Red Dead Revolver
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| Red Dead Revolver | |
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| Developer(s) | Rockstar San Diego |
| Publisher(s) | Rockstar Games |
| Release date(s) | May 3, 2004 |
| Genre(s) | Third-person action adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Mature CERO: 15+ |
| Platform(s) | Xbox, PlayStation 2 |
| Media | DVD-ROM |
Red Dead Revolver is a western third-person shooter video game published by Rockstar Games and developed by Rockstar San Diego. It was released in North America on May 4, 2004, for both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox video game consoles.
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[edit] Overview
The game's development stalled for some time when it was dropped by Capcom. In 2002, Rockstar Games purchased the game and expanded on it. Changing from an American western to a Spaghetti Western allowed the developers to add more blood, over the top characters and well designed character models. The lead character seems to be an amalgamation of various Clint Eastwood-inspired characters from assorted movies. The game reproduces a grainy "film" effect and even borrows incidental music and soundtracks that are highly reminiscent of – if not taken directly from – the movies of famous Spaghetti Western directors, including Sergio Leone.
The main character is Red Harlow. As a child his parents were murdered by bandits; he survived the encounter but grew up swearing to find whoever killed his family. Red grew up over the years and became a bounty hunter collecting bounties wherever his travels took him. However, after a series of unexpected trials and tribulations, Red soon finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy involving political corruption and greed. But most of all, Red may finally be able to find the person responsible for the death of his parents.
According to NPD game sales statistics, it was the best-selling console game in North America for the month of its release, outselling several major sports titles and the popular franchise sequels Onimusha 3 and Hitman: Contracts[citation needed].
[edit] Story
Nate Harlow was the father of Red Harlow and he was on good terms with the Red Wolf tribe. He was, until he fell in love with and married Falling Star, the daughter of the chief. One day while prospecting near bear mountain, Nate and his partner 'Griff' struck a vein of gold that ran clear through Bear Mountain. To seal their partnership, Nate and Griff had custom pistols made, bearing a scorpion insignia. Sadly, Nate didn't think of what would have happened to him or the Red Wolf tribe if word got out, as Bear Mountain was property of the Red Wolf tribe.
While Griff was coming back from a trip to Mexico he became caught in the middle of a battle between the Yankee cavalry and General Javier Diego's army, during a yankee incursion of Mexican territory. The Mexican army won, destroying the Yankee artillery (inexplicably present, considering it was said to be a cavalry unit) and Griff was captured by Mexican soldiers. Since he was not in uniform, Colonel Daren, Diego's right-hand man, suspected Griff to be a spy, and Diego ordered his soldiers to kill him. Griff begged for his life, using half of his newly found gold as a bargaining chip. Though Diego himself had no idea where to look for the gold mine, he threatened to kill Griff and take all the gold for himself, but Griff knew exactly where the gold was and bargained to give General Diego half - The half that Nate Harlow owned. Thus, he and Griff decided to kill Nate Harlow and create their own partnership at the expense of a family's life.
Meanwhile, Nate Harlow returns home to his son, Red, and his wife, Falling Star. He eagerly tells them about the gold in Bear Mountain. The first thing Red notices is the new Scorpion Revolver his dad has. Nate promises to pass it on to Red when he dies, and makes a gift to Red of his old pistol, which Red runs off to practice shooting. As Red practices, Colonel Daren follows his orders to kill Falling Star, Red, and Nate Harlow. However, Red came to assist his father when Diego's men attacked. After a brief standoff, Nate Harlow and Falling Star were shot, leaving Red helpless against the attackers. Red runs to his dead parents, only to be taunted by Daren. As Daren laughs, Red spies his father's revolver, lying on the ground. He picks it up hastily, not noticing the handle lying in a smouldering fire, and manages to fire a shot that blows off Daren's arm. In his haste to take revenge, his hand is burned by the handle, leaving a scorpion-shaped scar, and Red runs down to the river to hide, haunted by the last words of his father.
Years later, Red has grown up into a man who now knows how to better use a gun. He wanders somewhat aimlessly, his only companion being a dog who loyally goes where Red goes.
Encountering a gang of criminals lead by the infamous serial killer Bloody Tom, Red Harlow defeated every member of the gang to save himself and a nearby cart vendor. The vendor points Red to the nearby town of Widow's Patch as a way to claim the bounty on the gang that he killed. Red takes the vendor's cart carrying all of the gang's bodies to the town in the hopes of attaining the bounty.
