Red Dead Redemption

Overview

Red Dead Redemption is an open-world third-person action-adventure game developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on May 18, 2010.

Set in 1911 during the decline of the American Wild West, players take on the role of former outlaw John Marston as he is forced by the United States government to kill or capture members of his former gang to reclaim his family.

In addition to the lengthy single-player campaign, players can participate in a variety of random encounters (including dangerous animal attacks, pleas for assistance, and deadly ambushes) and side activities (including gambling, hunting, and bounty hunting). Players can also participate in online multiplayer sessions for up to 16 players (whether its an open-world "free roam" or conventional competitive modes) and gain experience to unlock new weapons and characters.

The game is considered the spiritual successor to the developers' 2004 third-person shooter, Red Dead Revolver. Despite the predecessor focusing more on arcade-style action, the two share many similarities (especially the Dead-Eye targeting mode). The game also includes various elements from another Rockstar open-world franchise, Grand Theft Auto, and is powered by the same game engine as Grand Theft Auto IV (the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine, or RAGE, developed by Rockstar San Diego).

The game received numerous updates and downloadable content (paid and free). One of them, the Undead Nightmare Pack, became a special standalone release (including the original game's multiplayer, all previous paid DLC, and a special version of the original game's fold-out map poster) on October 26, 2010 as Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare. A Game of the Year Edition of Red Dead Redemption was released on October 11, 2011, bundling all DLC while adding a new Hardcore difficulty mode (reducing the efficiency of health, Dead-Eye, and aiming capability while removing the ability to "regenerate" horses after their death and reducing the player's spending power).

Gameplay

Red Dead Redemption gives players a massive open-world to explore; players can roam on foot, ride horses, interacts with characters and the environment, and engage in shootouts. The combat in the game utilizes a cover system that allows players to blindfire, auto-target or free aim, all using period weaponry, ranging from revolvers to cannons. The combat system also allows players to target specific body parts for non-lethal take downs.

While the game plays like a typical open-world third-person shooter in a lot of ways, the western setting allows for a number of unique gameplay mechanics that differentiate it from similar titles:

Fame and Honor

The game uses a fame and honor system. The fame system is an indicator of the player character's notoriety; as the player completes missions and earns themselves a name, their fame will increase. A player's fame rating affects how NPCs react to them; for example, when a player with a high fame rating enters a town for the first time, they might be challenged to a shootout by someone who is trying to make a name for themselves.

Similarly, the honor system works as a sort of morality system, where the player has to choose whether he is for the law or against it. A number of factors influence John's honor; like the way he dresses and the side missions the player completes, as well as how they respond to the random events in the environment. An example of this is Marston coming across some highwaymen that are holding up a group of travelers; Marston can either take the honorable path and shoot the would-be robbers, or he can join the bandits by killing the travelers and looting their bodies with them.

Dead-Eye Targeting

John Marston is a very lethal shot, and the game reflects this with a kind of bullet-time system known as Dead-Eye targeting. Players can activate Dead-Eye to slow down the game world, allowing them to either place precise shots on specific body parts or 'paint' multiple shots across several enemies. When the sequence ends Marston fires off all the shots in quick succession to devastating effect, usually resulting in one shot kills.

Horses

Horses are John Marston's main means of transportation in Red Dead Redemption. There are many different types of breeds, some faster than others. The game recommends the player sticks with the same horse as they can build a bond with said horse, increasing its stamina. If the player tries to make their horse gallop for too long, it'll throw them off it. If the horse dies, two things can happen: The player has the deed for it thus after about 30 seconds all they have to do is whistle and it'll come back, or, they don't have the deed and thus just get a random horse.

When having to follow someone who's also on horse, the player can hold down A (on Xbox 360) or X (on PlayStation 3) and their horse will automatically follow the horse in front of them with consistent speed and sticking to the main route.

Ambient Missions

Ambient missions are special tasks that have players interacting with the game world in different ways. There are four types of missions: Sharpshooter (usually has Marston killing things with his gun), Survivalist (has Marston collect flowers all over the game world), Treasure Hunter (John finds a map and must try to find the treasure) and Master Hunter (has John hunt and kill the local wildlife). Each mission has different levels and completing all of them unlocks certain things.

Hunting

Hunting different animals presents different challenges; from bears, to buffalo, to cougars, some animals require stealth and sneaking, some require extreme firepower, some rare animals need to be tracked and some require a chase. But some animals, like the obviously dangerous ones, can easily kill Marston, emphasizing the need for caution. Once an animal is killed, Marston can skin it and the meat and pelt can be sold or traded in towns.

