Red Dead Revolver makes us want to want to wave our index fingers in the air and shout "Bang! Bang!" At first glance, this third-person shooter could almost be retitled Grand Theft Auto: Tombstone. But that's down to Red Dead's top-notch visuals and licensed soundtrack rather than open-ended gameplay.

Rockstar is famous for taking the best bits from well-known movies and seamlessly dropping them into its games. How many times did you play Vice City and recognise moments from The Godfather or Scarface?

If you can think of a Western, there'll probably be a knowing reminder of it somewhere in this game. Red Harlow, the main playable character, is almost a young Clint Eastwood - strong but silent and deadly on the trigger. He's the good guy, but you can also play as the bad guy, General Daren, the man who murdered Red's family, and the ugly guy, General Diego of the Mexican army.

There are a further five characters to play as, and the game jumps excitedly between their individual episodes like a Quentin Tarantino flick. Despite having different special attacks and sub-missions, they all share something in common - shooting more people than Billy the Kid on a bad day.

Controlling your characters is easy. Holding down the Left trigger draws a weapon and tapping the Right trigger shoots. Aiming is assisted with a very subtle auto-adjustment. On the downside, you run slower than a ball of tumbleweed with your pistols raised.

Every cowboy knows that standing out in the open in a gunfight will get you killed - finding something to hide behind is always important. Once behind a barrel, wooden cart or anything else in the environment, pressing the X button does a Sam Fisher-style wall hug. Peeking around the corner lets you take careful aim before revealing yourself to let rip with the full force of your six shooter.

Accuracy is essential, not just because the headshot causes more damage, but also because it can earn you money. Hitting multiple enemies without missing a shot awards combo bonuses in the form of Sheriffs' bounties and extra power in your Deadeye meter. This is where some of the characters' special skills become particularly useful.

When Red Harlow's Deadeye meter is full, clicking the Right thumbstick activates bullet time. You then have five seconds to target hit zones on your opponent's bodies. It's just like the multiple lock-ons in Panzer Dragoon Orta. You can either shoot the same varmint six times (or 12 if you have two pistols) or shoot six different foes if you have a quick aiming finger.

So what if it's unoriginal? It's still darn-tootin' fun! Jack Swift, an English gunslinger, is even more impressive. Instead of using bullet time, his Deadeye special automatically locks onto the nearest targets in real-time. He then blazes off twelve shots in less than three seconds, making Red Harlow look like an amateur!

Of course, it wouldn't be the Old West without a classic duel. On many occasions you'll face off with a lone quick-fingered cowboy at high noon. In these setpieces, moving the Right thumbstick up and down as quickly and smoothly as possible draws your gun in a flash. Time slows down depending on how well you do this, offering either more or less opportunity to aim for a critical hit. It's a simple but brilliantly effective way of giving you sweaty gunslinger's palms.

Brimstone, the game's main setting, has one of the roughest saloons around, and everyone loves a good bar-room brawl. There's a barnstorming beat 'em up level here. You can even smash cowboys through tables and break bottles over prostitutes' heads (although this is strictly discouraged).

Another fun change of pace is at Annie Stokes' homestead. In the closest thing you'll get to GTA's car thievery, she can saddle the nearest bull and rodeo-ride it right over the enemy cattle rustlers. There's also an opportunity to ride trains and horses later on in the game.

The music even changes in time with the action. In the saloon, an old piano plays faster and louder as the fight goes on. Best of all, there are actually licensed themes from famous Spaghetti Western composer Ennio Morricone. His contribution makes Red Dead Revolver an absolute delight to the ears. Let's not forget the gutsy sound effects though, and there are plenty of cool ones here, from ricochets to brays to exploding skulls.

Red Dead's graphics won't blow you away like the audio does, but it still fares well. The main characters have a cartoon-like, rough and ready appeal, and some bear more than a passing resemblance to Vice City's misfits and rogues. Even though this is a totally different setting, the 'attitude factor' still works brilliantly. The sharp dialogue constantly brings a big smile to your face.

Environmental effects like the blurry, blazing sun dominating the skyline or cornfields swaying in the wind make up for a slight lack of size in some of the levels. Another great factor is the grainy camera filter that makes everything look like an old Western movie. It really helps to strike a realistic balance with the game's more cartoon-like qualities.

If there's only one big criticism of Red Dead, it's that all the levels are a little too much like arenas. They're pretty confined and you can normally only run so far before you bump into an invisible wall. Not that exploration is important to a shooter this frantic, but the settings are so gorgeous that you can't help but be disappointed that they aren't bigger.

Although the story mode is fairly easy to get through, at about eight hours, almost every moment of that time is pure enjoyment. Whether it's the pokes at classic Westerns, old-fashioned and extremely funny dialogue, or varied and likeable characters, there's always something to put a grin on your face. It's not just the presentation though, because the gameplay is at the same time frantic, fun and reasonably demanding. Red Dead Revolver might not be the deepest game ever, but it's arcade entertainment at its best.

1. Jack Swift's amazing deadeye
2. Rodeo driving
3. The quick-draw control system

1. Invisible walls
2. Slightly glitchy jumping

Power
Energetic attempt to capture the dusty, sun-scorched look of the Old West. Great character design.

Style
The licensed soundtrack pushes this from being a highly enjoyable game into an essential purchase.

Immersion
Every level is a real pleasure. Playing as different characters hooks you into the story.

Lifespan
Plenty of replay value. You'll play it a few times to unlock the extras. Multiplayer adds even more.

Summary
If you like Westerns you must play Red Dead Revolver. This is arcade entertainment at its most polished.