Red Dead Revolver

Written by Chris Reiter  on March 05, 2004

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

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Last year was one of those off years for Capcom. The company, who had previously agreed to keep an accord intact with Nintendo about its exclusive "Capcom 5" proposal, had broken down the records gradually, in addition to canceling a couple of its upcoming titles: Dead Phoenix, one of the original Capcom 5 bad boys, and Red Dead Revolver, a third-person, gun-toting, western-themed cowboy action game scheduled for a 2003 presentation. Prior to the wiping the game's slate clean, however, Rockstar had stepped in and purchased the then titled Angel Studios, as it is now pronounced Rockstar San Diego. With new blood on its hands and a Red Dead Revolver Kleenex in its pockets, Rockstar Games has come to fortune those disheartened by the news in deciding to rub off this original shoot-em-up to gamers this coming spring.

Red's his name, and getting people dead is his game. Burned with hatred at a young age (literally and mentally), Red strays away from his home after picking up his father's smoldering gun from the flames when the Mexican General Diego and his troops ransacked his house, shot his father, burned his mother, and left Red to fend for himself. After being singed by the fire, it left an imprint on his hand, a reminder to how his family died before his eyes. Because they struck gold, and because they made it rich, and because the General knew about it, he took the gold and killed them. Filled with scorn for that, it's now years later when Red's a grown man, trained to shoot, and out to seek his destiny: to avenge his family by taking down the very man who put the hate in him.

Few times have game makers managed to open their doors to a whole new sunset in the Western era. Unlike the first-person arcade shooters you might normally find in an arcade, Red Dead Revolver is to be a third-person shooter from the development team behind Rockstar's widely acclaimed Midnight Club franchise, Rockstar San Diego. To that end, Red Dead Revolver will live the life of a Western movie. As Red, players will approach a variety of mission types while weaving in and out of cinemas integrated to push the story forward. These missions of which will involve protecting the President, rescuing the beautiful damsel in distress, or simply wiping the floor with every enemy in sight to keep Red on his toes from both standard and boss gunfighters just the same. And unlike in any light gun-based shooter, Red Dead gives you the option to aim at any part of an enemy's anatomy of your choosing, from head to toe.

But Red won't be alone. Oh no, he'll have aid with him. In total, Red Dead will feature up to around 30 kinds of weapons. Given the ability to carry three differential devices at all times (one side arm, one long arm, and one object for throwing), these weapons will consist of things like pistols, shotguns, and dynamite. One interesting and notable fact that's being geared into the game's fighting system is Red'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 on the upside. Aiming and then letting go of Red's trigger will allow Red to let loose a swarm of bullet fire at each selected target for a sneaky and very useful surprise toward the opposition.

Strolling along the sandy dirt roads of the wild west will be a possibility, as Rockstar's desire is to recreate real-time environments that realistically match that of one of the many Western films you might have seen over the years. A few goals the company's doing is to induct its character models with grit, the era's appropriate clothing styles and accurate facial expressions. What is more important, however, is how the game's environmental properties will liven up its all. Through its brash saloons, its airy prairies, and its dried up and dust-filled towns, much attention will be paid in part by how lighting affects everything. Upon the soft glow of a candle, or the way in which an intoxicating sunset will leave its brush of rays peering into windowsills, the places to be in Red Dead will be a dead on thing of beauty.