Undead Nightmare cleverly threw you into a timeline separate from the main story, in which you play as John Marston as he tries to find a cure for his family's... zombie curse. It was executed with humor and care, and despite merely being story DLC, it's probably the greatest open-world zombie game that we've seen. Think about that for a second. State of Decay and Dead Rising come to mind as distant seconds, and Days Gone might have been the skeleton of something resembling a great open-world zombie game, but we've yet to see one nearly as refined as Undead Nightmare . Rockstar has legitimately made classic games that are add-ons for other games, and for some reason they've decided to stop doing
Red Dead Redemption 2 doesn't care about other games that have come out in recent years, and it doesn't defer to successful models when deciding how to present an open world to the player. The game can be obtuse. It can be difficult. It can be incredibly slow. But, in spite of all that, Red Dead Redemption 2 exists as a breath of fresh air among a crowded field of open-world games. There is an unforgettable atmosphere. And players who stick around will perceive the immense level of care in the game's design. Rockstar went to absurd lengths to bring the West to our screens, and they did a damn fine job. Here's how Red Dead Redemption 2 broke the mold with open-world ga
The Pinkertons didn't make good on their promise, however, and mowed him down in cold blood. It was entirely unnecessary, as John had put that life behind him and was eager to settle down. Unfortunately, some people won't let others forget their p
Hosea met Dutch at a campfire and as he was trying to con and rob him he realized Dutch had already robbed him. The two respected each other's craft and bonded over their shared life as outlaws. Their years together are likely the reason Dutch always held Hosea's opinion in such high reg
As one of the strongest and most consistent publishers in today's market, the company has always been infinitely better and often masterful at something completely different: telling a story. Proving it time and time again, the writers at Rockstar frequently deliver a narrative that can stand next to each year's best movies, and serve as an example as to why video games are just as capable at delivering an iconic story as any other medium. While both Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2 have delivered on that front in recent years, Rockstar has all but completely abandoned something that they did better than anyone else: story
The Wild West is synonymous with freedom and possibility, even if those possibilities are less than virtuous. The Pinkertons worked as the government's dirty hand in bringing that chaos to order through whatever means possible. Bank robbing is dirty business, but so is spying on labor unions and intimidating organizers, activities that were common for the Pinkertons back then. The player doesn't get to pull the trigger on Andrew Milton, but it was still so satisfying to see Abigail put a bullet through the side of his sk
When Hosea speaks about his father he explains how the man lived a life of debauchery and sin and surprisingly managed to make it to the age of 75 before passing. He stated that he loved his dad despite only seeing him less than a handful of times in his entire life. It seems that Hosea's way of life was paying homage to his father in many w
You'll be hard-pressed to figure out what you're missing in Red Dead Redemption 2 . The main storyline could be complete and you could have wandered about the wilderness for hours, but you're sure to find something you previously missed. There are so many encounters waiting beyond the horizon. No icons on the map will guide you to every little moment. Make your own moments. And the shroud of uncertainty that blankets what you should do next is thrill
Dutch makes the top of the list because there is still so much sadness and confusion in his character. He is irredeemable by Red Dead Redemption , but it forever remains unclear what made him snap in the first place. Was it the pressure of his fading outlaw lifestyle? Was it the head injury he sustained during the first botched Saint Denis bank robbery? Perhaps he was always evil and selfish and no one noticed until his survival instinct negatively affected them. He had to be put down, but everyone involved wished some other alternative was availa
Red Dead Redemption wasn't the only Rockstar Game hardware reviews to receive excellent additions in story DLC. From LA Noire to Max Payne 3 , Rockstar kept a habit of giving players quality story content on top of their original titles for years. The pinnacle of Rockstar's story DLC though, has to be from Grand Theft Auto IV. Like Red Dead 2 and GTA V , GTA IV has a story as good as any film, but Rockstar built upon that story in unique and imaginative ways through The Lost And Damned and The Ballad Of Gay Tony . While one installment has you playing as a biker struggling with the collapse of his gang, and the other a bodyguard for a celebrity night club owner, both run in parallel with GTA IV , adding depth to the story and life to Liberty City. GTA IV' s story DLC fleshed out its world, creating an experience with more depth and character to it. The content was so good that it makes you wonder what Rockstar might have been able to come up with if they would had taken story DLC for GTA V seriously. Unfortunately, it seems like that window has come and gone, and the potential has fa
