Red Dead Revolver (Xbox)

.co.uk Review

It's an absolute crime that there hasn't been more Wild West-themed video games over the years, but Red Dead Revolver redresses this balance almost instantly with a gloriously authentic spaghetti western feel that'll make the next clichéd fantasy or SF setting you come across even harder to bear. Red Dead Revolver has had an unusual history, starting life as an update of Capcom's old Smoke arcade game before being canned. So confident were the developer's of the game's worth though that they convinced Grand Theft Auto publishers Rockstar to buy up the rights and allow them to finish their work. And thank goodness they did, for not only does the game entirely legitimise the Wild West as a viable setting for a video game, but it's one of the most entertaining arcade shooters of recent years.

The controls are just complex enough to allow depth, without becoming fiddly, and allow you to use cover appropriately, and fight hand to hand and with a huge range of different weapons. The best bit though is the bullet time-esque "Dead Eye" mode which allows you to select multiple targets in slow motion and then switch back to normal time and blast everyone away instantly, just like Clint Eastwood. With sections on horseback, a number of missions (perhaps too many) where you control a side character instead of the eponymous Red, and tons of references to classic movie moments this has just about everything you could ask for from a cowboy shooter. --David Jenkins

Manufacturer's Description

A blazing third-person -slinging action game, Red Dead Revolver is fuelled by a revenge-driven storyline punctuated by dark humour. The arcade-style gameplay blends seamlessly with the elements of the Wild West era. Full-motion capture cut scenes and breathtaking visuals fuel the cinematic ambition of the game. Inspired by the Spaghetti Westerns of the 60s and 70s, Red Dead Revolver is the first game to fully explore the Wild West era, rather than use it as a backdrop. It is a homage to the classic tales of vengeance on the untamed frontier, where life is reduced to its simplest form--the clothes on your back, your , and maybe a horse.

• Arcade play blended with full-motion capture cut-scenes.
• Inspired by Spaghetti Westerns of the 60s and 70s.
• Third person action game where you play as a bounty hunter from the Wild West.
• Chase down foes on horseback, engage in duals, and drive stagecoaches in your quest for revenge.