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Before Red Dead Redemption there was Red Dead Revolver - here's the story of how Rockstar saved a failing Capcom project


Oh sure, you think of Red Dead Redemption now and you think of Rockstar Games, GTA powerhouse, and its upcoming sequel, which many of us are already hyping as game of the year material.

But the franchise we know of today had much more humble origins. Back in 2002, Capcom and Angel Studios unveiled their latest arcade shooter to the world: Red Dead Revolver.

It was originally influenced by Tenchu: Stealth Assassin, and according to designer Dominic Craig wasn't very good, mixing Panzer Dragoon and "really bad Japanese action games".

How that game eventually made its way Rockstar Games is a fun and convoluted story, and all the juicy details have been spilled in the latest video from People Make Games, the media project set up by ex-Eurogamer video dude Chris Bratt.

You can watch it below. And you should, because it's really good, and you need to see the inspiration for Red Dead Revolver's box art at the end.

Watch on YouTube

If you haven't subscribed to the People Make Games channel you really should, and if you like the work then consider slapping a few dollars down on the Patreon.

If you're on the hunt for more Red Dead, we've got an encyclopedic page dedicated to Red Dead Redemption 2, from hunting to horse balls.

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In this article

Red Dead Redemption

PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch

Red Dead Redemption 2

PS4, Xbox One, PC

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Red Dead Revolver

PS2, Xbox

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Matt Martin

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