, 2016 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Calvert, Justin (October 27, 2010). "Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Pack Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on July 9, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ a b c d Staff, Gamespot (October 18, 2010). "Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare Q&A". GameSpot. Archived from the original on July 12, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ https://www.vg247.com/2010/10/26/standalone-rdr-undead-nightmare-disc-releasing-in-us-on-november-23-november-26-on-eu/
  9. ^ Mastrapa, Gus (July 8, 2010). "Pricey Zombies Shamble Into Red Dead Redemption". WIRED. Archived from the original on July 12, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ a b "Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Pack Critic Reviews for Xbox 360". Metacritic. Archived from the original on July 8, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ a b c d Davey, Neil (November 25, 2010). "Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare – review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.
  12. ^ a b http://www.gamesradar.com/2010s-best-dlc-and-downloadable-games/4/
  13. ^ a b http://www.shacknews.com/article/66973/best-of-2010-awards-dlc
  14. ^ a b https://www.vg247.com/2010/12/12/spike-vga-2010-winners-red-dead-redemption-scoops-goty/
  15. ^ a b http://kotaku.com/the-10-best-game-expansions-1732758285
  16. ^ http://www.gamezone.com/news/more_red_dead_redemption_dlc_on_the_way_holiday_xp_weekend
  17. ^ https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2014/02/5-dlc-that-got-it-right.html
  18. ^ http://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-best-zombie-themed-games-
  19. ^ http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2014/02/21/why-is-most-dlc-sub-par/75387/
  20. ^ Frank, Allegra (July 5, 2016). "Red Dead Redemption will finally be backward compatible with Xbox One". Polygon. Archived from the original on July 12, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help); no-break space character in |title= at position 66 (help)
  21. ^ a b Hussain, Tamoor (July 6, 2016). "Red Dead Redemption Sales Jump 6000% After Xbox One Backwards Compatibility Announcement". GameSpot. Archived from the original on July 12, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ Frank, Allegra (July 8, 2016). "Is Red Dead Redemption any better on Xbox One?". Polygon. Archived from the original on July 12, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help); no-break space character in |title= at position 42 (help)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Undead_Nightmare&oldid=729464810"