Widow's Patch, at the time Red came, was nearly deserted except for Sheriff O'Grady and his daughter Katie. The town had fallen on extremely hard times due to a gang led by Ugly Chris. While talking with O'Grady about the possibility of attaining a bounty for the criminals he killed earlier on, one of the gang members kills Red's dog after it relieved itself on his boots. This angered Red and began a gunfight which saw himself faced up against the whole Ugly gang. Red is able to single-handedly take down the entire gang as well as Ugly Chris who, in a cowardly act, tried to use O'Grady as a human shield but to no avail. Sheriff O'Grady was injured during the fight with Ugly Chris and his gang. Katie begs Red to take him to Brimstone, the only nearby town with a doctor. Red and an injured Sheriff O'Grady soon depart, leaving Katie behind to look after Widow's Patch.
Red and an injured Sheriff O'Grady board the next train to Brimstone (Even though there is no train station, or even any tracks in sight). However, a peaceful trip soon turns into a nightmare as the Pedroza Brothers, a group of bandits, attack the train in an attempt at a train robbery. As Red moves to the outside of the train, a passenger aboard the train stands up with a gun in an attempted stick-up. A standoff ensues in which Red quickly drew out his pistol and eliminated the inside man. Red soon went outside of the train, and fought off the bandits. Red reaches the front of the train and frees the engineer from a bandit, allowing the conductor to reduce the train's speed to its normal pace. Red is forced to protect the engineer as the train travels through open country so that the train can make it to Brimstone.
At Brimstone, Red meets Sheriff Bartlet, the sheriff of Brimstone. Bartlet received the telegram sent by Katie O'Grady concerning her father's need for a doctor and takes Sheriff O'Grady to the clinic. He also tells Red that if he needs work then he should see him in his office. Red visits Bartlett and is sent to collect bounties on three criminals: Pig Josh, Bad Bessie, and Mr. Black.
When collecting the bounty on Pig Josh, Red runs into Jack Swift, an English trickshooter. Jack asks Red to let him out, only to discover that Red doesn't care. However, Jack tells Red of a gunman behind him, in hopes that Red will want his help and free him (Jack's captor, for some unknown reason, leaves him with his pistols. It is also unknown why Jack does not shoot the latch on his cage, as Red does to free him). Red is then ambushed by what seem to be performers from a circus. During the fight, Red frees Swift from Josh's captivity and successfully eliminates Pig Josh. Swift thanks Red and runs off to find Professor Perry to take revenge for taking Swift prisoner and for the murder of his sharpshooting mentor. Swift arrives in Widow's Patch to find Katie tied to the water tower, and does battle with Perry's goons, and eventually Perry himself. During the battle, Perry makes use of his 'Miracle Elixir', to restore his vitality and teleport short distances. However, when Perry runs out of the mixture, Swift is finally able to kill Perry. Swift goes to free Katie, who informs him of a competition for sharpshooters. Desperate for money, he accepts the challenge.
After catching Bessie and Mr. Black, Red goes to the bank to cash a note from the sherrif on the bounties. He runs into Annie Stoakes, who is in danger of her farm being foreclosed since she can not pay for it. Red also hears that the governor is bribing her ranch hands to leave, sabatoging her chances of paying for the property. She happens to mention that the governor, who owns the bank, shouldn't need her ranch since he has plenty of gold coming out of Bear Mountain (It can be assumed that the Bear Mountain gold vein extends to the Stoakes ranch, or that the governor has found out about a seperate vein there.), and she storms out of the office. Red overhears this and asks where she lives so he can talk to her about the gold. The connection between the governor and the Bear Mountain gold mine is the only lead he has on his family's murder.
Annie returns to her farm to find it on fire. She gets into a brief battle with the vandals trying to destroy her farm, and kills them all. Red shows up just as the fight ends to ask about the gold in Bear Mountain. She somewhat rudely turns him away and tells him to go to the Brimstone salloon, to which he hands her a handbill advertising the battle royale, which has a prize of 5000 pieces in gold, and leaves.
