GUN
Posted December 5, 2005
Disclaimer: I never played this game on any other machine, so I am judging it solely as a first time experience. I'm assuming most people who own the 360 waited for this to come out versus any type of upgrade scenario which strangely is the angle other review sites seem to be taking. You've been warned....
You can probably credit the acclaimed HBO series "Deadwood" for reviving the western genre, making it cool and mainstream again. Last year we saw "Red Dead Revolver" from Rockstar released and this year brings the highly anticipated "GUN". This game was created by the notorious Neversoft, who defined the skateboarding genre with their Tony Hawk series. Can they step outside the skateboarding genre and create something equally as good? After playing this game for countless hours, I would say the answer is "yes".
It's sometime during the 1880s, you are in a bleak, expansive Montana known for its wide open skies and endless horizons. Ned White is a simple man. He is raising a son who isn't his, yet the son does not know this. Sadly, in an explosion aboard a steamboat, Ned is killed. He somehow manages to save his son Colton. Right before he dies he is able to pass along to Colton the truth of his past. Colton plunges into the chill river water and everything goes black. Days later he awakes and mysteriously finds a token in his hand from the Alhambra saloon. Soon this illegitimate son will learn more about the mystery behind his father's death aboard the steamboat. He embarks on a cold blooded journey which will bring him closer and closer to the truth.
The story is absolutely brilliant and a credit to the western genre. It hits you with wonderfully written and acted characters right out of a classic John Wayne western. If you have any interest in westerns at all, you will most likely enjoy this game. From the start till the end, the story is a real treat. Add to all of this a score which beautifully complements the story and you have one of the most enjoyable games this holiday season.
Gameplay:
There are strong influences from the Grand Theft Auto series in this game. With wide open spaces and no time limit, you can wander around, find missions, and do random stuff. It is this kind of freedom that makes the game so much fun. Controlling your own destination gives a certain level of realism to the entire game.
However, be aware, that once the game gets going, it will definitely guide you into certain directions. You'll need to talk to certain individuals and go on various missions based on what you are told. Although it is definitely liberating in terms of what you can do, the story of the game will push you down a linear path much like Grand Theft Auto. When and how you carry out the various missions is up to you for the most part though.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of this game is the wide array of weapons you will find. Colts, Rifles, shotguns, sniping rifles, and even tomahawks, whisky bottles, dynamite, and more can all be used. Each weapon has a slightly different use, and also some are more powerful than others. Every time you complete a mission, you will unlock more weapons, each time more powerful. This is useful because as the game progresses, you will need the more powerful weapons to deal with the increasingly dangerous enemies.
One of the coolest parts of the game is the extensive, wide open range in which you inhabit. This lends itself very much to a wild west atmosphere where life is desolate, the sky is forever and ghost towns fade in and out of existence. Unlike Grand Theft Auto however, there aren't people and buildings constantly filling the landscape, but I like this as it gives the game a feeling of lonely despair. I actually felt like I was in the west, it helped immerse me into the game more.
The other really cool part of the game play is a bullet time-esque ability your character has after doing well in the battles. It is called "Quick Draw" mode and really makes the game a blast (pun intended). There is a meter which you build up after getting head shots and shooting well, once it is filled the game will slow down and you can blast away moving much faster than the actual speed of the game. This is one of the most exhilarating pieces of the game play, and really adds to that "coolness" factor.
Throughout the various missions you will encounter some tough bosses you must defeat in order to progress. I found this one of the more frustrating aspects of the game, because they are truly difficult, much like older games. In order to defeat them you must learn some sort of pattern and at the same time constantly spray them with bullets. Be prepared to be aggravated, it won't be easy.
Graphics:
The graphics in this game are probably more along the lines of the older generation than the newer generation. This makes sense since GUN was built and designed on the last generation of systems. They went back and improved the various textures and graphics for the 360 to give it a fresh look. Don't fret, it still looks great, especially in Hi Def. The models and animation are a bit "last gen" but that won't stop you from enjoying this game. The wide open skies are hypnotically rendered, the guns and various weapons are brutally animated, and the bosses are ass-kickingly powerful. The landscapes are especially nice, sometimes dusty and dirty, sometimes awe-inspiring. The grittily rendered characters with their ugly mugs fit perfectly with the genre. You should definitely have an HDTV to take advantage of the higher-res textures and enjoy the scenery more.
I'm not going to overly comment on the graphics because I think this game is better than the graphics it has, and I don't think this somewhat negative attribute is worth dwelling on.
Audio:
The game's score is straight out of a western. The voice acting is superb (they hired some excellent talent to do the voices on this game). The sound is one of the most enchanting pieces of this game. On a nice home audio setup, you will hear some very fantastic 5.1 audio. For example, imagine Indians circling you at night. The battles will happen all around you. The talent is just great here too, they never slip up or sound unrealistic, they are true professional actors.
Conclusion:
GUN is an amazing combination of television series Deadwood and Grand Theft Auto series, with lots of twists, turns, and amazing game play. The 360 version seems to be scoring lower than average in various review sites, but the biggest complaint is that they didn't do enough to call it a 360 game. I doubt many would fall into the category of buying this twice, and would be more like me, coming to this game fresh. In that case, I can highly recommend it. The graphics are good, the game play excellent, the audio great, and overall it's just plain old fun. It's something you can just pick up on some day and play for a few hours, and revisit a couple of months later.
