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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.

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 parents. 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 Demon Siege (2004) and Hitman: Contracts.

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 style of 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.

Story

Nate Harlow was the father of Red Harlow. He was on good terms with the Red Wolf tribe. Until he fell in love with Falling Star, the daughter of chief Running Moon whom he eventually married. Nate always kept a bit of tobacco on him on the chance he could trade it for something better. One day while prospecting near bear mountain, Nate and his partner Griff struck a vein of gold that ran clear into bear mountain. To seal the partnership of owning the gold, Nate and Griff gave each other pistols bearing the insignia of a scorpion. Sadly he didn't think of what would have happened to him or the Red Wolf tribe if word got out.

While Griff was coming back from a trip down in Mexico he ran into the Yankee army and General Javier Diego and the Mexican army. The Mexican army won and Griff was captured by Mexican soldiers since he was not in uniform. Colonel Daren suspected Griff to be a spy and General Javier Diego told his soldiers to kill him. Griff begged for his life shouting, "I've got gold!" Griff told the General about his claim to the gold and that they should be partners. Diego replied, "Well maybe I should kill you and take all the gold," but the problem was Diego would be hanged if he did not have a claim to the gold. Diego himself had no idea where to look for the gold mine, but Griff knew exactly where it was. Hence, he and Griff decided to kill Nate Harlow and create their own partnership. This partnership would last for many years but at the expense of a family's life.

Colonel Daren followed his orders to kill Falling Star and Nate Harlow. However, Nate's son Red came to assist his father when Diego's men attacked. After a brief standoff, Nate Harlow was shot, leaving Red helpless against the attackers. When Red ran up to his dead parents, all the while attempting to wake them, Colonel Daren came forth and said "Kid, I reckon your pa's better off dead, him being such a... yellow belly and all!" These insulting words as well as the murder of his family, angered Red greatly and caused him to grab his father's revolver which was heated so greatly that the insignia of a scorpion was permanentley burned into Red's hand. However, not even the heat of the gun would stop Red from firing at Colonel Darin and surprising blow off the Colonel's left arm. This gave Red the opportunity to escape the Colonel and his men. However, Red from that day forward was forever changed.

Years later, Red has grown up into a man who now knows how to better use a gun. His occupation is that of a bounty hunter, tracking down anyone with a price on their head. His only companion is 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 which impressed a nearby cart vendor so much he told him of the bounty on the gang and Bloody Tom. The vendor points Red to the nearby town of Widow's Patch as a way to claim the bounty. Red took 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 reason for the town's desertion was due to Ugly Chris and his gang. Red would learn about this as well as receive the news that he would not be able to get a bounty due to the fact that the town had fallen on extremely hard times due to the scare. The gang, showing how heartless they could be, killed Red's dog simply because they did not like it. Red in retalation for this cruel murder began a vicious gun fight between the gun in the town's deserted streets. Once again, Red would come out victorious by eliminating every member of the gang. However, Red soon encountered Ugly Chris who used a cowardly tactic of using Sheriff O'Grady as a hostage and a body shield while all the while attempting to kill Red. This tactic would prove to be his downfall however as Red was able to successfully end his grip on Widow's Patch. However, Sheriff O'Grady was injured during the fight with Ugly Chris and his gang as his daughter Katie took notice of. Katie begged Red to take him to Brimstone, the only nearby town with a doctor. Red and an injured Sheriff O'Grady soon departed, leaving Katie behind to look after Widow's Patch.

Red and an injured Sheriff O'grady board the next train to Brimstone. However, a peaceful trip soon turns into a nightmare as the Perdoza 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 tells everyone that this is a robbery and no one will die if no one plays a hero. Red quickly draws out his pistol and eliminates the inside man. Red is soon outside of the train, jumping from carrage to carrage, all the while fighting off the bandits. Red eventually reaches the front of the train and frees the engineer from a bandit forcing him to stop the train. The engineer slows down the train and patches up Red's wounds as thanks. Red is forced to protect the engineer as the train travels through open country where more Perdoza Brothers wait to ambush the train. Red succeeds in keeping the bandits at bay and soon the train arrives at Brimstone.

