Gun

"A fun game, though not quite the "Grand Theft Stagecoach" it's made out to be."

Gun is Neversoft's newest project. From the good folks who brought you the many Tony Hawk titles, we get a third person shooter, set against the gritty backdrop of the Old West.

If you're looking at this game, expecting the scope and size of GTA III, you will be let down, as the game is rather short, but if you love anything western, or you're just in the mood for a shoot-'em-up with good graphics and a great story, Gun is a great buy.

Story:

Gun takes place in and around Montana and New Mexico, in the year 1880. You play as Colton White, a young gunslinger and marksman who works with his father, Ned, to collect meat for the Steamboats that tour the Missouri River. The game begins with Ned, voiced by(and looking an awful lot LIKE) Kris Kristofferson, waking Colton to begin the hunt for the day. After a brief control tutorial, you're thrust into the story as the steamboat is attacked. Soon Colton finds himself a small part in something much larger.

It's an epic, to be sure. A very over-the-top story. I was half expecting a giant mechanical spider. There are a number of stereotypical characters, so you're bound to meet Mr. "I do, I say, I do de-CLARE!" Still, the dialogue is VERY authentic, and the game pulls no punches when it comes to the very real sexism and racism of the Old West. Expect racial slurs about the Chinese, the Native Americans and the Irish as well as derogatory comments against women. If you're easily offended, you may want to steer clear, but aside from that(or perhaps BECAUSE of it), the game's story does a very good job capturing the atmosphere.

9/10

Graphics:

The graphics are pretty much on par with what you see in other titles in the same genre. They aren't nearly as crisp as some of the other titles that are out at this point in time, though. There are occasional framerate skips and a few minor "disappearing polygons" here and there. The environments still have a decent sense of realism about them, though. One let down was, despite the authenticity of the weapons, they all pretty much look the same. Pistols are pistols, rifles are rifles, etc.

The cutsecenes, which occur frequently, look a bit better, and the facial graphics are well done. The lip-sync is good and the characters react as you would expect.

This game's graphics won't blow you away, but they get the job done. Nothing too spectacular here.

7/10

Sound and Music:

The VO talent in this game is A-List, all the way. With names like Thomas Jane(Carter Blake in Deep Blue Sea) as Colton White, Kris Kristofferson(Abraham Whistler in Blade) as Ned White and Kath Soucie(Aerie in Baldur's Gate II) as Jenny, everything comes together. The VO has really stepped up and met the outcry for better work in Video Games.

The sound effects are all realistic, from the shifting of your horse's saddlebags to the various gunfire and death throes.

The music is impressive. While you're just wandering things are quiet, but missions have classic sounding scores with a very strong western feel.

Great VO, authentic sounds and strong music. This games wins in the sound department.

10/10

Gameplay:

Now, this is the meat of it. Here's where I'm going to tell you that the game isn't quite as long as you'd expect a "free roamer" to be. While there are a number of side missions, they don't take all that long to do, and so they'll feel slightly hollow. The story, while compelling, is very short. You could probably complete the game 100% in about 10-12 hours, depending on how much wandering you do.

Still, as a bloody shooter, the game plays very well. Firing with R button on the Gamecube controller feels much like pulling a trigger. There are 30 upgrades to purchase, several authentic 1880s USA weapons, including Colt pistols, Winchesters and Bowie knives.

The side missions keep in style, and you can occupy yourself hunting bounties found on Wanted posters, bringing in quarries "Dead or Alive" as well as Sheriff's deputy jobs, ranch-handiwork, animal hunting, prospecting for gold(sort of, it's a pick axe and 44 deposits littered throughout the game world) Pony Express work and the occasional Texas Hold 'Em tournament for an extra bit of cash. Side missions increase stats to make Story missions easier.

The Story missions usually involve a few minor skirmishes with animals, villains, Apaches, etc. followed by a larger "boss" battle. After each story mission you'll get a new weapon.

Colton also has the special abilities of both gaining full health from just a sip of whiskey from his hip flask and also entering into "Quick Draw" mode, which slows down time and zooms in on the enemy to give Colton improved accuracy with his trusty pistol. Quick Draw can only be used when the meter is full, and it fills with every kill you make. The Quick Draw meter will fill faster for skilled shots like headshots, weapon shots and the like.

The game has a degree of challenge on Normal difficulty, and it can be set to Easy, Hard or Insane, for those looking for more(or less) challenge. The controls take a little getting used to if you've never played this type of game, but if you're a fan of the 3rd person shooter genre, they should feel relatively intuitive. One minor complaint, I have, is the need to switch back to your pistol before you can holster your gun and walk or ride normally after the action has died down.

Still, you'll have a good time while you're playing, even if it isn't all that long and, in the end, isn't that all that matters?

7/10

Replay Value:

This game is short, so replaying won't take all that much time. However, the story is the same over and over. The game has four difficulty settings, so you could always try to finish it on a harder setting. However, as far as whether or not this'll be a game you'll find yourself playing for the seventeenth time... Maybe not. If you're big into longer games, and don't expect yourself to play this game more than once, you're better off renting. You can finish the game in a single weekend(or day if you have absolutely nothing to do).

Still, every good story deserves to be read more than once, right?

6/10

All in all, Gun is a fun title if you're looking for a distraction, or if you're a big fan of Westerns. I'd rent the game first, to see if it's really something you want. Aside from that, the game has a great story and I loved every minute of it.

I give this game, as an average of the areas I covered(rounded up), a score of 8/10.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/17/05