Red heads to the bar, in which he hears men talking about a "one-armed man". Red inquires about him, and the drunks pay no attention to him. Red threatens one of them with a broken bottle, starting a bar fight. As the fight ends, Sherrif Bartlett arrests Red and takes him to jail. There, Red confesses he started the fight because the one-armed man killed his parents. Bartlett tells Red where to find the one-armed man, and sets Red free on the condition that he collects the bounty on General Javier Diego.
Red sets off and takes down the stagecoach in which Diego transports his gold. The one-armed man, Colonel Darren, knocks Red out and locks him up in a make-shift jail with a US Soldier, known only as Buffalo. Witnessing the attack on Red from a nearby edge of the canyon is Shadow Wolf, Red's cousin. He rescues Red and sets him free. Red fights his way through the mine and reaches the top, where he fights alongside Shadow Wolf to escape. Shadow Wolf is shot by Colonel Darren, whom Red kills, taking revenge on one of the parties responsible for his parents' murder. He escapes on horseback to catch General Diego's train. After stopping the train, he fights and kills Diego, fulfilling the second part of his quest for revenge.
Meanwhile, the Buffalo soldier returns to Brimstone, where he asks the Governor to send troops to Bear Mountain, where Mexican troops have taken over the mine and use slave labor to mine it. The Governor reveals that Diego is his partner in the mining business and arrests the Buffalo soldier.
Red returns to Brimstone, where he encounters Jack Swift and Annie Stoakes, as well as Mr. Kelly, the winner of the past Battle Royale. Red enters the competition to win the money, as he believes he is capable.
After winning the first two rounds of the Battle Royale, Red, Jack, Annie, and Mr. Kelley advance to the semi-finals. At the semi-finals, Governor Griffon disqualifies Jack and Annie, leaving Mr. Kelley and Red the only two competitors. After Red apears to kill Kelley, Griffon pulls a gun on Red. As he speaks to Red, Red notices one thing: The insignia etched into the gun handle, a Scorpion.
Red realizes the Governor is Griff, his dead father's "partner". Mr. Kelley amazingly stands up from his wounds, and is ordered by the governor to kill Red and come to the mansion when finished. Red extinguishes Kelley and goes to the mansion to take revenge, with the help of Jack and Annie.
At the mansion, Annie, Jack, and Red try to find the governor. Their search takes them to a room with a hidden door that Red takes, while Jack stays behind to fight Griffon's guards, monstrously outnumbered.
Red, with the help of Annie, finds the Buffalo soldier, who accompanies Red to the roof of the mansion to find Griffon. Red lays down covering fire while Buffalo sets up dynamite to the door on the main section of the roof. Griffon lays a bundle of dynamite next to the door, blowing the iron door onto Buffalo from the other side before he gets his dynamite set. Red tries to release Buffalo from under the door, but can not. He runs to the top of the roof, where he fights Griffon, killing him in a classic quick-draw showdown.
Red comes down from the roof where Annie is standing with Sherrif Bartlett and the Buffalo soldier. Though the game does not say, it is assumed Jack was killed when Red asks where Jack is, and Annie silently shakes her head.
Bartlett makes a deal with Red. Since he's done so much good for the town and he doesn't want to see Red hang, he tells Red to take the gold from the Battle Royale and run. Red hands his pistol over to Buffalo soldier, holsters Griffon's Scorpion Revolver, and tells Bartlett to give the money to Annie and Buffalo, stating "It was never about the money."
[edit] Characters
[edit] Red Harlow
- Rob Bogue
The hero of the game, Red is the son of Nate Harlow and Falling Star, a Native American of the Red Wolf Tribe. After witnessing his parent's brutal murder by Colonel Daren, he becomes a bounty hunter. After arriving at Brimstone, he realises that his prey may be getting closer. Red would go on to pursue and successfully attain many bounties until finally finding and killing Governor Griffin in his mansion, the man who was behind the murder of his family. (Based on Clint Eastwood)
[edit] Jack Swift
- Gregg Martin
An English duellist (Based on Bat Masterson) Jack Swift was hired by circusman Preston O'Leary to be a trickshooter. When he arrived in the West, Jack was kidnapped by Professor Perry, a former member of the circus and O' Leary's killer. It was this act that led Swift into meeting Red Harlow. He was presumedly killed at the end of Red Dead Revolver protecting Red Harlow and Annie Stoakes during the siege of Governor Griffon's mansion.