At Brimstone, Red meets Sheriff Bartlet, the sheriff of Brimstone. Bartlet received the telegram sent by Katie O'Grady concerning O'Grady's need for a doctor and takes Sheriff'O Grady to the doctor. He also tells Red that if he needs work then he should see him in his office. Red does just that later on and is informed of a bounty on a circus performer working for Proffesor Perry's circus. His name is Pig Josh, a man who seems to have a fetish for dynamite. Bartlet also informs him that an Englishman was also seen heading in that direction. Red leaves to pursue this bounty.

Characters

The hero of the game, Red is the son of Nate Harlow and Falling Star, an Indian 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.

An English duellist, 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 supposively killed at the end of Red Dead Revolver protecting Red Harlow and Annie Stoakes during the siege of Governor Griffon's mansion.

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.

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 realised Red was alive, he was desperate to reunite with his cousin. Shadow Wolf would rescue his cousin Red from Colonel Darin, but would later die in a confrontation with the colonel at Fort Diego.

A member of the U.S army, 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).

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.

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.

The Sherriff 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.

  • Mr. Kelley
One of the more famous and well dressed bodyguards of Governor Griffin. Mr. Kelley is as renowned for his shooting as he is for his fashion sense. Many have come to brimstone simply to challenge Kelley for his shooting championship, This has often led to their demise. Kelley's winning streak ended at the hands of Red Harlow in the final round of the Battle Royale. However, Kelley was able to survive the tournament and under the orders of Governor Griffin attempted to end Red Harlow's life. Kelley's legacy and his life would end that day at the hands of Red Harlow.

  • Governor Griffon
Brimstone's corrupt governor who has had people hung for crimes as minor as getting his face nicked by the barber at the barber shop. He became wealthy after he and his partner Nate hit a vein of gold in Bear Mountain "the size of a locomotive" as Nate put it. After attempting to cross the Rio Grande in the middle of a battle between the U.S. Cavalry and Diego's band of mercenaries, he was captured shortly after General Diego's successful plan to blow up the bridge dividing the two armies. General Diego's threat to kill Griffin caused Griffon's greed and cowardly self-preservation to make a deal with Diego to split the gold in exchange for killing off Nate who had the other half of the claim. The murder of Nate and his family would create a solid partnership between Diego and himself which would last for many years. Over the years his wealth bought him political influence and he eventually became governor of the town of Brimstone. He hired dozens of bodyguards to be at his disposal in case anyone stepped up to come after him in his White House-like mansion. Supposedly, he had plans to ride up to the ranks of senator and eventually run for president of the United States with his power-driven ego. However, the governor's reign ended at the hands of Red Harlow, the son of Nate Harlow who had survived the murder of his family. It should be noted that the governor's death would ironically end by bullets fired from a gun he and Nate had given to one another to seal the deal concerning the gold which had made him the powerful governor he was.

  • Professor Perry
Proffessor Perry is the leader of a traveling circus troupe which has been known for its violent and psychotic tendencies. Perry is also the creator of a extremely volatile drink called snake oil. Perry seems to be the only person who is able to drink this without dying. In addition, the oil benefits Perry because it heals him. Jack Swift, one of Perry's performers, would kill Perry and his circus workers later on as a result of the murder of Preston O'Leary, the man who hired and taught Jack to be a trickshooter at Perry's circus.

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. Although the game's premise was changed when Rockstar gained the rights, Capcom would go on to publish High Moon Studios' Darkwatch, a Western/Horror themed First Person Shooter.

The first of the Cornet Brothers Red faces at the Mansion is named Oswald. This may be a reference to Lee Harvey Oswald, who shot President John F. Kennedy with a rifle from a warehouse. In the game, Oswald uses a lever-action rifle to shoot at Red, Jack Swift, and Annie Stokes from a balcony.

External links

2004 computer and video games | Xbox games | PlayStation 2 games | Western computer and video games

Red Dead Revolver

 

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