Here's the list of all the animals that players can come across in Red Dead:

• Armadillo
• Bear
• Beaver
• Bighorn Sheep
• Boar
• Bobcat
• Buffalo
• Chicken
• Cougar
• Cow
• Coyote
• Crow
• Deer
• Dog
• Donkey
• Duck
• Eagle
• Elk
• Fox
• Goat
• Hawk
• Horse
• Owl
• Pig
• Rabbit
• Raccoon
• Seagull
• Skunks
• Snake
• Songbird
• Vulture
• Wolf

Sandbox Events

While traversing the world of Red Dead Redemption players are confronted with a variety of random events which both change up the gameplay and help develop a unique sense of place in America's Old West. Over 500 unique characters and 40 unique animal species populate the world and their unique AI provides scores of opportunities for gameplay with traveling across the plains.

The people and animals of the Old West provide Marston with the following challenges and opportunities:

• Ambushes - When traveling by road or when approaching strangers ambushes can arise, often resulting in deadly shootouts.
• Bounty Hunting - Players can take up bounties to track down criminals for the police. The player can use the lasso to take the prisoner alive for greater reward and a positive effect on Marston's honor, or they can simply kill the bandit.
• Burglary - Players can break into houses, banks, and homesteads and get away with as much loot as possible. If caught, however, Marston's honor will plummet.
• Camping - At night players can join camps in the wilderness to hear news and rumors about the events of the game.
• Cattle Herding - Players can take jobs to assist ranchers herd their cattle for rewards.
• Dueling - Players can engage in a classic duel of quick draw. If the players is first to draw, they have more time, but their accuracy takes a hit. Same goes vice-versa.
• Escort Missions - While traveling the wilderness strangers may approach Marston and ask for an escort.
• Executions - Be it roadside shootings or formal hangings, player will experience public executions and react however they feel. Intervening can affect Marston's fame and honor.
• Hideouts - In the world John may come across gang hideouts which he can clear out for XP, weapons and cash.
• Horse Taming - When players come across horses in the wild they can use the lasso to capture them and then break the horse and use it to travel. The player can also find pens and break horses to help the townsfolk.
• Nightwatch - Characters may ask Marston to help them protect their ranch or town from armed outlaws and animals over night.
• Plant Gathering - Rare species of plants in the environment can be collected and sold at towns and outposts.
• Treasure Hunting - Players can buy maps or just get lucky and find treasure throughout the world.
• Guard Trains - Sometimes when riding a train robbers may attack it. Here Marston will need to protect himself and the passengers.
• Challenges - Events such as shooting birds, gathering plants, and finding treasure maps unlock challenges that can be completed as the game goes on.
• Attack or Defend Cart - Players can either help the bandits or travelers when the cart is attacked, giving players different amounts of honor and money.

Outfits

John Marston can wear different outfits in the game. To earn these outfits, players must complete certain tasks that the game outlines for them. Each outfit gives John a special ability from being able to cheat at poker to making him look like a gang member, thus never being attacked by that gang:

• Cowboy Outfit: Marston's first outfit. It doesn't give John any bonuses.
• Gentleman's Attire: Lets John play poker at Blackwater. Players can only get it by syncing their gamertag or PSN ID with the Rockstar Social Club.
• Elegant Suit: Lets Marston cheat at poker.
• Bollard Twins Outfit: Makes the Bollard Twins gang think John is one of their own and not attack him.
• Treasure Hunter Outfit: Same effect as the previous outfit except only works with the Treasure Hunter gang.
• Bandido Outfit: Bandidos take Marston as a friend.
• Reyes Rebels Outfit: The law in Mexico won't pursue Marston.
• US Army Uniform: Does nothing other than make John look cool.
• US Marshal Uniform: The law in the US won't pursue John.
• Legend of the West: Increases the Dead Eye-meter.
• Bureau Uniform: Lets Marston do whatever he likes without intervention from the law.
• Duster Coat: Does nothing other than protect John from dust.
• Mexican Poncho: Makes Marston look like Clint Eastwood.
• Rancher Clothing: Marston's typical outfit when herding cattle.
• Walton's Gang: Makes members of the Walton Gang friendly towards John. The outfit was initially exclusive to the PS3 version but later also available in the Game of the Year Edition on both platforms.
• Deadly Assassin: Makes Dead Eye-meter regenerate faster. The outfit was initially only obtainable as a pre-order bonus but was later released as DLC and included in the Game of the Year Edition.
• Expert Hunter: Makes the player receive double the amount of materials from any skinned animal. (Available through the free Hunting and Trading Outfits DLC pack.)
• Savvy Merchant: Gives the player half-off any items purchased at any gunsmith throughout the game. (Available through the free Hunting and Trading Outfits DLC pack.)

Strangers

The game is populated with side quests given to them by "strangers". They're represented on the map by a question mark and are optional. When players accept one, they can finish it whenever they like. Some require them collecting things, others just ask players to kill people. Some stranger missions are multiple parts and some are even just cut-scenes. Some let the players chose how they want to complete them. For example, early on in the game one stranger asks Marston to get a property for him. The player can choose to kill the owner of said property or nicely buy it from him.

Mini-Games

In true open-world fashion, the game includes a variety of mini-games for players to engage in, including Five-Finger Fillet, Texas Hold 'Em Poker, arm wrestling, Blackjack, drinking, horseshoes and Liar's Dice. These mini-games primarily take place in saloons and each features unique control schemes to suit their style.

