Red Dead Revolver - Xbox

A game that was considered doomed after Capcom threw it in the bin, Red Dead Revolver, a game with a troubled history, was eventually picked up by Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar games and is finally fit for human consumption on Xbox.

The game's story begins in the late 1880s. Protagonist gun-slinger Red is just a small boy at the time, whose family gets lucky in the goldrush and strikes it rich. It's not long, however, before news of their good fortune reaches the ears of rogue Mexican, General Diego, who subsequently sends his bandits on a mission to massacre Red's family and steal their gold. In true spaghetti western style, years later Red is grown up and about to embark on a quest for revenge.

The game itself takes the form of a third-person action adventure, with you taking the role of the vengeful Red. A fully recreated Wild West plays host to the action, providing an array of dusty towns, windswept prairies and rugged saloons for you to explore. Populating each of the game's environments is a wide cast of very 'wild west' characters, including cattle rancher Annie Stokes, an Indian scout named Shadow Wolf, and Jack Swift, an English gentleman/gunfighter.

As you hunt down your bounty and learn the ways of the untamed frontier, you have at your disposal an extensive arsenal of weaponry, including pistols, rifles, shotguns and dynamite. During each of the levels you can carry one side arm, one long arm and a thrown weapon, meaning that you have a choice of alternative ways in which to dispose of your prey.

As far as capturing the essence of classic spaghetti westerns is concerned, Red Dead Revolver is dead on. The game's revenge-driven storyline is tied together by impressive, cinematic cut-scenes and is generally abundant with classic Wild West scenarios and imagery. If you've ever had secret aspirations to live out the action of a typical John Wayne movie, it comes highly recommended. more