Red Dead Revolver

GamePro

A game that finally does the Western action genre some tough justice.

Electric Playground

Red Dead Revolver could very well be THE game to keep the Old West genre from riding off into the sunset once and for all.

Game Chronicles

A gorgeous game, flawlessly presented in a fashion that will have you think you are watching and then participating in your very own Spaghetti Western. Sure there are plenty of old movie clichés, but it wouldn’t be the same without them.

3DAvenue

Everything they have put in the game melds together fantastically well to create the best spaghetti western game for this generation of console systems.

WHAM! Gaming

This here game is a-brimmin' with more gunslingin', hoss-ridin', outlaw-shootin' goodness than you could fit in a stagecoach's worth of 10-gallon hats. It's rootin' AND tootin'.

Warcry

I was absolutely floored that this game didn’t come Live enabled. The ability to showdown across the internet alone deserved the attention, but the multiplayer game they did include could have definitely added some value to the title if it could be played remotely.

Gamezilla!

Perhaps the closest I’ve ever seen to a western film brought to the Xbox screen, and at the same time, could’ve been so much more.

GameCritics

Like making love to an armadillo; it may be rough and full of bumps, but underneath it all is one sweet ride.

Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

Not as deep as "Manhunt" or "GTA" but some of the best fun you'll have with a bottle of firewater and some very old guns. [GamesMaster]

PGNx Media

Technically, the game fares rather well, considerably better than the PS2 version. The frame-rate stays at 60FPS for the most part, although there are a bit of drops here and there.

TotalGames.net

It may not be the slickest of games, the visuals are very PS2-ish in their detail and crispness, but the atmosphere created by the character design, animation and effects drenched landscapes is second to none.

Official Xbox Magazine

RDR creatively captures the feel and flavor of classic Westerns, while remaining an absolute twitchy-fingered hoot to play. [July 2004, p.80]

Game Over Online

Had the developers of Red Dead Revolver paid as much attention to mining classic video game control as they did to beloved movie scenes, they might have had a perfect game on their hands. As it is, Red Dead Revolver is a damn fine game.

Play Magazine

Seldom have I been so invested in an overal premise; and what beter than a down-and-dirty Western? [June 2004, p.54]

Xbox Evolved

It’s definitely better then Atari’s own "Dead Man’s Hand."

Xbox World Australia

It’s fast paced, stylish, and genuinely fun to play. However it is held back by sub-par visuals and a decidedly short single-player campaign with only bare-bones deathmatch multiplayer to keep you hooked.

MS Xbox World

This is a story driven game with the emphasis on gun play rather than mindless wandering around. Red Dead certainly delivers this at every turn and is well worth a look if shooting is your thing.

Game Informer

Thematically, developer Rockstar San Diego has hit the nail right on the head. You really do feel like the toughest cowboy to ever step foot in the west. [June 2004, p.124]

Maxim Online

You can practically hear the warbly ocarina, feel the saddle sores and smell Clint Eastwood’s foul, hand-rolled cigar in this video game homage to spaghetti westerns.

Edge Magazine

Gameplay purists may scowl, but Read Dead Revolver is a triumph for beautifully observed atmospherics, characterisation and slapstick set-pieces you cannot fail to enjoy. [June 2004, p.100]

XboxAddict

Looking forward to more responsive controls and enhanced graphics for the sequel.

Total Video Games

Although there’s no denying that Western fans will appreciate the experience more then others, the truth is that the level of style, inspired design and gritty atmosphere will likely please those looking for a good, straightforward action romp.

Game Power Australia

It's possible that some gamers will be disappointed by its relatively unchallenging gameplay, and it's not the most value-packed title on the market, but despite this, it's the classic video game Western the world has been waiting for.

Adrenaline Vault

The gameplay isn’t particularly groundbreaking, but the variety and extras found in the single-player campaign, combined with the enjoyable multiplayer mode, give the experience a healthy dose of replayability. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Times Online

Has a strong, coherent storyline that whisks Red from novice gunslinger to competent bounty hunter in what proves to be the mother of all shooting practice games.

Gamenikki

The game tries very hard, above all else, to leave players with a lasting grin on their face. To this end, it succeeds. There are plenty of flaws, but the 'cool factor' is through the roof.

AceGamez

It's a very exciting and fun single player experience and great in multiplayer if you've got some buddies willing to play. If only they'd put it on Live…

XGP Gaming

If any of you are old enough to remember legendary cult western movies like The Rifleman, Little House on the Prairie or any John Wayne classic, then you'll appreciate what Rockstar has tried to do with Red Dead Revolver.

RewiredMind

The lack of any real reason to play the game again once the final credits have rolled also manages to hamper the score. Red Dead Revolver is truly stellar fun whilst it lasts.

Armchair Empire

Is Red Dead Revolver the penultimate Western-themed game? No, but it is good one, worthy of a rental at the least to see how the slick quick-draw duel system works or if you’re a fan of the Clint Eastwood Westerns.

Xequted

The omission of Live play is unfortunate, as being able to duel your friends, or take on co-operative missions would have added an extra depth to the overall experience and added to the replayability of the game.

