Red Dead Revolver PS2

The good, the bad and the, er, good again seems to sum up the history of this latest western-themed adventure for PlayStation 2. First announced by Capcom what seems like centuries ago- Clint, eat your heart out! Final development was completed at the company's San Diego studio and the much-anticipated cowboy-em-up is at long last with us. The game's story begins in the late 1880's. 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 sends his bandits on a mission to massacre Red's family and steal their gold. In true spaghetti western style, years later Red is all 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 assuming 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 alternative ways in which to dispose of your quarry. 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.