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Awesome Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 17, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game is a must have for xbox owners especially at such a low price now. Its one of my top 3 favorite games of all time. Story mode is challenging and well written. The multiplayer also sets this game apart. Shouldn't be rated M the violence isn't too graphic.

Fine for a rainy day

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: February 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

As a long-time fan of Westerns and good shootin' games, for years I was stuck (tho' the more accurate term would be "blessed") with the PC classic OUTLAWS, from back in the day when the LucasArts logo meant consistent excellence (then, apparently, everything "Lucas" suffered karmic payback for his ham-fisted degradation of his own STAR WARS movies). OUTLAWS was not only a great Western game, it's one of the finest examples of a first person shooter action game ever produced. Epic Spaghetti Western style, rich novelistic and immersive story, exciting gameplay, raucous multiplayer with an active online community and a wealth of available mods, a musical score evoking Ennio Morricone and worth listening to all on its own (which you could do, with two full CDs of playable tracks)...magnificent.

Now, in possession of a gaming console for the first time (an Xbox 360, also magnificent), I'm getting to catch up on a lot of games I couldn't play on PC. The latest is RED DEAD REVOLVER, Rockstar Games' attempt at an epic Spaghetti Western.

First, I want to say the game is a hell of a lot of fun. Its emphasis is on action, and it does action well. Some of the levels are pure adrenalin (one that springs instantly to mind in that context has you engaging hordes of enemy soldiers and cannons as you and a handful of men try to blow up a contested bridge). The weapons are satisfying to use, there's a nice cover mechanic allowing you to snipe the bad guys from behind walls and trees and such, and the enemies have enough AI to usually not seem dim as a bush (like some virtual foes or recent world leaders).

The multiplayer is good fun, with a huge cast of gunslingers and a fair variety of locales to choose from.

The game's graphics are overall very good, especially the environments, though the character designs are largely hideous, even clownish. OUTLAWS was done in a cartoonish style, and was many generations of graphics quality in the past, yet its character designs evoke living beings far more than RED DEAD's do.

The worst thing graphically in the game is the bubbling cartoon gouts of gore that fountain out when you shoot somebody. They look silly, they're not true to the genre, and they all by themselves probably gave the game its M rating. A toggle to turn them off would have been nice.

The music's pretty good, and is largely lifted, I think, from movies. One piece I often heard and enjoyed in town is the theme from the comic Spaghetti Western THEY CALL ME TRINITY. It's still pretty paltry in comparison to the OUTLAWS score, and it's a shame that, choosing to use actual pieces from Western movies, they didn't choose or didn't have available to them better pieces (TRINITY aside). Some MAGNIFICENT SEVEN theme, some THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY, hell even some BONANZA or WILD WILD WEST would have been a lot more effective and a lot more fun.

The voice work is mostly terrible. It's one of those games that sounds like the designers brought in their buddies and relatives to do voices, made even worse by the embarrassing attempts at dialect.

All the above still adds up to a pretty good game, in spite of the flaws. Heck, even with the weaknesses I cite above, the game could have still risen to greatness had it not been for its fatal flaws...

Lack of immersion. You play a bounty hunter named Red for most of the game, and he's carved from Clint-East wood, but aside from a pretty good visual design (which is saying a lot for this game) and a laconic line delivery, you get none of the actual dimensions of an Eastwood character, or really any character at all. Red has no personality, his motivation (vengeance) is overt but muted and lacking any sense of passion or urgency. Part of this is because there are levels where you don't play Red, playing instead one of various sidekick heroes and, in one instance, one of the villains. Playing the others is actually a good deal of fun, and some their levels are among the most enjoyable in the game (allowing for various styles of play that aren't available as Red), but in a short game with a weakly developed protagonist, these levels put the player at even more distance from identifying with Red. Were the game twice as long, and more immersive overall, these levels would have no downside.

Another factor that dilutes immersion is the clunky use of cut-scenes WITHIN action sequences. You'll be blazing away at a pack of scoundrels and suddenly get torn from the flow of battle by a cut scene showing what the developers must have thought a crucial story element within the battle...then you stumble back into the action, get your mojo back a bit, and another blasted cut scene will pop up. The worst level for this is the one in which you play English pistoleer Jack Swift, which could have been a pure adrenalin delight were it not for all the interruptions.

But the worst flaw in the game is what I'll charitably call its story.

