Summary
- Red Dead Redemption and Undead Nightmare are being re-released as a bundle on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, sparking controversy among PlayStation fans who wanted a remaster or remake.
- Undead Nightmare was originally available for purchase separately as DLC or as a standalone game on PS3 and Xbox 360, but the PS3 version is now harder to access digitally.
- The new bundle on PS4 and Switch includes both games but is priced at nearly $50, which some deem too high for direct ports of 13-year-old games. Xbox versions have more content and enhancements at a lower price.
Red Dead Redemption and Undead Nightmare are being re-released as a bundle on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on August 17, 2023, and some are wondering if the games can be purchased separately, as was the case with their original release. While this will be the first time these titles will be available on Nintendo platforms, the release has drawn controversy from PlayStation fans for being a direct port of the original game from 2010 rather than a remaster or remake that takes advantage of the improvements seen in 2018’s Red Dead Redemption 2.
While Red Dead Redemption followed the tragic tale of former outlaw John Marston as he tracks down his former brothers-in-arms in the Van der Linde gang to save his family, the Undead Nightmare DLC took a more whimsical approach. Undead Nightmare saw the RDR map overrun by the undead and had much darker humor, a nod to B-movies and creatures such as sasquatches. With the differences in tone, although there was plenty for Red Dead Redemption fans to enjoy, some preferred to ignore the alternate, non-canon horror-themed story, and Rockstar opted not to bring a similar DLC to Red Dead Redemption 2.
Xbox And PS3 Players Can Purchase RDR And Undead Nightmare Separately
Undead Nightmare could be purchased as DLC for Red Dead Redemption or as a standalone title upon its original release on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Therefore, on these original digital storefronts, Undead Nightmare can still be purchased as a standalone game, with physical copies of it available for both platforms. While Xbox users can still access the original version of Red Dead Redemption, all of its DLC, and Undead Nightmare easily since the game became available via Microsoft’s backward compatibility system, Sony’s change to the PS Store’s handling of PS3 titles has made it more awkward to purchase the PS3 title digitally.
The PS3 digital store also had Undead Nightmare available to purchase separately. However, PS3 and PS Vita players now have to use gift cards and can only access the storefront pages for those titles directly from their original consoles rather than via the PS app or website as they can with PS4 and PS5 titles. The PS3 version of the game is no longer part of the PlayStation Plus catalog and can only be played on its original console, which is likely why Rockstar has opted to re-release the title with a port from Double Eleven Studios on PS4.
The New PS4 And Switch Release Of RDR And Undead Nightmare Is A Bundle
On PlayStation 4 (and PS5 via backward compatibility) and the Nintendo Switch, Red Dead Redemption and Undead Nightmare will be sold together in a new bundle and will not be available for purchase separately. This bundle is likely an attempt to help justify the absurd asking price of nearly $50 for direct ports of 13-year-old games, even though the backward-compatible Game of the Year bundle, which includes both games and multiplayer – the latter of which is missing from the PS4 and Switch release – is currently going for an average of around $30 on PS3 and Xbox 360 physically.
Even buying both Red Dead Redemption and Undead Nightmare separately on Xbox at their current full price is just under $40, despite the Xbox version having more content and 4K resolution enhancements when played on Xbox One X and Xbox Series X, features that are missing from the new PlayStation version even when played via PS5.
While it’s highly likely that fans of Red Dead Redemption will enjoy Undead Nightmare and vice-versa, it’s disappointing for those who did have a preference that they will not be able to purchase either game separately on PS4 and Switch and will likely only add to the growing contempt surrounding the new-release from players on those platforms.
Source: Rockstar Games/YouTube