You can probably credit the acclaimed HBO series "Deadwood" for reviving the western genre, making it cool and mainstream again. Last year we saw "Red Dead Revolver" from Rockstar released and this year brings the highly anticipated "GUN". This game was created by the notorious Neversoft, who defined the skateboarding genre with their Tony Hawk series. Can they step outside the skateboarding genre and create something equally as good? After playing this game for countless hours, I would say the answer is "yes".
It's sometime during the 1880s, you are in a bleak, expansive Montana known for its wide open skies and endless horizons. Ned White is a simple man. He is raising a son who isn't his, yet the son does not know this. Sadly, in an explosion aboard a steamboat, Ned is killed. He somehow manages to save his son Colton. Right before he dies he is able to pass along to Colton the truth of his past. Colton plunges into the chill river water and everything goes black. Days later he awakes and mysteriously finds a token in his hand from the Alhambra saloon. Soon this illegitimate son will learn more about the mystery behind his father's death aboard the steamboat. He embarks on a cold blooded journey which will bring him closer and closer to the truth.
The story is absolutely brilliant and a credit to the western genre. It hits you with wonderfully written and acted characters right out of a classic John Wayne western. If you have any interest in westerns at all, you will most likely enjoy this game. From the start till the end, the story is a real treat. Add to all of this a score which beautifully complements the story and you have one of the most enjoyable games this holiday season.
Gameplay:
There are strong influences from the Grand Theft Auto series in this game. With wide open spaces and no time limit, you can wander around, find missions, and do random stuff. It is this kind of freedom that makes the game so much fun. Controlling your own destination gives a certain level of realism to the entire game.
However, be aware, that once the game gets going, it will definitely guide you into certain directions. You'll need to talk to certain individuals and go on various missions based on what you are told. Although it is definitely liberating in terms of what you can do, the story of the game will push you down a linear path much like Grand Theft Auto. When and how you carry out the various missions is up to you for the most part though.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of this game is the wide array of weapons you will find. Colts, Rifles, shotguns, sniping rifles, and even tomahawks, whisky bottles, dynamite, and more can all be used. Each weapon has a slightly different use, and also some are more powerful than others. Every time you complete a mission, you will unlock more weapons, each time more powerful. This is useful because as the game progresses, you will need the more powerful weapons to deal with the increasingly dangerous enemies.
One of the coolest parts of the game is the extensive, wide open range in which you inhabit. This lends itself very much to a wild west atmosphere where life is desolate, the sky is forever and ghost towns fade in and out of existence. Unlike Grand Theft Auto however, there aren't people and buildings constantly filling the landscape, but I like this as it gives the game a feeling of lonely despair. I actually felt like I was in the west, it helped immerse me into the game more.
The other really cool part of the game play is a bullet time-esque ability your character has after doing well in the battles. It is called "Quick Draw" mode and really makes the game a blast (pun intended). There is a meter which you build up after getting head shots and shooting well, once it is filled the game will slow down and you can blast away moving much faster than the actual speed of the game. This is one of the most exhilarating pieces of the game play, and really adds to that "coolness" factor.
Throughout the various missions you will encounter some tough bosses you must defeat in order to progress. I found this one of the more frustrating aspects of the game, because they are truly difficult, much like older games. In order to defeat them you must learn some sort of pattern and at the same time constantly spray them with bullets. Be prepared to be aggravated, it won't be easy.
Graphics:
The graphics in this game are probably more along the lines of the older generation than the newer generation. This makes sense since GUN was built and designed on the last generation of systems. They went back and improved the various textures and graphics for the 360 to give it a fresh look. Don't fret, it still looks great, especially in Hi Def. The models and animation are a bit "last gen" but that won't stop you from enjoying this game. The wide open skies are hypnotically rendered, the guns and various weapons are brutally animated, and the bosses are ass-kickingly powerful. The landscapes are especially nice, sometimes dusty and dirty, sometimes awe-inspiring. The grittily rendered characters with their ugly mugs fit perfectly with the genre. You should definitely have an HDTV to take advantage of the higher-res textures and enjoy the scenery more.
I'm not going to overly comment on the graphics because I think this game is better than the graphics it has, and I don't think this somewhat negative attribute is worth dwelling on.
Audio:
The game's score is straight out of a western. The voice acting is superb (they hired some excellent talent to do the voices on this game). The sound is one of the most enchanting pieces of this game. On a nice home audio setup, you will hear some very fantastic 5.1 audio. For example, imagine Indians circling you at night. The battles will happen all around you. The talent is just great here too, they never slip up or sound unrealistic, they are true professional actors.
Conclusion:
GUN is an amazing combination of television series Deadwood and Grand Theft Auto series, with lots of twists, turns, and amazing game play. The 360 version seems to be scoring lower than average in various review sites, but the biggest complaint is that they didn't do enough to call it a 360 game. I doubt many would fall into the category of buying this twice, and would be more like me, coming to this game fresh. In that case, I can highly recommend it. The graphics are good, the game play excellent, the audio great, and overall it's just plain old fun. It's something you can just pick up on some day and play for a few hours, and revisit a couple of months later.