Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Red Dead Revolver

Written by Chris Reiter on October 07, 2002

First Impressions: The noose wearing, coffin fitter measuring, shoot 'em up cowboy game of the 21st Century.

The sun may rise where Capcom is from, but over seas is where they're going next year. With a western theme intact, Capcom is grasping onto the image of a lone gunner, giving him holsters and the guns to match, and placing him in the boots, trench coat and hat of a really slick looking cowboy; finally slapping on the name Red Dead Revolver for their upcoming action shooter, that should take a turn from Capcom's and everyone's ordinary gaming life, in what looks like a title that will be like nothing you've ever experienced before.

Red's his name, and getting people dead is his game. Burned with hatred at a young age after being left alone when his parents and sister are killed, the now orphan Red is soon met by a mysterious elder Indian who teaches him in the art of fighting. Filled with scorn, it's now up to Red to seek his destiny, to avenge his family and himself in the way everyone got vengeance during the late Nineteenth Century -- by fast firing shootouts!

From protecting the President, rescuing the beautiful damsel in distress, or simply wiping the floor with every enemy in sight, Red will be on his way to complete a wide array of various mission types. Most of which will involve him to clear out every approachable area of posse goons, and then dealing with brute bosses behind the safety of objects, and knowing when to come out of hiding to assess the situation with the quick draw of your revolver. And unlike in light gun based shooters, Red Dead gives you the option to aim at any part of the enemy's anatomy, from head to toe.

One interesting and notable fact that's geared into the gameplay is the game's ability to complete a "Tough" attack. By jumping upward and grabbing onto a rooftop's ledge, Red can hang on and target onto multiple enemy groups positioned up there. Letting go then has Red let loose a swarm of bullet fire at each selected target for a sneaky and very useful surprise to the opposition.

Even with relatively easy controls, the current camera system is shaping to be a future problem. Players will be able to move and see right behind Red's back. Still, the camera control is coming along a little bit loose and in the end, the game may end up sharing the same technique, which Capcom hopefully will have fixed in the final stages of the game's completion.

Another area the game may have some people griping about is its faded visuals. With some great looking western environments, lots of rugged looking gunmen, and appropriate townsfolk all with their own light and shade effects to match, Red Dead Revolver at the moment is still lacking at a level of any high detail in polygon or even resolution number counts. It's unknown if this issue is being resolved for the better, but if anyone can make a bad game look good, Capcom's the people who can do it.