Subscribe to the Tech Gamer column:
RSS or Newsletter.

---

Why not try our Blog, Radio or TV shows. Click for samples...

---

GUN 360

Format:
360

Genre:
Shooting

Buy/Support:
Support Simon, click to buy via us...

Looking back over videogame history the Western has been woefully represented with some shockingly bad games and a general lack of titles on any platform. With the prospect of the genre seeing a mini-revival over the next few months I went back and found a few gems that had somehow slipped under my radar.

Gun was a multiplatform game that came out on the 360 at launch and was widely derided as a buggy and short experience that didn’t justify its place on a next-gen console. But looking past its ancient graphics I was happy to find a gritty and brutal game that didn’t shy away from showing the Old West as it was.

The first few moments with GUN were spent getting to grips with the controls by hunting buffalo and fending off wolves and bears. It’s a wonderfully down-to-earth way of introducing the characters and starts the game off with a logical beginning. Although the visuals are the same as the PS2 version the voice acting in this game can’t be commended enough. It’s all well and good having big name stars to voice characters but more often than not they come across as wooden as deadwood. Kris Kristofferson, Lance Henrikson and Brad Dourif earn their paychecks with aplomb and give this game some unique character and weight.

Although the storyline has its share of overblown moments it displays a ruthless and honest streak when it comes to issues like racism and misogyny. The old west was a harsh and nasty place and it’s good to see GUN attempting to show this with its story. Native Americans, the Chinese and woman in general are all portrayed as they would have been back in the 1880’s. One scene in particular made me audibly gasp as a potential love-interest had her throat cut explicitly in front of me. Whereas most other games would tread the more clichéd road, GUN just shows what would be more likely.

This attitude runs through the plot from beginning to end, showing the protagonists journey from wild hunter man to bitter revenge seeker at the conclusion. Although various parts of the plot, including Cole’s heritage, get a little wacky it suits the game entirely. The bullet-time fits into this as well and lets you blaze away in slow-mo with unlimited ammo as long as the gauge lasts. I bet Clint Eastwood would’ve liked that.

Although it’s a short experience at around 5-6 hours, it means the plot gets to move a lot quicker than other games. Sustaining a storyline for longer than that would have weakened it. That’s not to say it feels like a finished game as there a few sections where the narrative lurches forward a little quicker than perhaps it should. These missing sections don’t do too much damage to the game but it does feel a little incomplete at times.

To counteract this there are side-missions and they’re essential to raise your stats as the game gets dramatically more difficult towards its conclusion. It’s a shame that these missions don’t vary enough as the world of GUN feels very coherent and flows together nicely. It’s not on par with GTA’s level of open-world fun but it offers a glimpse as to what could have been if the game had been given more time.

The problems I ran into were always to do with boss fights. Some of these were so irritating that I had to admit defeat and search for guide - something I always hate doing. These fights were nearly always subject to bugs or glitches, another symptom of the rushed development.

None of these complaints can take away my overall enjoyment of the game. It might be a buggy mess and look nothing more than a straight PS2 port, but it’s full of fun and tells an interesting story that’s well worth experiencing.

Written by Simon Arquette

You can support Simon by buying GUN



Subscribe to this column:
RSS | Newsletter

Share this review:
Tweet

Simon Arquette writes the Tech Gamer column.

"Gaming technology and techniques fascinate me, always have and always will do. They've driven me to a gaming degree, and aspirations to a whole lot more. Here though, I'll be reviewing games for how they put their technology to work to deliver a compelling experience."

Here are the games I've been playing recently:

• Skylanders Trap Team
• Skylanders Swap Force
• Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
• Handheld
• Home