Dagnabbit, the dead have risen once again and this time in the old-timey town of New Austin. But never fear! John Marston is here to protect us from undead strangers and friends alike. Rockstar's Undead Nightmare DLC for Red Dead Redemption pits some of our favorite characters against the onslaught of the undead.

While the trailer is short on plot specifics, what we can surmise is that Washington must be to blame for all of this undead rising business and that these zombies are coming at the townfolk in droves. John Marston will be joined by many of Red Dead's familiar faces to help bring this final piece of announced DLC full circle. The varied zombies, including zombie animals, are sure to provide enough pistol fodder to keep gamers engaged for several hours.

From our own hands-on experience with Undead Nightmare, the zombie enemies add a new dynamic to the already polished gameplay experience of Red Dead Redemption with their mindless rushing tactics rather than diving for cover we're accustomed to seeing from the living. We expect other modes to join the single player missions, but we have no word on what those might be just yet. My money is on being able to play as a Zombie in the online variants of the game, perhaps even a mode similar to what you would find in Left 4 Dead.

For those looking for a good excuse to jump back into Red Dead before Undead Nightmare releases, the previously announced Hunting and Trading Outfits are available now and are free of charge. Each outfit's required challenges should be enough to hold gamers over until Undead Nightmare's release, which we hope to be some time before Halloween. So jump back in the saddle, dust off those old boots, and get back out on the western frontier because, very soon, the zombies are coming.

If Undead Nightmare isn't the last piece of DLC for Red Dead Redemption, what would you like to see the developers at Rockstar explore next?

Red Dead Redemption's Undead Nightmare Pack releases sometime soon for the PS3 and Xbox 360.