Cinescape

The game is enjoyable to play through, even if the action can be competitive and the game isn’t as polished as it could’ve been.

GameZone

While the game needed its rough spots smoothed out, it offers enough gameplay variety to keep things interesting.

eToychest

The problematic A.I. in Red Dead Revolver is the game’s biggest disadvantage.

IGN

It's a unique take that fulfills one's needs to become a dirty western cowboy bad-ass, a Clint Eastwood-like bounty hunter with a grudge against corruption, greed, and power. It's also far from a perfect game, delivering awkward mechanics, rough visuals, and some very unpolished moments. But it's certainly worth your while.

GameSpot AU

Rockstar's once again created another great game awash with mood, although not to the same level of success of its key GTA franchise.

Worth Playing

It isn’t the savior of the Western genre that it could have been, but given the circumstances, I think it’s amazing that the product turned out to be this good. The graphics aren’t amazing but they have style, and the dialogue has that Rockstar “twang” to it that makes it a good game, but not a classic.

Kombo

It is inexcusable that the multiplayer mode is so underdeveloped. It is as if Rockstar came up with a nice innovation for a multiplayer mode and forgot (or simply didn’t care) to complete the programming of it.

BonusStage

The game spends too much time focusing on characters other than Red and wildly veers off into too many directions at once, an obvious sign of this game’s strenuous development cycle.

Gamer's Hell

The creative use of player control to determine the gameplay and story delivery is an industry-leading feature.

TeamXbox

Very much an arcade shooter at heart, Revolver has that ability to be a title that can be picked up and played without getting sucked in for hours.

GameSpot

There are too many different playable characters and too many unique gameplay elements that just don't gel. And though the story is well told, there's just not enough focus on Red.

Next Level Gaming

Nothing more than an average execution of an above-average idea. And here's an idea for next time, how about some online play?

games(TM)

When we say that Red Dead is a great little game, the emphasis is as much on the 'little' as it is on the 'great'. [June 2004, p.102]

NTSC-uk

It celebrates the perverse catharsis to be found in bringing quick justice to bad people, and the pride found in doing it well.

GamerArchive

The fact that the game is so terribly easy, giving even the more gaming challenged gamer the capabilities to blast their way through the game in a mere weekend, gives the impression that Red Dead Revolver was never really meant for the hardcore types.

Boomtown

If the setting and atmosphere were any different, say a sci-fi or fantasy setting, I doubt that the experience provided by Red Dead Revolver would seem anything more than mediocre, if that.

GameShark

Graphically, the title is definitely clocking in at “adequate”, with sometimes lumpy characters and stiff animations. There’s a slight floating in the movement of characters, and the terrain can seem a bit bland and repetitive at times, but hey, it’s a desert setting.

Cheat Code Central

The story has lots of potential but unfortunately the game kind of loses sight of Red as it introduces several incidental characters forcing you to play through their perspective. Aside from adding some variety to the game it really detracts from the main storyline.

GameBiz

Though there are obvious faults, but Red Dead Revolver does allow you to be a tobacco chewin’, foul mouthed gunslinger cowboy in the wild wild west.

1UP

The atmosphere in Red Dead is the real thing -- not the pseudo-parody of "Dead Man's Hand" -- and that alone should satisfy the audience it was made for. If you can forgive all of its faults, you'll enjoy the few hours you spend in Red's world.

Eurogamer

It wasn't the linearity that was the issue, nor the overall polish; more that the game ultimately lacks ambition and creativity in the gameplay department - until the last eight or nine levels there's little on show that hasn't been done better before.

Xbox Nation Magazine

Strip away the sombrerors, spurs, and signature Rockstar sass, and what's left is an average third-person shoot-em-up some gallons shy of a full 10-gallon hat. [July 2004, p.84]

GameSpy

So much of Red Dead feels like it's caught between two camps -- arcade and more modern third-person action -- that it all feels compromised.

netjak

Merely an average third-person shooter that happened to take place in snapshots of things I’ve already seen in a hundred Clint Eastwood or John Wayne westerns.

Entertainment Weekly

The game misses its mark: Instead of the gritty, scrub-brush humor of a Sergio Leone pic, Revolver feels like a rootin'-tootin' Disneyland ride. [18 June 2004, p.L2T 20]

Yahoo! Games

The limited AI and by-the-numbers level design completely backfire. And while quick kills form combos that pay off in cash, little is done with the system. Even the multiplayer feels tacked on.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Control is stiff and floaty, while boss battles often require stubborn persistence instead of strategy. [July 2004, p.95]

Game Revolution

Take away the horses, squinty eyes, six-shooters and five o’ clock shadows, and this cowpoke goes from deadeye to dead on arrival.

G4 TV

A marginally entertaining third-person shooter whose only real asset is a decent level of personality.

Gamer's Pulse

Falls short in almost every aspect of a western style shooter. Fans of the arcade style of run and gun gameplay will find some value in the game but for the most part fans of the shooter genre will find an excellent concept for a game gone a stray.