Dead Man's Hand (video game)
| Dead Man's Hand | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Human Head Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Atari |
| Programmer(s) |
Ben Gokey Toby Jones Jimmy Shin Scott Dudley |
| Composer(s) |
Rom Di Prisco Michael Larson |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 2.0 (w/ Karma Engine) |
| Platform(s) |
Xbox Windows |
| Release date(s) |
Xbox Windows
|
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Multiplayer |
Dead Man's Hand is a 2004 first-person shooter video game set in the American Old West developed by Human Head Studios.
Story
El Tejon was a member of the notorious "Nine" who was betrayed because he didn't join the gang to murder women and children, but to be famous and rich and a chance to make a name for himself, as a gunslinger. The Leader of the Nine shoots him and leaves him for dead. However General San Jaun Jauncito Blanco found El Tejon and threw him in a jail cell to rot. But Tejon's cellmate Iago is the leader of a revolution that will free both Iago and Tejon to exact vengeance on those who betrayed them.
Gameplay
The game is somewhat unusual in that between levels, the player plays poker for extra health and ammunition. The character is armed with 4 default weapons; a knife, a pistol, a rifle and a shotgun. Other weapons that can be found are TNT and Whisky bombs. The player can shoot objects such as whisky bottles, cans and enemies to score legend points, thus filling up the "trick shot" meter that lets the character use the secondary mode of firing which varies depending on the current weapon. The combat in the game also makes use of the game's physics engine, with the player being able to trigger physics based traps such as shooting a rock and causing it to fall onto an enemy below - kills obtained this way are rewarded with extra points and a greater increase in the "trick shot" meter. Dead Man's Hand is noteworthy for featuring a protagonist of Hispanic (or Mestizo) descent.
Characters
- El Tejon: The main character and the character the player controls in the game. He is the member of the Nine who was betrayed and seeks vengeance on the rest of the members.
- Carlos Sanchez: A drunkard man who has been cleaning up the trails of the Nine and always has a hideout ready whenever they need one.
- Flat Iron: The only member of the Nine who never has fired a gun, he has however better aim with knives than some men are known to have with a rifle. He is also one of the faster runners of the Nine.
- Andrew "Numbers" Thompson: The brains of the gang, mainly on financial issues. During gunfights he often retreats using the rest of the gang as cover. He calls it "Good tactics" but he is often thought of as a coward.
- James "Big Guns" Grissom: The strongman of the Nine. Big as a tree and dumb as a log. James can use axes as a ranged combat method. He has killed a horse with a single throw.
- Ezekiel "Father Zeke" Hardbottom: The holy man of the Nine is a fallen preacher who rode with the Nine to shoot sinners and fill his own collection plate. He may look like a holy man but he is always armed and carries a few whisky bombs stashed under his coat.
- "Gentleman" John Kendall: The gambler of the Nine. Despite his nickname, he is a murderer and a cheater. Kendall always looks relaxed but that is when he is most dangerous, as he possesses the speed and cunning of a rattlesnake. He would strike with the pistols he keeps holstered in his sleeves.
- Calvin and Clay Leonard (Leonard Brothers): The Leonard Brothers are the twins of the Nine. They seem to be crazed individuals who were kept a close eye on by the Nine. They have a knack to know what each other is thinking. When they rode out, this ability got them out of a lot of scraps.
- Tennessee Vic: The cold-blooded leader of the Nine. Tennessee Vic was a crazed man who attempted to win a place in the senate to gain more power. He was the one who shot El Tejon, saying that he had drawn the "Dead Man's Hand".
Reception
The game has received mixed to positive reviews from critics
Ratings