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| | Title:
Gun
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System:
Xbox 360
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Genre:
Shooter
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Publisher:
Activision
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Developer:
Neversoft Entertainment
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Release:
November 22, 2005
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Online:
No
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ESRB:
Rating Pending (RP)
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Westerns aren’t a commonality in the gaming community. Much less a specialty gamers look forward to when released. One of the main reasons anyone pays any attention to western shooters, is simply because they are rare. In this case though, Neversoft is hoping to pull in the interest of gamers for a different reason, other than that of being an endangered theme. Neversoft’s first and third-person shooter, Gun, is aiming to achieve more than just the shooting aspect of the old-west, but also gunning for the look, feel and candor of the western era.
Beyond the call of the wild
Colten White is the name the protagonist takes in this tale. Son of Ned White. Hunters by trade, and western cowboys simply living-it-up in the late nineteenth-century. The story itself is a linear tale following Colten on his way to Dodge City, after being mysteriously attacked by a band of unknown assailants on a boat ride with his father. They were coming for a medallion that Ned handed over to Colten, before exclaiming that he wasn’t Colt’s real father. During the raid, Colten is knocked out after being tossed overboard and awakes a fortnight later only to find that everyone was supposedly killed during the attack. Players will then venture forth on a quest to discover the importance of the medallion, while further unraveling the many aspects of the story involving Colten White’s adventure.
I don’t care if it’s a car or a horse, as long as it moves fast
Borrowing from the mega-success of the GTA series, Gun leaves little to be desired on the basic plateau of a western shooter, and all the gimmicks involved: Trains, horses, carriages, quick-draws, bullet-time (yeah, of course, it’s now a standard to most shooters. Except in this game it goes into first person and allows players to accurately target body-parts for more points, and skilled shots.,) raids, chases, bows, arrows and more interactive gameplay features than a barrel full of sweaty dynamite.
But to back-pedal only slightly; one of the standard modes of playability within the game, is none-other than being able to ride an effective horse: You can spur the heck out of your trusty, animal companion, but it just might kill him. Or you can ride the poor fellow all day, all the time, but it just might run him dead. You can even trample over as many bad-dudes as you want, and it just might make your fellow, animal comrade, happy.
The whole point behind having a horse is not entirely for the sake of transportation (viz., as there are other forms to get from A to B: Such as a train or a boat, or even on foot, etc.) But also for the sake of being another character related element that changes how players will approach situations and utilize certain vantage points. As fore-mentioned, spurring the horse results in a quick burst of speed, only at the cost of dishing the horse a side-full of cowboy spurs. Hence, players will have to decide how much is enough, or if too much is a worth-while necessity. Since taking into account that players will be able to ride-and-shoot from the horse, much to the likes of Darkwatch. So a feeble amount of skill will at least be required to surmount the task of chasing down a foe and blasting him to kingdom come. But it isn’t all work without horse-play; the design is made to control free-and-easy, while one analog stick controls the horse, another allows the player to rotate the position of the camera. Ensuring a player-defined rein over their own view-scape while riding.
They call him, ‘The man with the fast hands’
Most video game westerns have always sort of slouched in their representations of gun fights and the gun slingers who participate in them. One of the things that stand apart from other shooters in general, is Gun’s attempt to rely the gunfights on the progression of both player and character skill(s). In which case, marks a unique bend on how shoot-outs will develop. For instance, as the game unfolds, players will have opportunities to increase their skills in different ways, including: Melee for up-close and personal fights; gun-handling for firearm skills; quick-draw for the bullet time effect; and the last two being health and horse. Some items that can seriously help you out can be purchased in different towns: Gun modifications such as a cylinder boring kit or an extra belt to carry more ammo, are all accessible for obtainment from various towns and shops. So players will have plenty of incentive to find ways to becoming a better cowboy.
City life
Amongst the upgradeable abilities with which players will have to develop Colten, there are a number of mini-games and side-missions to keep things fresh and interesting. As players will find that the towns offer more than just the standard, linear activities aimed at story progression. For example, if your health is low, whiskey can help regenerate your health. Or if shooting is getting you down, and you need a little excitement otherwise, there’s cards and gambling that can be enjoyed across different towns with various opponents. Or you can go mining for gold if you purchase a pick axe. You can even own a shop, or become a bounty hunter. Heck, you can do just the opposite and cause such a ruckus in town, which can all end up in a riot. Neat eh?
Wild life
Aside from all the dealings in the city, players will have the ability to venture out and take part in hunting as well: Bison, coyotes, bears, wolves, rams, etc. Or, if you prefer, there are side-missions available that allow you to team up with the local Native Americans: Wield a tomahawk, raid settlements, attack trains, save horses from cattle thieves, or shoot flaming arrows from your own hunting bow. There’s even the option to go scalping for money, or do just the opposite, and become a hated outlaw to the natives and townsfolk. As different actions invoke different responses from the interactive NPCs roaming around town or venturing out in the plains.
The simple life
If chaos, riots, and angry town members throwing fisticuffs on your behalf, is not your idea of fun (although one might think there would be something awfully wrong with you, if that’s the case), then there is always the option to just sit back, and watch the clouds roll across the sky. Even on the current generation consoles, Gun has a superb and atmospheric look to it all. Capturing the late nineteenth century architecture amidst backdrops of rolling green hills and bubble formed clouds. Especially ranging far out into the immense draw-distances that the game carries with it. The unsqualid landscape and picturesque environments illuminate the ironic fashion of beauty and brutality that most western films carry; simply considering the dark and violently gory tale in Neversoft’s Gun.
A cavalcade of visiting places
Aside from Dodge City, the open plains of Montana and the rivers near Missouri, players will immerse in various locations of the mid-west: High-plain Apache Indian settlements; a New Mexico town of territorial precedence called Empire; or even frontier settlements for players to visit and interact with. Along whichever route a player decides to take to each town, are the fore-mentioned mining posts, hunting ranges, and even wild bandits that players may need to watch out for with a keen eye. Speaking of which, anyone who has their eye on this game, need only wait till November 17, 2005 for its release on the Xbox, PS2, PC and Gamecube, while the Xbox360 version should be released shortly thereafter.
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ahnonamis
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