Red Dead Revolver Review

Developer	Rockstar San Diego
Publisher	Rockstar Games
Genre	Action

For years, gamers have been begging for a game set in the Wild West. After all, it would seem to be the perfect setting for a video game. The colorful characters, the six gun action, the snarling enemies, duels at high noon; this is all fantastic video game fodder. Gamers finally got their wish earlier this year with the mediocre Dead Man’s Hand. Though some (like our man Brendon) proclaim the brilliance of that game, most would agree that it was a half-hearted attempt at a great “old west” game.

The western genre could have once again ridden off into the sunset after Dead Man’s Hand had Rockstar not rescued Red Dead Revolver from Capcom’s scrap heap. And we’re lucky they did. Sure, the game has a few mechanical problems here and there, and the PS2 version features some grainy visuals. But Red Dead is a rootin’ tootin’ good time, perfect for anybody who gets even the mildest satisfaction from watching an old spaghetti western.

Saddle up!

Gameplay - Though players will control a number of characters throughout Red Dead Revolver, the game’s protagonist is Red, a man on a mission to avenge the slaughter of his family. You see, when Red was a boy, his father and mother were killed by bandits and evidently that pissed him off. The game starts years later and Red has taken up a life of bounty hunting.

The game progresses through a variety of extremely linear stages, most of which involve searching for a local hooligan and collecting the bounty on his/her head. All of the standard clichés are there: the train heist, the canyon shootout, the ghost towns, the saloons, and many more. However, because the game just oozes with the style of the legendary wild west, the way in which it holds you by the nose and leads you from one stage to another doesn’t feel so bad. You’ll be excited to stop railroad bandits or find out what your next bounty will be.

Furthermore, Red has a small arsenal of weapons and tricks up his sleeve. “Bullet Time” is a convention seen more and more often over the past few years, and Red Dead Revolver’s version of it (called Dead Eye) works fairly well. Once Red builds up his meter, he can slow down time and leave red marks on his opponent. When the game goes back to real time, Red will fill the thug with bullets where those red marks are.

Another cool feature is the quick draw. It takes some getting used to, but it’s quite satisfying when you’re finally able to pull it off with precision. To draw your weapon, you’ll pull down and then up on your analog stick to simulate the draw. Then, the action slows down while you drag a cursor over your enemy and place targets on him/her with the R button. The more lethal the shot, the better chance you have of winning the duel. Again, it is rather clunky and takes a bit of practice, but overall it’s a very cool effect.

Red Dead Revolver is essentially a third person action game and for the most part it does a good job of nailing this genre. However, as in most games of its kind, it does contain some problems. At times you’ll find yourself circling the camera around you trying to find out just where those damn bullets are coming from. Also, having to hold down the shoulder button to keep your weapon drawn can be a bit irritating, especially when you’re doing this while trying to hide behind an object, dodge bullets, and pick off a sniper in the distance. There are times when these play mechanics leave you feeling slightly cheated; especially when you’ve just played the same level seventeen times.

In order to make up for this slight irritation, the developers have included unlockable items and characters, which you can play in multiplayer mode. You’re also awarded cash from your bounty with which you can purchase different weapons and items. It’s a cool feature that will hopefully help ease the frustration.

If you get tired of playing as Red, other characters will be at your control as well, each with his/her own weapons and style of play. Fortunately, most of the characters weave themselves into the story quite nicely so these levels don’t feel like strange one-offs.

Graphics - The developers have done a great job of bringing the old west to life in a very convincing way. The entire game has a dusty brown look to it, which is quite suitable. However, PS2 owners may be disappointed to know that the game looks far better on the Xbox due to some jaggy borders, and its all around grainy appearance.

That’s not to say that Red Dead Revolver is a poorly animated game. Far from it, actually. From the dusty details of the countryside to the detail given to the run down towns, the feel of a spaghetti western has been nailed. The character designs are extremely well done and quite detailed, although you tend to see the same generic outlaw or midget clown over and over again. But the main characters and villains are all very well done. Another nice touch is the style of the cut scenes, which have the feel of an old picture reel from a run down movie house. Very cool.

However, as mentioned, it’s readily apparent that the Xbox version not only runs more smoothly, but also looks clearer and more detailed. If you own an Xbox and visuals are very important to you, it may be best to opt for that version.

Sound - Utterly fantastic. The soundtrack could easily have been lifted from an old Clint Eastwood movie. In fact, the score is so good that when we first viewed the promotional trailer I was whistling the tune in my head for the next week. It’s got the same catchy feel as the famous theme from “The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly”. Throughout the entire game the music continues with this quality and will surely please fans of the old films.

The voice acting is also quite superb and at times downright entertaining. Red is of course the silent anti-hero type, with only a few Clint Eastwood-style lines, but the rest of the cast is alive and well. The only time you’ll get annoyed with the voice acting is when you hear the same lines from the same bosses in the aforementioned seventeenth battle.

Bottom Line - It would be easy to look at the sometimes awkward gameplay and questionable controls and write this game off as just another mediocre third person action title. But it could be the slick, smart presentation or just the fact that we’re starved for a quality western, but we’re absolutely smitten with this game. It’s got a definite arcade feel in that it’s very shallow and linear. But Red Dead Revolver is just plain cool. You’ll dig the stylized cut-scenes and whistle along with the bad ass soundtrack. You’ll enjoy popping caps in the heads of midget clowns and jumping from train car to train car, even if you’re getting nailed with cheap shots.

This game is all about style. And for anyone who’s even remotely a fan of the classic western genre, it’s a must have. If you’ve got both an Xbox and a PS2, there’s not questioning the Xbox version’s superiority. However, the PS2 version will also make a worthy addition to your collection.

Review by John Luedkte