The World

The game world in Red Dead Redemption is the largest ever seen in a Rockstar game. The game takes place on the border of the United States and Mexico in the Old West during the turn of 20th Century. The region and time period were thoroughly researched to provide the most historically accurate rendition of the area as is possible.

The unique geography of the region means that the game world features deserts, forest, canyons, and snowy mountains, along with towns, people and architecture of both period accurate American and Mexican culture. The unique time period means that the world has a mix of old and new buildings, weapons and technology.

The game's map consists of 3 main regions each with their own sub-regions:

Multiplayer

As is common in most recent games, Read Dead Redemption's multiplayer includes a persistent leveling system. Gaining levels earn players new horses and outfits. Weapons also level up individually; and, if a player achieves all levels on a particular weapon they will receive a gold version of the weapon. Multiplayer in Red Dead Redemption will take place in to separate forms:

Weapons

Red Dead Redemption take place in a historical period in which new technologies had a huge impact on society. Specifically for the Old West, new weapon technology changed life forever, and this mix of terrifying new weapons and old classics are the tools for John Marston.

Other guns that appear in the game are sniper rifles, automatic pistols and buffalo rifles, and other weapons such as; fire bottles, cannons, Gatling guns and dynamite can also be unlocked.

Avatar Awards

Red Dead Redemption has several avatar awards.

• Posse T-Shirt: Awarded to the community for reaching a certain total of XP in the Multiplayer Mode.
• Gentleman's Attire: Awarded to the community for reaching a certain total of XP in the Multiplayer Mode.
• Lady's Finery: Complete the Rockstar Game Social Club "Skin It To Win It" challenge
• Yellow Rockstar Logo T-Shirt - Open the chest in the attic of the farm house in Beecher's Hope.
• Black on Red RDR Logo T-Shirt - Open the chest inside the burned down cabin at Riley's Charge.
• Sombrero - Shoot someone's hat off (without killing them).

Plot

The game is set in 1911, in the American Old West. On the trailing edge of the Industrial Revolution, westward expansion is starting to tame New Austin's once wild plains. The government is also starting to invade the west, much to the local population's dismay. Players step in the shoes of John Marston, a former outlaw who has been forced to work as a gunfighter for the government.

The game starts at a train station in Blackwater as two federal agents escort Marston to a train headed west to Armadillo. Upon his arrival in Armadillo, he makes his way to the saloon, where he meets Jake. Jake knows where one of Marston's men has been sent to kill is and provides Marston with a horse and guide services to get him to Fort Mercer. Once there, Marston comes face to face with Bill Williamson, a former brother-in-arms. Marston tries to reason with him, not wanting any bloodshed, but Williamson will not listen and shoots Marston in the abdomen and leaves him to die outside the gates of the Fort. Sometime after being left for dead, a wagon comes by, and we see Marston's body being loaded into its back.

New Austin

Marston wakes up and finds out that Bonnie MacFarlane saved him. Bonnie takes care of John, and John helps her out by going on night watches with her or herding cattle. John tells her that he must catch Bill because people (the government) hold his family hostage. John also heads down to the local town, Armadillo, and meets the local sheriff, Marshal Johnson. The Marshall tells him that he would like to take down Bill and his gang, but Fort Mercer is out of his jurisdiction. John helps him out anyway and ends up once again meeting Bill, who manages to escape.

Marston also comes across Nigel West Dickens, a traveling salesman. After John saves his life, Dickens offers to help John get inside Fort Mercer. He plans to build a "Trojan Horse." They will sneak their way inside unnoticed and then wreak havoc, like in Homer's epic story. To prepare for such a plan, John must first get money (by racing and promoting Dicken's "magic" elixir), and a government certified gatling gun. To do all this, he must work with Dicken's friends: Seth and Irish. After many fetch quests and odd jobs, they finally manage to pull it off and enter Fort Mercer with Marshall's help. After tearing up the place, they discover Williamson has fled to Mexico to hide with former gang member Javier Escuella. Marston hops on Irish's ferry and heads for Mexico.

Mexico

After a "warm" welcome into Mexico, Marston discovers a country ravaged by civil war, a war between the totalitarian government and the rebels. He goes to work for both the rebels and the government who both promise him that they'll help him find the men he's looking for. He starts to work with Landon Ricketts, an old gun slinger who tries to help him find the two fugitives but fails, instead they save a young lady called Luisa. Landon tells Marston that Luisa is deep in the rebel movement (being the so called bride to be of Abraham Reyes, the leader of the rebels) and can help to find his men. After saving Reyes, the rebel leader tells Marston that his spies will find his men in no time.

After a "warm" welcome into Mexico, Marston discovers a country ravaged by civil war, a war between the totalitarian government and the rebels. He goes to work for both the rebels and the government, who promise him that they will help him find the men he is looking for. He starts to work with Landon Ricketts, an old gunslinger who tries to help him find the two fugitives but fails; instead, they save a young lady called Luisa. Landon tells Marston that Luisa is deep in the rebel movement (being the so-called bride to be of Abraham Reyes, the rebels' leader) and can help find his men. After saving Reyes, the rebel leader tells Marston that his spies will find his men in no time.

