Red Dead Redemption is, alongside GTA, the most well-known brand of Rockstar Games. But originally, the first part of the saga was developed by a completely different studio – in Japan.
Rockstar Games has been working on the GTA series since 1997, and it remains extremely successful to this day. The sixth part is currently the most anticipated game and is expected to be another great success.
The western series Red Dead, however, does not have to hide in its shadow. It has also produced fantastic games. Red Dead Redemption 1 is considered a milestone of the open-world genre and recently received the long-awaited PC version.
The first part of the saga, Red Dead Revolver, was initially not developed by Rockstar. The idea came from a major Japanese video game manufacturer.
A Western with Fantasy Elements?
How did the project come about? The origins of Red Dead lie with the Japanese company Capcom, known for franchises like Resident Evil or Dragon’s Dogma. Around the turn of the millennium, they had the idea for a western game and commissioned the developer Angel Studio to do it.
The working title was SWAT, which stood for Spaghetti Western Action Team. The game behind it was intended to be inspired by famous film classics such as the westerns of Sergio Leone. However, fantasy elements were also supposed to find their place (via polygon.com). SWAT was to be more exaggerated and magical than the later Red Dead Revolver ultimately turned out to be.
How did the development go? It was rocky, as the US-based team at Angel Studio and the Japanese employees at Capcom had different views on how the game should look. This led to conflicts and repeated delays in the work.
Eventually, Capcom canceled the development. During this time, Angel Studio was sold to Rockstar and received a new name: Rockstar San Diego.
There, the abandoned project piqued interest and was resumed. Under the new and now well-known name Red Dead Revolver, it was successfully completed. The game was released in 2004. Thus, the foundation for a series lasting three games was laid. According to the former head of Blizzard, there should be a fourth installment.
Compared to its successors, the first part is still less realistic and serious. Rather, it gives the impression that it is a parody of well-known westerns.
Red Dead Revolver received good reviews, but only the successor Redemption became a major success. However, the underlying idea remained the same. Even the latest installment can be counted as a huge success, showcasing its attention to detail: “99% of people have never seen this”: Developer reveals what secrets are in Red Dead Redemption 2
