Sure, we could say better late than never, but it is still quite a wait for console-exclusive content to finally reach PC without emulation…
It is remarkable that the developers of Redneck Rampage, a game we genuinely enjoyed back in the day, later went on to create the far more successful Return to Castle Wolfenstein, reviving the FPS franchise that id Software had left hanging and laying the groundwork for the form it enjoys today. If we were to play Return to Castle Wolfenstein now, chances are we would do it through RealRTCW, a mod with its own Steam page that modernizes, properly widescreens, and rebalances the 2001 shooter. And since its creators clearly were not satisfied with just that, they have now announced that the formerly console-only prologue is being resurrected as free DLC.
The Cursed Sands add-on brings the seven Egyptian levels to PC for the first time, together with their unique enemies and variants. It also packs in a surprising amount of customization. Players can choose between the Xbox and PS2 HUDs, loading screens, briefing screens, and enemy variants. It is even possible to let the game randomly decide which skin individual enemies use, meaning half of the elite guards could show up in Xbox gear while the other half heads into Egypt dressed in PS2 outfits.
The level of customization is, honestly, a little absurd. You can pick from different sound packs if you would rather use weapon or environmental audio from other entries in the series, and you can even adjust the fire rate to match the spin-off Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. With a single click, you can also swap between the modernized and classic elements.
Cursed Sands will be available on Steam and GOG starting May 6. And it really is a great idea. Back then, it was genuinely common for multiplatform games to receive platform-exclusive content, or for consoles to get extra material that PC players simply never saw. At least now those levels can finally be played on PC without needing to rely on emulation, even if emulation itself is hardly a huge problem anymore.
Source: PCGamer, Steam, Steam, GOG