While this is all happening, Marston is also working for the corrupt government led by Colonel Allende. This government hunts down and kills the rebels, even if it means destroying innocent towns. They also capture and rape the country's women. Marston mostly works with Captain Vincente De Santa, a low-life army thug sent out to do Allende's dirty work. After doing a certain number of jobs for the government, Allende tells him that Bill and Javier have been spotted in a town and that it was time for John to enact his revenge. However, upon arriving at the deserted town, De Santa turns on him. As Marston is about to be executed, Reyes and his band of rebels arrive and save the day. Reyes being fully aware that Marston was helping the government, decides that John must prove his worth before Reyes is willing to give him intel. One train robbery later and after putting a bullet in De Santa, Reyes tells Marston that the government had been hiding the two outlaws the entire time. Marston raids a government fort with the rebels but only finds Escuella, whom he delivers to his superiors, or Marston can choose to kill him. After all this, Reyes decides to conduct a full-blown revolution against Allende, who is hiding out with Williamson. After a stagecoach chase, Reyes kills Allende and John kills Williamson. Reyes takes control of the country while John's superiors ask him to go after Dutch, the gang's ex-boss who is hiding out in Blackwater.

Blackwater

After arriving in Blackwater, Marston informs Edgar Ross of Williamson's demise. Unfortunately, Ross now orders Marston to go after Dutch Van Der Linde, the former leader of Marston's gang, in order for him to see his family again. Van Der Linde has taken up arms with a group of Native Americans in the area to fight against the US Army and/or commit violent crimes. Marston is eventually lead to a Native American informant named Nastas, who also helps track down Van Der Linde, but is found out, and Marston rescues him. He takes him back to a Yale Anthropology Professor named Harold MacDougal, who is on a forced sabbatical from Yale. He is supposed to get Van Der Linde's whereabouts from Nastas but is forced to flee back east when Nastas is shot in the head and killed by Van Der Linde's gang during a supposedly peaceful meeting. Marston eventually teams up with the US Army and tracks down Van Der Linde to his camp. After a long chase, Van Der Linde is trapped on a cliff. He tells Marston that he and Marston have lived out their usefulness in a rapidly progressing world, and faced with the choice of cooperating or death at Marston's hands; he throws himself from the clifftop to his death.

Marston's Ranch

Fulfilling his duty to his country, Marston settles down at his ranch alongside his wife Abigail and son, Jack, as well as the charismatic drunkard, Uncle. Starting at the ranch again, he acquires some cattle from the MacFarlanes and breaks wild horses. He also takes his son on several hunting trips. Unfortunately, their happiness is shattered when the US Army and Edgar Ross come and attack their ranch. Uncle is shot and killed, leaving only John and Jack Marston to defend the ranch. Outnumbered, the Marstons take refuge in their barn, and John tells Abigail and Jack to get on a horse and ride as far away as they possibly can. After they have left, John comes out of his hiding place and tries to take out as many men as possible. Unfortunately, he is shot multiple times by the remaining men, and he falls over dead. Abigail and Jack hear the gunshots and return to their ranch to find John dead. They bury him on the hill above the ranch, next to Uncle. The story then shifts from 1911 to 1914 to reveal that Abigail has also died. A figure picks up the hat from John Marston's grave, and as the camera turns, he is revealed to be Jack Marston, all grown up and ready to take up his father's role in the world.

Optional Ending

Upon completion of John's story, players can search for Edgar Ross to exact revenge upon him for the murder of his father, despite his compliance with the federal requests. Edgar Ross has peacefully retired and is on a hunting trip to Mexico, after having won a chestful of medals for his work against Marston's gang. Jack tracks Edgar down and engages him in a duel. Upon killing Ross, the 'true' ending to the game is achieved. The final newspaper contains the following stories:

• Seth has grown rich from hunting for treasure.
• Marshal Leigh Johnson peacefully retired and left the New Austin region.
• Irish shot himself dead in an outhouse while inebriated.
• Landon Ricketts died peacefully in his sleep.
• Harold MacDougal attacked another professor with a croquet mallet, resulting in his removal from Yale University.
• Abraham Reyes has achieved presidency in Mexico - and his people now consider him a tyrant.

Downloadable Content

Outlaws To The End Co-Op Mission Pack

Released for free on June 22, 2010, the Outlaws To The End Co-Op Mission Pack is the first official downloadable content, adding a new co-operative mission mode for use in multiplayer outside of Free Roam mode.

Up to four players at a time can tackle up to each of the six co-operative missions (including various objectives spread across the game world) as one of 4-5 different character classes. After successfully clearing each mission, players can unlock harder versions of these missions (known as Advanced Co-Op Missions, which include deadlier enemies and forced expert targeting).