[edit] Annie Stoakes
- Carrie Kerranen
Annie owns a ranch that Governor Griffon can't wait to get his hands on. Annie denied all offers, so Griffon began to make her life difficult. When local ruffians torched her ranch, Annie entered the Battle Royale duelling contest in the hope of winning a reward large enough to get her ranch back. She helps Red and Jack infiltrate the mayor's mansion and is saved by Jack who dies there.
[edit] Shadow Wolf
- Chaske Spencer
Shadow Wolf is a member of the Red Wolf Tribe and Red's cousin. He and all the tribe believe that Red had died along with his parents. However, when Shadow Wolf realized Red was alive, he was desperate to reunite with his cousin. Shadow Wolf would rescue his cousin Red from Colonel Daren, but would later die in a confrontation with the colonel at Fort Diego.
[edit] Buffalo Soldier
- Benton Greene
A member of the U.S Army,(he also clamied to be a slave at one point and vowed never to do it again) Buffalo displeased General Diego, which led to his incarceration in Diego's jail. Buffalo was rescued by Shadow Wolf and he quickly ran to warn Governor Griffon of Diego's plan. Buffalo's pleas fell on deaf ears and once again, he was thrown into jail (where the only thing he did wrong was going to Griffon for help).He was freed by Red and his friends and when they were about to confront the governor he was injured but luckily survived.He appears to be African-American.
[edit] General Javier Diego
- Robert Jimnez
General Diego fought a series of border wars with the U.S, who placed a high bounty on his head. After capturing a bridge across the Rio Grande, Diego captured a man called 'Griff' who informed Diego of a gold mine that he and his partner Nate owned. Diego sent his loyal lieutenant, Colonel Daren to kill Nate. This act of murder made Griff the Governor and Diego two of the richest men in the West. General Diego continued to be Griffin's partner. Diego was able to construct some of the most advanced weapons such as Colonel Daren's cannon and an armored train created using and capable of carrying the general's new abundance of wealth. However, the train's armor was unable to withstand an attack by Red Harlow who had tracked the General down after his fight at Fort Diego. The general, attempting to fight with cowardly tactics, was killed by Red Harlow but not before pleading to live.
[edit] Colonel Daren
- Dennis Ostermaier
Daren is General Diego's right hand man who led the attack on Nate Harlow's ranch. He had been sent to kill Nate so General Diego could have Harlow's share of the gold. Nate died, but his son Red shot off Daren's arm and escaped the Colonel who withered in pain due to the sudden loss of his arm. General Diego would go on to place a cannon where Colonel Daren's arm had been shot off to make the Colonel more dangerous than before. The Colonel many years later encountered Red Harlow and his native American cousin Shadow Wolf at fort diego where he took the life of Shadow Wolf but soon after lost his own in a showdown with Red.
[edit] Sheriff Bartlett
- Gene Jones
The Sheriff earned his position after General Diego's battle at the bridge. Not the typical weak lawman, Bartlett began wiping out the scum around the rising town of Brimstone. When Red Harlow came to town aiding an injured sheriff named O'Grady from Widow's Patch, Bartlett took a liking to the bounty hunter, even pardoning him after the death of most of Brimstone's saloon outlaws.
[edit] Sequel
Rumors of a sequel have been circulating since 2005. Rockstar has been fairly secretive with a game in the works, simply known as "Old West Project". Speculation is that the game in fact is the sequel to Red Dead Revolver. A trailer for the mystery game is circulating on YouTube and Gameprotv.com, in which it is identified as Red Dead Revolver 2. Rockstar has not confirmed or denied whether it is indeed the sequel to the successful western game.
[edit] Trivia
- When the game was originally being created by Capcom, the original premise of the game was to have Red face off against zombies and other beings of the undead before Capcom gave the rights to Rockstar[verification needed]. Although the game's premise was changed when Rockstar Games gained the rights, Capcom would go on to publish High Moon Studios' Darkwatch, a first-person shooter with a mix of Western and horror aspects. Capcom would later publish Red Dead Revolver in Japan.
- Luis Bacalov's theme from the Spaghetti Western Lo Chiamavano King is the song in the opening video of Red Dead Revolver.
- The cover of Red Dead Revolver looks very similar to the cover of Clint Eastwoods' movie "The Outlaw Josey Wales".
- The plot of the game is based on Sam Raimi's The Quick And The Dead