You could say RED DEAD REVOLVER is episodic, but it's episodic the way a game of PAC MAN is episodic. The story is barely there, and the game is mostly just a series of levels putting the player in some action set piece in a tightly defined environment (no sprawling wild West to be found here, only small battlegrounds), each ending with a boss fight. As a boy, Red sees his family killed. Then, next level, he's a man and, we soon find out, a bounty hunter, and he lands in the town of Brimstone (population: 8 or so, each citizen possessing a paragraph or so of exposition that you have to click-to-interact over and over to get each line of) where he can shop and get jobs. For a good part of the game, nothing is really said about Red being on any sort of hunt for the folks who did his folks in, he just goes on various unrelated bounty hunts, and there seems to not actually be a story. After a while, though, he gets to start going after outlaws directly connected to his (subtle) mission of vengeance, and we see that there's a narrative of sorts here, but it's a story the way a single black spit is a full spittoon. In other words, it ain't. The story has no tension, Red seems pretty casual about his burning mission of vengeance, and the game plays like an action-filled arcade game. By the time you take down the big boss, you're satisfied not because you've gotten Red's revenge, or because the game really made you hate the villain, but because he was pretty tough to beat and took a few tries.

Still, as I said initially, for what it is, RED DEAD REVOLVER is a lot of fun. Had I paid full price for it, I'd have felt mightily ripped off, but since it's on old Xbox game you can get it for peanuts (I got it for $8), and it's certainly worth buying for cheap or a rental. So if you have an Xbox or Xbox 360 and want a break from WW II, outer space, Tolkien rip-offs, or playing urban street trash, you might want to give it a shot.

Pretty fun!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 28, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I just got this game a couple days ago and it's a blast! I played the first six chapters in one sitting b/c I was having so much fun I couldn't put it down yet! However, I did get to a tough spot when my character changed to another gunslinger and I am not used to the way he handles yet. But I only tried a few times with him...only to end up full of bullet holes! lol But what fun! If you are into shooters and enjoy an old western, then I suggest you give this game a try. You get to play a number of characters throughout the game and the cutscenes are really cool to watch as the story unfolds in your quest to avenge the death of your father.

Over the top Western

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: January 19, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Red Dead Revolver is second to Gun. My main complaints about this game is the character movement is very cartoonish (intentional I'm sure) and some of the villians are way over the top maybe even 1960s batman villian-esque if that makes sense, you know sorta goony. This game has many of the same features that gun came to incorporate (albeit in a much better way) nonetheless this game is definitely worth purchasing for the price. I prefer Gun over Red Dead however my friend thinks Red Dead is better, so take your pick.

Its just OK

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: October 29, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I will say i'm dissapointed with this game after playing for about 2 hours. This was enough time for me to realize this game is OK but nothing has impressed me that much. One of the major downers is that most objects aren't affected by gunfire. In this game if you shoot at windows they don't break! What fun is it to shoot a gun if it doesn't affect any of the surroundings?? I actually enjoyed atari's somewhat flawed "dead man's hand" western shooter more than red dead. Sure Dead Man's Hand has some odd glitches...but when you shoot that gun something is going to be destroyed and thats half the fun!! Red Dead is only worth a rental.

FINALY!A COWBOY GAME!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 02, 2005
Author: Amazon User

this game is pretty cool.ive been waiting since forever for a down and out shoot em up and rip em down cowboy game like this ever since my imagination was born.theres everything youd want in an old west video game like showdowns,saloons,whisky,brothels,and of course really big boo boos.the blood and guts was a bit more than i expected.and i dont know what the inventors of this game have against carnies but MAN! DO YOU HAVE TO WASTE A LOT OF THEM!it reminds me a lot of shellshock nam 67,but its like the old west instead of viet nam[1867 perhaps!].what i mean is its very straight forward and theres hardly ever a lack of any thing to shoot up.theres not a whole bunch of figuring junk out either.i used to hate when you had to think really hard to beat video games and then theyd throw the word "entertainment" in thier title.if i wanted to think a whole bunch,id go to college!this game rocks.you are a bounty hunter out exacting revenge on those who killed your parents and killing plenty of random bad guys in the meantime for cash!if you liked the 2 or 3 cowboy levels from duke nukem but couldnt get enough,THEN YOU WILL LOVE THIS ONE!

The Game I've Waited Years For...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: July 02, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Not since Wild Gunman on the old NES platform have I so throughly enjoyed a western game. First off, there aren't too many western games on the market to begin with but Red Dead Revolver gets it right. Rockstar Games has produced another winner. The game has sick graphics and smooth gameplay. The shootouts and levels are challenging but not frustrating. An average gamer can navigate the levels fairly easily. The weapon selection is large and varied, as are the levels. Red Dead Revolver could never be accused of being repetitive. You can change characters, ride horses and other animals, have a shootout on top of a moving train or just a simple bar fight. The targeting system is accurate and the duels are ultra cool. Rockstar even licensed some of the music from the classic Clint Eastwood westerns to give the game a complete touch. Also, the ability to take cover against rocks or walls makes the gameplay even more true to life. Overall, this is one of the best games I've played on the XBOX system and without a doubt the best western game ever made. Highly Recommended.