The DLC includes new experience rewards for multiplayer, as well as 10 achievements (for the Xbox 360 version, worth 100 gamerscore) or bronze trophies (for the PlayStation 3 version).

Character Classes

Before starting each mission, players join a lobby where they can pick from one of four (or five, if they are playing an advanced mission) character classes. Each class starts with a different assortment of weapons, and has no visual or status differences.

• Soldier - Basic general-purpose class. Armed with a Volcanic Pistol and a Winchester Repeater (Evans Repeater in advanced missions).

• Miner - Close-range specialty class. Armed with a Schofield Revolver, Pump-action Shotgun (Semi-auto Shotgun in advanced missions), and Dynamite.

• Marksman - Long-range specialty class. Armed with a Cattleman Revolver, Rolling Block Rifle (Carcano Rifle in advanced missions), and Throwing Knives.

• Gunslinger - Medium-range specialty class. Armed with a Double-action Revolver (High Power Pistol in advanced missions), Repeater Carbine, and Fire Bottles.

• No Holds Barred - Special class for advanced missions only. Armed with everything the player has unlocked (not picked up) in multiplayer.

Missions

The pack includes six co-operative missions, each with their own unique storyline and objectives. None of the missions tie-in with each other (story wise), and while the mission rotation is the same, players can opt to skip or repeat any mission.

• The Escape - Walton's Gang is trading a large stash of gold for weapons and ammunition with the Mexican Army at The Scratching Post. The outlaws are recruited by the US Army to stop the deal and confiscate the gold stash using a stagecoach. After delivering the coach to the US Army in Benedict Point, the outlaws then clear out Walton's Gang from the ghost town of Tumbleweed and return, only to find out that politics get ugly and the outlaws are labeled traitors by the US Army. The outlaws decide to steal the gold for themselves and escape to Mexico.

• The Kidnapped Girl - Bandits have taken control over Fort Mercer and has kidnapped the daughter of a local farmer. The outlaws decide to storm the gates of the fort, clearing the place out while rescue the girl. After that, they transport her to her home at Ridgewood Farm by stagecoach while being attacked by bandit reinforcements.

• The Herd - Cattle rustlers have taken control of a local cattleman's herd and have taken refuge at Pike's Basin. The outlaws are hired to fight their way into the canyon, clear out the rustles, and herd the cattle back to Armadillo (while being attacked by more rustlers).

• The River - The outlaws ride a raft downstream along the US and Mexican border, taking out bandit encampments along the way, until they reach Nosalida. After reaching the settlement, they must drive the Mexican Army out by destroying their supplies.

• Ammunition - The Mexican Army has the settlement of Tesoro Azul under siege, with the outlaws still inside! Players must defend the town from soldiers while deadly artillery bombardments rains from a tall nearby hill. After clearing the enemy attack, they must infiltrate the hill and blow up the artillery emplacement.

• Walton's Gold - Walton's Gang has taken control of the gold mine in Gaptooth Breach. In an effort to make a fortune in the Wild West, the outlaws must infiltrate the mine, stash as many bags of gold as they can in a mine cart, and escape with the cart as the mine is ready to collapse.

Legends and Killers Pack

Released for $9.99 on August 10, 2010, the Legends and Killers Pack is the second official downloadable content, adding nine new maps for all competitive multiplayer modes, a new throwable weapon (the Tomahawk) for both single-player and multi-player, and eight new multiplayer characters (all from the 2004 predecessor, Red Dead Revolver).

The DLC includes new experience rewards for both singleplayer and multiplayer (relating to the Tomahawk weapon), as well as 10 achievements (for the Xbox 360 version, worth 100 gamerscore) or trophies (for the PlayStation 3 version, nine bronze trophies and one silver trophy).

Competitive Multiplayer Maps

• Blackwater
• Escalera
• Fort Mercer
• Hennigan's Steed
• Manzanita Post
• Punta Orgullo
• Rio Bravo
• Tall Trees
• Thieves' Landing

Multiplayer Characters (Legendary)

• Red Harlow
• Jack Swift
• Mr. Kelley
• Annie Stoakes
• Buffalo Soldier
• Shadow Wolf
• Ugly Chris
• Pig Josh

Liars and Cheats Pack

Released $9.99 on September 21, 2010, the Liars and Cheats Pack is the third official downloadable content, adding two new competitive multiplayer game modes (Stronghold and Grand Prix), a new scoped rifle (the Explosive Rifle) for both single-player and multi-player, seven new multiplayer Gang Hideouts, three new multiplayer Free Roam activities (Hunting Grounds, Poker, and Liar's Dice), and fifteen new multiplayer characters (all from the single-player campaign).

The DLC includes new experience rewards for both singleplayer (relating to the Explosive Rifle weapon) and multiplayer, as well as 15 achievements (for the Xbox 360 version, worth 150 gamerscore) or 10 trophies (for the PlayStation 3 version, seven bronze trophies and three silver trophies).

