Based on the comic book created by Archangel Studios and Christian Gossett, The Red Star is a battle action game that centers on three different main characters. Set in an alternate Russia (URRS) where technology, magic, and futuristic weapons are wielded by its Red Fleet Army, The Red Star begins with Sorceress-General Maya Antares and the search for her missing husband, Marcus. Features included different play styles and abilities from character to character, 10 upgradable weapons, melee combat, and two-person cooperative play.
The Red Star was originally to be released in 2004 by publisher Acclaim, but was unfortunately lost due to the company's bankrupcy. XS Games picked up the finished product for release in 2006.
Over the years, there have been a lot of comics that were turned into games. Some were good, some were bad, but for the most part, all of them were established properties with a wide fanbase. So it was a bit surprising when Acclaim announced that they would be making a game based on the comic The Red Star, the little known (except by graphic novel junkies like myself) comic by Christian Gossett, I was a bit stunned. Read More »
During E3, a strange thought struck me: Where were all the action games? I mean, there were plenty of "stylish hard action games." And lots of "Survival horror" action games. But straight, no-nonsense action? Very rare. It seems that every major action game needs a big story element or wacky gameplay gimmick to attempt to set it apart. What ever happened to action for the sake of, well, action? Sometimes I just want to blow things up, not rack up 90-hit air combos while leveling-up five weapons and trying to follow a half-ass story. That's where Acclaim Studios Austin's The Red Star comes in. Unlike many of its peers, this game doesn't dawdle and beat around the bush. It just delivers. Read More »
Arcade shooter fans used to rule the roost. Arcades and home consoles were filled with endless titles to storm through. Nowadays, they're treated more like chicken scratch. Companies don't find the genre "profitable" enough to donate a whole lot to putting out new entries. Acclaim is an unlikely savior, but it's stepping up to the challenge of not only publishing a new arcade shooter, but developing it. Internally. In the U.S. Shocking, isn't it? Read More »
When it comes to company game debuts, it's very difficult to surprise me anymore. I've been around the block a few times, and in this marketing-driven age unexpected treasures are getting rarer and rarer. With the death of the Dreamcast, the U.S. gaming market lost a lot of the spirit of quirkiness and experimentation. In today's climate, The Red Star seems like a total anomaly -- in a good way. A pleasant surprise, especially coming from an American studio and a publisher known best for games like Legends of Wrestling and Turok, it should heat up fans of games like Golden Axe, Ikaruga, and Contra -- and if Acclaim is right, an even broader audience than that. Read More »
Also known as: Red Star
Also available on: iPhone, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii
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