This game knows how to put the "wild" in Wild West.
“Gun” is a very engrossing game thanks to the colorful cast of characters that inhabit it. Characters like the main protagonist Colton White, his fugitive buddy Soapy, the town prostitute Jenny, and the over-the-top villain McGruder who has more than enough henchmen to put Colton six foot under and pushing up daisies. These characters give the Wild West a certain life and believability to the game.
The game opens on Colton and his pa Ned hunting various animals in the great outdoors. This hunting expedition will serve gamers as a training simulation for how the game is to be played as it teaches them simple movements, shooting techniques, and of course how to ride a horse like real cowboys tend to do.
As Colton and Ned’s hunting trip comes to a close, trouble seems to be brewing in a near-by town. One thing leads to another and soon Colton and his pa are in a huge showdown with a slew of bandits hunting for a particular item. The two heroes manage to fight off the onslaught of bandits, but Colton’s pa is killed in the process, leaving Colton to wonder who is responsible and for what reason.
Gamers that are familiar with 3rd person shooters like SOCOM and Hitman will feel right at home with this game as “Gun” controls very similar to their control schemes.
Gamers can run, duck, and dive out of the way of oncoming gunfire while taking careful aim and returning some hot lead of their own. Gamers with especially good aim will soon discover that they can pinpoint certain spots on enemies to disable them a lot more quickly. Head shots tend to the trick in one shot, but what fun is that when gamers can shoot the gun right of the enemy’s hand and watch them squirm.
Speaking of guns, a wide arrangement is available at gamers’ disposal. This includes knifes, tomahawks, dynamite, Molotov cocktails, bows, pistols, rifles, shotguns, and even mounted gatling guns. Each gun has its own strength and weakness and can be upgraded though the town tradesman.
While guns are a dime a dozen in video games nowadays, one of the best features of the game “Gun” is ironically….the guns.
Each gun has its distinct style and feel in the game, but the best part of all is that it actually sounds like a real gun when firing. The problem with most in-game guns is the fact that gun noises are severely muzzled and sound more like Airsoft guns rather than the real deal. This is simply not the case in “Gun” as the sound of a gun in this game is likely to have neighbors locking their doors and calling the police.
The best thing about “Gun” is the ability to roam freely and being able to pick missions at gamers’ own choosing. This makes the gameplay very nonlinear and unrestrained as gamers can choose when they want to continue with the story or just mosey around the beautiful scenery completing side missions, hunting wanted fugitives, or simply mining for gold. No matter where gamers stray to, there is always something to do in this game.
“Gun” is a very well rounded game, and can even be compared to the omnipotent “Grand Theft Auto” series with its type of free roaming gameplay. The only main drawbacks in the game are the ridiculously formulaic boss battles and the slightly clichéd story.
If gamers can manage to look past these minuscule rough spots, they’ll not only find a very solid 3rd person shooter but also the most defining western game in the video game industry.