Stronghold Mode

Stronghold is a competitive multiplayer game mode with both an attacking team (who must capture a series of objectives with a limited number of lives and a time limit) and a defending team (who must guard each objective with an unlimited number of lives and a longer respawn period). Each match includes two rounds (in which the teams switch their roles for the second round), and the winners of the match is determined by the number of objectives captured and the time taken to capture them.

There are four/five objectives in each map, and only one objective at a time can be captured. The more attacking team members at the objective, the quicker the capture. The capture timer slowly returns down to zero if no attacking team member are at the objective area.

The Liars and Cheats Pack includes four maps for Stronghold:

• Blackwater
• Escalera
• Fort Mercer
• Thieves' Landing

This mode was later made available for free (with a new set of maps) in the Myths and Mavericks DLC.

Grand Prix Mode

Grand Prix is a competitive multiplayer game mode where up to eight players race against each other on horseback. There are three circuits, each with different amounts of races. After each race in the circuit, players are scored by their position (10 points for first, 8 points for second, 6 points for third, etc.) and the player with the most points at the end of the circuit wins.

Each player starts with the Schofield Revolver, Pump-action Shotgun, and Hunting Knife. After the first ten seconds of any race, the weapons can be used to shoot opponents of their horses. If a player or their horse is killed, they respawn shortly at the point of death.

• Rathskeller Series (short circuit) - Rathskellar Run, Saint's Sprint, and Boulder Dash.
• Carreras Perdido Cup (medium circuit) - Carrera del Diablo, Ridge Racin', L. Johnson's Run, and Coronas Paradise.
• N. Johns Invitational (long circuit) - Tall Trees Trail, Rio Run, Manzanita Mile, Boulder Dash, and Sidewinder Breeze.

Gang Hideouts

Players without the Liars and Cheats Pack can still fight alongside those who do. However, they cannot activate the gang hideouts and won't earn any additional experience points for clearing these hideouts. Alongside experience points, players with the DLC gain an Explosive Rifle and five Explosive Rounds for clearing any of these hideouts.

• Critchley's Ranch
• Crooked Toes
• Cueva Seca
• Rancho Polvo
• The Scratching Post
• Venter's Place
• Warthington Ranch

Hunting Grounds

Hunting Grounds are designated locations in multiplayer Free Roam (similar to Gang Hideouts) where players can earn experience points by hunting a particular type of animal. After a certain amount of animals are killed, a stronger "legendary animal" appears.

• Broken Tree (boars)
• Rio del Lobo (wolves)
• Roca de Madera (bobcats)
• Silent Stead (cougars)

Multiplayer Characters (Redemption)

• Seth Briars
• Nigel West Dickens
• Luisa Fortuna
• Leigh Johnson
• Bonnie MacFarlane
• Abigail Marston
• Jack Marston (adult, Cowboy Outfit)
• John Marston (Cowboy Outfit)

Multiplayer Characters (Damnation)

• Agustin Allende
• Irish
• Dutch van der Linde
• Harold MacDougal
• Abraham Reyes
• Edgar Ross
• Bill Williamson

Hunting and Trading Pack

Released for free on October 12, 2010, the Hunting and Trading Pack is the fourth official downloadable content, adding two new single-player outfits (and challenges to unlock them), a new rare animal (the Jackalope), and a compatibility update for multiplayer that shows the right character models (instead of a placeholder cowboy model) for players using characters from the Liars and Cheats Pack and the Legends and Killers Pack.

Singleplayer Outfits

• Savvy Merchant Outfit - Players will be able to buy all items from any gunsmith for half the cost. Earned by winning $1000 total from gambling, making a transaction at every gunsmith, gathering $200 worth of herbs, executing 20 people, and completing "The Prohibitionist" Stranger side-mission.

• Legendary Hunter Outfit - Players will be able to harvest double the amount of provisions from skinning animals (with the exception of hearts). Earned by harvesting 5000 lbs. of meat, killing a cougar with a stick of dynamite, killing and skinning 8 snakes, killing a legendary Jackalope, and completing "Deadalus and Son" Stranger side-mission.

Undead Nightmare Pack

Released for $9.99 on October 26th, 2010, the Undead Nightmare Pack is the fifth official downloadable content, adding a brand new single-player adventure (separate from the main campaign) where players resume the rule of John Marston as he tries to find a cure for the highly infectious plague of zombies that has spread across the frontier.

Along with new missions and side-quests, the Undead Nightmare campaign features new challenges, new random encounters, new locations, new undead animal variants, five new weapons (the Blunderbuss, Torch, Holy Water, Undead Bait, and Boom Bait), three new outfits (Undead Hunter, Union Suit, and Legend of the Apocalypse), and rare mythical creatures (including the Four Horses of the Apocalypse, a Sasquatch, a Chupacabra, and a Unicorn). For multiplayer, the pack adds eight new zombie characters to use (including zombie versions of John Marston and Landon Ricketts), a new multiplayer game mode (Undead Overrun), and a new Free Roam activity (Land Grab).