A classic western shooter made by Rockstar!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: April 03, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I went to Gamestop a few weeks ago and picked up this game due to its introduction. I mean, how addicting is this introduction that you find on the back of this game?

"Vast, Rugged, and lawless, as a young man,
you were helpless to prevent the slaughter
of your family at the hands of bandits,
many years later, you live as a
bounty hunter bringing criminals to
justice, while struggling to unravel
the mystery of your past. You must find those who murdered your family. Then, you will take your revenge".

Just that simple and detailed introduction is what made me pick up this game in a flash, and i can tell you, i defintely do not regret it considering its excellent gameplay, graphics, audio and lots and lots of violence! I mean, what do you expect from Rockstar?

The story is great, you basically play Red whos family has died and hes basically avenging their deaths. As you progress through the levels, the story becomes more in depth addicting you even more to the game.

Graphics- The graphics in Rockstar's Red Dead Revolver are actually really good, and it was a surprise to considering that their graphics usually arent. But it was different in this game. The character models look great, the background detail is amazing as it takes place in the old Western times, and boy, can you tell that it does. The cutscenes are very well done but the only problem with the graphics in this game that i find is that the blood, much like a lot of other games, lacks in detail and it looks like a big shower of red circles which they could have done a much better job with. But overall, the graphics are probobly one of the better aspects of the game thus making Red Dead Revolver very fun and entertaining, but a little TOO gruesome at times as characters heads can sometimes completely implode and blood goes flying everywhere.

Gameplay- The gameplay in Red Dead Revolver is extremely good as well. You are given many options that you can do such as lock on to characters, perform special moves with your western gun, duck and roll and many others. As you progress through the levels, you get the option to buy new guns which make Red Dead Revolver a more rewarding game to beat, as many games now a days aren't at all, you just beat them for the sake of it. Simple and easy controlls to master, and yet such a detailed game, make this game a must play.

The only problem that i find with this game is that it can be extremely frustrating at times. For example, i remember that in one level i had to fight of seven sets of four enemies before i finally got to the boss (there are bosses in most of the levels.) The bosses can also be extremely difficult to beat, which make this game more frustrating at times.

The multiplayer is also great, up to four players can battle against each other, using practically any weapon they want, once they find it around the map. Very addicting, and highly fun/entertaining to play.

But overall, the gameplay of Red Dead Revolver is great, and even if your a little bit of a gaming expertice, this game shouldn't be that difficult to beat.

Audio- There isn't much to say about the Audio aspect of the game. Its just old Western music that gives Red Dead Revolver a more of a theme to it, so it doesn't end up being a wannabe western game.

Unfortunetely, there is no online play for Red Dead Revolver. I think that they should have made it so that it did, and that 16 players could play at one time. If that were so, i would have given Red Dead Revolver a full 5/5, but for now i'm sticking with 4/5. Still a very fun/entertaining game to play, no matter what the price!

Interesting concept but constrained...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 18, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The concept of a western action / RPG was something that called to me loud and clear: blast those varmits! C'mon, who doesn't like that idea?

The graphics were fantastic, the sound effects were phenomenal (with surround sound), and the performance was excellent. The weapon selections are cool and the combat system is innovative (the dead-eye and showdown features are great: cue old west music and quick-draw movie cut). Those were the game's strongest points by far.

The weak spots had to do with the storyline and gameplay. The story, by itself, was excellent and well-written but its execution was sadly lacking. The game is 100% linear with absolutely no choice in course of action or deviation. Even character choice is up to the story and not the player - you'll use different characters, both good and bad, throughout the game. Totally linear gameplay really bugs me. I finished the game just to finish it - but halfway through the game it was apparent that the gameplay was poorly implemented.

If you like a game with some good action and fun combat sequences that you'll have no problem with this game - even the story is okay to watch. But I can't abide 'watching' a story unfold with no choice but to pull the trigger. You have to fight to progress the story and there is no other option - fight and win or start over and fight and win....

Take care!

I LIKED IT

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: March 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Let me start by saying that this game is, in my opinion, a rental-type of game. This isn't some game you want to go buy. Beating it will only take a few days and Blockbuster lets you rent it for a week. It's a story about Red, a bounty hunter who tracks down outlaws. Great soundtrack, decent graphics, and a very satisfying storymode. I recommend renting this game to anyone who likes westerns or is a fan of western history. Not worth the buying price, but very fun to rent and play for a week.

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