‘The Walking Dead’ Parodies ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’

The Walking Dead took aim at Red Dead Redemption 2 with its latest parody on the eve of release [...]

By Cameron Bonomolo

The Walking Dead took aim at Red Dead Redemption 2 with its latest parody on the eve of release for the highly anticipated video game.

The poster for "Walking Dead Redemption IX" sees former sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) in place of outlaw Arthur Morgan, re-imagining the cover of Rockstar Games' latest, which is already proving a hit with critics. The open world of the Western actioner previously saw itself overrun by zombies in a 2010 expansion pack for the first game, Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare.

Season Nine of The Walking Dead has retrofitted itself into a Western, both in terms of tone and style. An 18-month time jump between seasons gave way to a revamped look borrowed from creator Robert Kirkman's comic books, which showrunner Angela Kang called a "western/agrarian vibe."

"That was something I really wanted to capture for the show," King told ComicBook.com.

"I also was such a fan of the pilot and so I wanted to kind of try to, aspire to, recapture some of that feeling of the silences and those beautiful wide landscapes, and just the loneliness that can be in the world. Except now, we're in a part where we really see that the characters have found this group and they're very tight with each other. So, you get to feel that the warmth between them while there's also conflict."

Kang pushed the series' director of photography and its art department to maintain The Walking Dead's filmic look while also making the show look "as beautiful as possible" while its characters ride horseback and attempt to establish rule of law in an otherwise lawless land while they attempt to rebuild society.

"We had a lot of conversations about, 'What does this world they're building look like? And how can we call back to medieval architecture, and western looks, to set the brand new look of the show?'" Kang said. "It was sort of like re-starting the whole look."

In its five-out-of-five Red Dead Redemption 2 review, ComicBook.com says the game exceeds already heightened expectations and clears the path "for what is clearly one of this generation's greatest gaming experiences, if not the greatest."

Red Dead Redemption 2 is available to own on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 October 26. The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.

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