The DLC includes new experience rewards for multiplayer, as well as 12 single-player achievements (for the Xbox 360 version, worth 200 gamerscore) or trophies (for the PlayStation 3 version, eleven bronze trophies and one silver trophy).

Undead Overrun Mode

Undead Overrun is a co-operative wave-based survival mode, where up to four players fight off endless waves of undead enemies. While killing every zombie is necessary to finish the wave, players must fill up a kill meter (by killing spawning zombies) before a countdown timer (which starts at three minutes for each wave) reaches zero. If the timer reaches zero before the kill meter is filled, Sudden Death mode activates (which, for the rest of the wave, strengthens the zombie horde). The game ends when all players are incapacitated. This mode comes with five maps ("High Brains Drifter" in Coot's Chapel, "Undeadwood" in Tumbleweed, "Bury 'em Deep" in Odd Fellow's Rest, "Dead Man Walking" in Blackwater, and "Undead Django" in Spulcro).

Like the Outlaws to the End Co-op mode, players are downed instead of immediately killed from most types of damage, and can be revived by teammates before they bleed out. In Sudden Death mode, however, players can not be revived.

Also like the Outlaws to the End Co-op mode, players start in a lobby where they choose from four classes to use in-game:

• Mauler - Basic general-purpose class. Armed with a LeMat Revolver, Semi-auto Shotgun, and Henry Repeater.

• Overkill - Close-range specialty class. Armed with a Double-action Revolver, Pump-action Shotgun, and Dynamite.

• Long Shot - Long-range specialty class. Armed with a High Power Pistol, Double-barreled Shotgun, and Bolt Action Rifle.

• Ravager - Medium-range specialty class. Armed with a Mauser Pistol, Sawed-off Shotgun, and Dynamite.

Every three waves, a new weapon appears on the map marked by a green dot. Players must grab it before the wave ends (when it disappears). The weapons are either a Semi-auto Shotgun, Evans Repeater, or Blunderbuss. When a player kills ten enemies in quick succession or becomes the last player not incapacitated, they get phosphorus bullets for 20 seconds, which engulf zombies in blue flames when shot, slowly killing them.

At the beginning of each wave, a coffin is spawned randomly on the map. Opening the coffin before the countdown timer runs out grants the player who opened it the following:

• Ammo for all of the player's weapons.
• Shotgun Slugs (replacing shotgun shells with single-projectile shotgun slugs).
• One minute added to the countdown timer.
• Either Undead Bait or a special version of Holy Water.

Multiplayer Characters (Zombies)

• Poe Boll
• Viper Craven
• Magic Jackson
• John Marston (zombie)
• Ishmael Raimi
• Sarah Reese
• Landon Ricketts (zombie)
• Paco Romero

Myths and Mavericks Pack

Released for free on September 13, 2011, the Myths and Mavericks Pack is the sixth and final official downloadable content, adding thirteen maps for certain competitive multiplayer modes (including ten new maps), free access to the Stronghold competitive multiplayer game mode, eight new multiplayer characters (all from the single-player campaign), three new multiplayer playlists, and a compatibility update for multiplayer that shows the right character models (instead of a placeholder cowboy model) for players using characters from the Undead Nightmare Pack.

Competitive Multiplayer Maps

Each of the maps in this DLC include features not present in any previously-released map. These include dangerous animals (bears, boars, and cougars) that attack players during the match, different weapons in the match standoff (including shotguns and tomahawks), and the spawning of the Explosive Rifle in any game mode.

• Armadillo - Stronghold
• Beecher's Hope (new map) - Stronghold
• Benedict Point (new map) - Grab the Bag, Hold Your Own
• Chuparosa - Stonghold
• Cochinay (new map) - Gang Shootout, Gold Rush, Shootout, Stronghold
• El Presidio (new map) - Gang Shootout, Gold Rush, Shootout
• Gaptooth Breach (new map) - Gang Shootout, Shootout
• Nekoti Rock (new map) - Gang Shootout, Gold Rush, Shootout
• Perdido (new map) - Grab the Bag, Hold Your Own
• Pike's Basin (new map) - Gang Shootout, Gold Rush, Shootout
• Rio Bravo (from the Legends and Killers Pack) - Gang Shootout, Shootout
• Torquemada (new map) - Stronghold
• Tumbleweed - Stronghold

Multiplayer Playlists

Originally, the Myths and Mavericks Team Games and Myths and Mavericks Hardcore Team Games playlists were Myths and Mavericks Gang Matches (which consisted of Gang Shootout, Grab the Bag, and Hold Your Own modes in the Myths and Mavericks Pack maps) and Myths and Mavericks Stronghold (which consisted of Stronghold mode in the Myths and Mavericks Pack maps). Ten days after the pack was released, Rockstar San Diego merged the Stronghold playlist with the Gang Matches playlist and split it into normal and hardcore playlists.

