Dead Man's Hand (video game)

This article is about the video game. For the poker hand, see Dead man's hand.

Dead Man's Hand
Developer(s)	Human Head Studios
Publisher(s)	Atari
Engine	Unreal Engine 2.0
Platform(s)	Xbox, Windows
Release date(s)	Xbox NA March 2, 2004 Windows NA March 16, 2004
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: T PEGI: 16+
Media/distribution	1x DVD-ROM (Xbox), 2x CD-ROM (PC)
System requirements Intel Pentium 3 800MHz CPU, 256MB RAM,8x CD-ROM, 32MB GPU, 1.2GB free hard disk space

Dead Man's Hand is a first-person shooter set in the American Old West. It is somewhat unusual in that between levels, the player plays poker for extra health and ammunition. Your character is armed with 4 default weapons; a knife, a pistol, a rifle and a shotgun. Other weapons you can find are TNT and Whisky bombs. You shoot objects such as whisky bottles, cans and even enemies to score legend points, this fills up a "trick shot" meter that lets the character use the secondary mode of firing which can vary depending on the current weapon. The combat in the game also makes use of the games 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. It is a noteworthy as a video game that does not feature a caucasian male as the protagonist- rather, the hero of the story (and the character of play) is of Hispanic (or Mesitzo) descent.

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.

Characters

• El Tejon: The main character and the man you play with 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 had been cleaning up trails of the Nine and always had a hideout ready whenever they need one.
• Flat Iron: The only member of the Nine who never has fired a gun, however he has better aim with knives then 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. In a gunfight he often retreats using the rest of the gang as cover. He calls it "Good tactics" but he is often thought 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 look relaxed in a saloon but that is when he is most dangerous as he has 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 are thinking. When they rode out it got them out of a lot of scraps.
• Tennessee Vic: The cold-blooded leader of the Nine. Tennessee Vic was crazed man who attempted to win a place in a senate to gain more power. He was the one who shot El Tejon saying that he had drawn the "Dead Man's Hand".