Red Dead Revolver

"A Great Western Game for Fans, a Solid Third-person Shooter for Everyone Else"

For years now, fans of the Western genre have been clamoring for a game that would capture the essence of that time period. The last decent Western game I can recall playing was LucasArts' Outlaws on the PC and even that wasn't quite up to par with what fans expected of a Western. Aside from Konami's incredibly fun Sunset Riders, you'd probably have to go back to Capcom's Gunsmoke on the NES as the last great Western game.

Well fear not my fellow Western followers; Red Dead Revolver is everything a Western game should be, if not more. It's this generation's Gunsmoke and though the game was developed by Rockstar San Diego and eventually published by Rockstar, it un-coincidentally has Capcom based roots.

Graphics - 8: Red Dead Revolver's graphics are not groundbreaking nor are they even top of the line, but they fit the atmosphere of the game to a "T." The player models are nicely detailed, the particle effects are well done, and all of the locations are accurately recreated to fit the time period and locale. There's no mistaking that you're in the Wild West.

Sound - 9: Sound can add a lot of atmosphere to a game, and Rockstar San Diego not only understood that, they executed it flawlessly. The overall sound in Red Dead Revolver is nothing short of fantastic. The crisp, clear sound of each gun being cocked and fired is enough to send chills down your spine. Bullets ricochet with a resounding clarity, cannon fire whistles as it descends upon its target, and enemies taunt and cry out in pain as you fill them full of lead. If it weren't for the voice acting being barely passable thanks to horrible Spanish accents and some forced Western twang, the sound would rate a perfect 10.

Music - 10: You know the music is good when the developer goes as far as to list each track individually in the credits of the game. Rockstar San Diego and Patrick Whitaker (composer\compiler) have created a soundtrack that is bound to invoke nostalgic memories for any fan of the Western genre. Kudos to Rockstar on a job well done.

Story - 7: Red Dead Revolver's story is your basic tale of revenge with a lot of Western flair thrown in. The game follows the exploits of Red as he seeks vengeance on those who murdered his Ma and Pa in front of his eyes as a child many years ago. Along the way, Red meets new companions, new enemies, and new challenges all leading up to one goal: revenge. Rockstar San Diego pokes just enough fun at itself and the genre so as not to seem overly serious, but still manages to maintain the basic drive every story needs. Perhaps I'm just a sap for Westerns AND revenge stories, but I thought the story was very well done and refrained from being too convoluted for a simple tale of revenge.

Gameplay - 8: At its heart, Red Dead Revolver is a third-person arcade-style shooter. The whole focus of the game is mowing down anyone who gets in your way. You can take cover behind various objects and pop out to shoot enemies. They, of course, will do the same when applicable. You can also melee with your weapon and bare fists, though the melee mechanics feel somewhat stiff and unpolished. When the going gets rough, Red can use a special ability called "Deadeye" which causes time to slow down so that he can focus on his target(s) and unload a fury of bullets into them. Essentially what happens when you initiate "Deadeye" is everything slows to a near halt and you have a limited time to paint mini-targets (as many targets as your gun has bullets currently loaded) on your enemies. Once you paint all your targets (or time runs out), Red will unload his gun on whomever you targeted. It's a nifty little trick, although truth be told, I sparingly used it.

The other major gameplay style in Red Dead Revolver is quick-draw dueling. As any fan of the Old West will tell you, dueling was a major part of society back then. Rockstar San Diego understood this and the way they've incorporated it into the game is nicely done. At pre-scripted points in the game, Red will have to duel one, two, even sometimes three people at once. The way it works is somewhat similar to "Deadeye" with a few differences. First, you actually have to draw your holstered gun. You do this by pulling down on the right thumbstick to grab your gun, and then up on the right thumbstick to draw it. The second you draw, time slows down so you can aim your shots but it's tricky because your targeting reticule cycles between a missed shot, an average damage shot, and a critical damage shot. The game gradually builds the difficulty of dueling later in the game to the point where you have to be perfect in all aspects of dueling (fast draw, good aim, and quick on the trigger) or else you'll be slaughtered by the faster duelers.

The rest of the game is spent in town where you can stop by various shops and purchase items (not to wear or use but to unlock things), speak to various civilians about recent events, or continue on to the next chapter by speaking with the sheriff.

Controls - 7: For the most part, the controls are spot-on and responsive but if there's one gripe I have, it's with the camera. The camera does well to keep up with the fast-paced action, but it will occasionally get stuck behind objects and at times can be slow to respond to your input especially when you're rotating the camera on the X and Y axis at the same time (meaning pushing diagonally on the right analog-stick). I've tried adjusting both the X and Y axis sensitivity, but it doesn't seem to have any effect on the speed of diagonal rotation.

Multiplayer - 6: Though there is a multiplayer option in Red Dead Revolver, it is very basic and only available through split-screen play. Yes, this means no XBOX Live option which is unfortunate. But hey, they have to leave something to add for Red Dead Revolver 2, right?

Fun Factor - 9: Fun factor is a very opinionated rating. If you're a Wild West fan like me, this game can be incredibly fun and unbelievably engrossing. If you're a third-person action fan but not necessarily a Wild West fan, the game can still very fun but a lot of the appeal lies within the theme and setting.

Longevity - 7: Make no mistake, Red Dead Revolver is not an incredibly long game. I was able to complete it in less than 8 hours (over a span of 2 days), though for the average person it might take about 12-15 hours to beat. Still the experience is well worth your time and money, plus the extra modes of play (Bounty Hunter mode, hard difficulty, etc) and multiplayer option will keep the disc spinning in your system for weeks to come.

Overall Score - 8: Red Dead Revolver is a unique game in that it is aimed toward a niche market, yet it has the potential and appeal to attract anyone. If you're a fan of Westerns, this game is what you've been waiting for. You owe it to yourself to run to your local video game store and pick up a copy. Even if you're not too big on Westerns, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at just how good this game is. And who knows, you might become a fan yourself afterwards.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/09/04