Rockstar surprised a lot of gamers this week, as Red Dead Online got a fresh drop of missions to revel in. "Titled Strange Tales of the West," this new Red Dead Online update brings four missions that all revolve around strange stories based on paranormal and outlandish ideas. It's a fun change of pace for Red Dead Redemption 2's multiplayer spin-off, but one particular mission also makes it bittersweet.
The four missions dive into bizarre tales, like an army of robots and a mysterious swamp creature. "Tales of the Plague" is a specific tale, though, that is bound to fill longtime Red Dead Redemption fans with excitement. In this new Red Dead Online mission, players take on a strange plague that has turned the people of Armadillo into zombies. This isn't the first time the franchise has dabbled in a story based around the undead. Red Dead Redemption's DLC Undead Nightmare continues to be a beloved expansion, and "Tales of the Plague" may be the only chance fans get at a sequel.
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Red Dead Online's "Tales of the Plague" is the Closest Gamers Have Gotten to an Undead Nightmare 2
A Bold Expansion That Paid Off
When one thinks of the Wild West, zombies are usually the last thing that comes to mind. Thankfully, some of the minds at Rockstar decided that RDR1's western setting was missing a healthy dose of the undead. To this day, Undead Nightmare is praised for its inventiveness and willingness to have fun in such a historically-focused universe. Since then, there have been hopes that a second Undead Nightmare would be brought forth as an expansion for RDR2, but that day has yet to come.
Red Dead Online has finally introduced a small crumb of what Undead Nightmare 2 could look like with "Tales of the Plague." Of course, it's just a singular mission and not a full-blown expansion, but it's still better than nothing. Zombies wreaking havoc on the Wild West is a thrilling idea that showcases just how much potential the era has for stories beyond outlaws. With RDR2's major graphic improvements compared to its predecessor, it would be great to see what the plague-riddled undead may look like with Rockstar's evolved visuals and mechanics.
That time has now come, and even though it's just a one-off mission, it can help scratch that Undead Nightmare itch, at least for the time being. RDR2 is no stranger to dabbling in the paranormal, so it's surprising that the game never got its own Undead Nightmare DLC, but "Tales of the Plague" shows that developers at Rockstar are still interested in playing around with the idea.
The other three missions featured in the Strange Tales of the West update are titled "Strange Tales of Modern Science," "Strange Tales of the Bayou," and "Strange Tales of the Wilderness."
To this day, Undead Nightmare is praised for its inventiveness and willingness to have fun in such a historically-focused universe.
Undead Nightmare 2 May Not Happen, But its Predecessor Remains a Standout Rockstar Project
Over the years, Rockstar has shown interest in the zombie genre. The developer was once working on a bleak zombie-filled title known as "Z" that took place on a remote and foggy Scottish island. Unfortunately, the project never made it across the finish line, as its dark themes were deemed too intense. It's unclear, but this project could have been the seed that helped grow the idea for Undead Nightmare.
As unique of an expansion as it is, it's a shame that it has become a one-off offering from Rockstar. The developer has demonstrated with Undead Nightmare and Red Dead Online's "Tales of the Plague" mission that it can have a lot of fun with horror elements. Undead Nightmare 2 might be a pipe dream, but Red Dead Online's update is a pleasant surprise.
- Released
- May 14, 2019
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Engine
- Rockstar Advanced Game Engine