• Myths and Mavericks Free For All - Gold Rush and Shootout modes on Myths and Mavericks Pack maps. Alternates between normal and hardcore modes on a weekly basis.
• Myths and Mavericks Team Games - Gang Shootout, Grab the Bag, Hold Your Own, and Stronghold on Myths and Mavericks Pack maps. Normal mode.
• Myths and Mavericks Hardcore Team Games - Gang Shootout, Grab the Bag, Hold Your Own, and Stronghold on Myths and Mavericks Pack maps. Hardcore mode.

Multiplayer Characters (Revolution)

• Drew MacFarlane
• Eli
• Javier Escuella
• Jonah
• Landon Ricketts
• Nastas
• Uncle
• Vincente de Santa

Pre-Order Content

Three pieces of content for the game were originally pre-order bonuses. They were later released as downloadable content on April 12, 2011 for $0.99 each and included with the Game of the Year Edition.

• Deadly Assassin Outfit - Adds a new single-player outfit (the Deadly Assassin Outfit) and challenges to unlock it. The outfit, which regenerates Dead-Eye twice as fast, is unlocked by searching inside Coot's Chapel, completing the Twin Rocks gang hideout, completing the Mo van Barr bounty, winning a duel in Armadillo, and completing the "American Appetities" Stranger side-mission. In hardcore mode, added in the Game of the Year edition, the outfit instead increases the amount of Dead-Eye gained from kills.

• War Horse - Adds a single-player deed for a new horse (the War Horse) in the player's inventory. The horse is black with a platinum mane and is one of the strongest and fastest horses in the game. In hardcore mode, added in the Game of the Year edition, the deed is not automatically added and must be purchased for $10,000.

• Golden Guns - Makes the Repeater Carbine and the Cattleman Revolver golden for Marston in single-player, granting extra fame with each kill from them. The Golden Guns Weapons Pack DLC released later made every gun in Marston's possession golden, with the exception of the Hunting Knife, Dynamite, Fire Bottles, and all other DLC weapons. The golden gun appearance can be turned on and off in any time.

Other retailer-specific pre-order bonuses:

• An Exclusive mini guide by BradyGames
• Exclusive Red Dead T-Shirt
• Game Soundtrack
• Official Playing Cards

Undead Nightmare (Retail Release)

On November 23rd, 2010, Rockstar released Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare to retail stores in North America. The Undead Nightmare retail disc contained all non-free DLC along with the original Free Roam Multiplayer mode as a standalone disc. Also included is a foldout poster with Undead Nightmare artwork with a map of the game world on the other side that reflects the Zombie invasion.

In-Game Content:

• Liars and Cheats
• Legends and Killers
• Undead Nightmare
• Original Red Dead Redemption Free-Roam Multiplayer (Standalone)

Compatibility

Players don't have to own or have played the original Red Dead Redemption to be able to play this standalone Undead Nightmare-disc content. If, however, one already has played the game and its multiplayer, their online-progress carries over into Undead Nightmare. Challenge stats, character level, playtime data, and all other stats are imported from their save file. The free DLC - "Outlaws to the End Co-Op" and "Hunters and Traders" pack are also compatible with Undead Nightmare, as well.

To ensure compatibility, one has to make sure to not mix regions (i.e.: North American Red Dead Redemption and European Undead Nightmare). The different European releases (BBFC, PEGI, USK) appear to be compatible with each other. For example, the PS3 version of Undead Nightmare from the UK (BBFC 18 rating, BLES Code 01179) works with a previously installed Red Dead Redemption from France (PEGI 18 rating, BLES Code 00680). And since both discs also carry the German USK 18 rating logo, compatibility to the German version can be considered a given.

Whether or not releases from different regions are compatible with each other is unknown but highly unlikely.

Install

The PS3 version of Undead Nightmare requires a minumum 2427MB install and stacks on top of previous Red Dead Redemption trophy data.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for Red Dead Redemption was distributed with the collector's edition of the game. It has since been made available on iTunes, Amazon, and many other digital music stores.

Except where otherwise indicated, all music was composed and performed by Bill Elm and Woody Jackson. Bill Elm is a current member of the instrumental band Friend of Dean Martinez, while Woody Jackson is a former member of the same band. The Soundtrack was produced by David Holmes.

In August 2010, Rockstar offered a CD copy of the soundtrack for $9.99 exclusively via their own Rockstar Warehouse. In late November of 2010, they accepted orders for an extremely limited pressing of the soundtrack on red vinyl and packaged in a deluxe gatefold jacket and an exclusive bonus track. The vinyl has since been sold out and might be available again at a later point in limited quantities.

RDR's soundtrack was multiple awards including the best music award at VGA 2010 and GameSpot's "Best Original Music".

** = Track 20. is exclusive to the vinyl release of the soundtrack

Undead Nightmare Soundtrack

On November 23rd, Rockstar made the soundtrack to the Undead Nightmare DLC available for purchase in digital form. It can be found on Amazon, iTunes, and similar stores. A physical disc release was made available exclusively via the Rockstar Warehouse.

Composition was again handled by Bill Elm and Woody Jackson.