Gun

Written by Troy Matsumiya  on October 25, 2005

Final Glimpse: Saddle up, pardner! We gots us some rustlers to frag!

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For most gamers, the word УshooterФ conjures up images of heroic soldiers battling the evil Nazi juggernaut, unstoppable technology-enhanced warriors driving back alien invaders, or Hollywood-type tough guys mowing down organized crime lords. War, science fiction and gritty John Woo-like action settings are shooter staples. But oddly enough, one genre that is known for its guns and violence and is still hugely popular after many generations is one of the rarest in the shooter market: the Western.

Fortunately, Neversoft is aiming to fix our childhood fantasies of shootin' cattle rustlers, fightin' corrupt sheriffs, rescuin' prostitutes (hey, I had a twisted childhood, what can I say), and ridin' off into the sunset with the upcoming Gun. You got to love a title that's short, sweet and gets right to the point.

Neversoft is of course best known for the highly successful Tony Hawk series and while one could joke about cowboys on skateboards rustling cattle into a half-pipe, the developers are taking things very seriously. For example, the epic cinematic story is being written by movie screen writer Randall Jahnson, who penned The Doors and The Mask of Zorro. As well, the characters are being voice by Hollywood veterans like Kris Kristofferson, Tom Skerritt, Brad Dourif, Ron Perlman, Lance Henriksen Ц whose gruff gravelly voice is perfect as the bad guy Ц and Thomas Jane as the main character, Colton White (which would justify a great subtitle to the game: The Punisher Goes West!). If it sounds like Neversoft is making a movie rather than a game, you wouldn't be too far off. Gun is promising to emphasize story and character, and make gamers feel as if they are really back in the old West.

The story will take place in the late 1800s, some time after the Civil War and before the turn of the century, when violence, greed and gold fever ruled the day. The story starts in Montana where Colton meets with his father Ned (voiced by Kristofferson). This is also where you will learn the mechanics of the game, including shooting, horse riding and other skills you will need to know. After you get the hang of things, you and Ned meet up with a woman of, shall we say, Уloose moralsФ, on a riverboat. Unfortunately for her and everyone else, a creepy preacher (Dourif) starts trouble and the boat is attacked. Apparently, he wants a medallion that Ned has but before you can ask what's so important about it, you will have to fight off waves of enemies jumping onboard. However, the enemies are too much for you and Ned to handle, so he gives you the medallion and just before you jump off the ship to escape, he tells you in cryptic fashion, УI'm not your father!Ф (no word on whether he will be breathing heavily and wearing a black cape and helmet at the same time). Before you can react, you black out and wake up some time later to find the ironically named Honest Tom trying to steal the medallion off of you. You then discover that you are probably the only survivor of the riverboat raid, and must head to Dodge City to start unraveling the mysteries of who Ned really is and the significance of the medallion.

Once you arrive at Dodge City, you will be free to play the game however you want. Similar to Grand Theft Auto, you can choose from a wide variety of missions, from story missions to fun side quests that include things like: tracking down bounties; delivering mail for the Pony Express; hunting bears, bison, cougars and coyotes (what, no road runners?); battle for or against Native Americans; raid opium dens; panhandle or mine for gold; fight rustlers; gamble your earnings at the poker table; and you will even be able to collect scalps for money. Ouch! Taking on side quests has its benefits, as you can not only earn precious money to spend in the various stores, but also increase your attributes in health, horse skills, gun handling, melee attack and Quick Draw.

The game is a mix of first and third-person shooting with the latter as the default view. When you use Quick Draw mode, you zoom into first person and time slows down Ц call it an 1800s version of bullet-time. Quick Draw mode allows you to target specific body parts and rewards you when you successfully pull off skill shots (mainly head shots, but it also rewards accuracy) by refilling the Quick Draw meter which runs down as you use it.

No self-respecting cowboy should be without a gun, so you will be able to use a variety of authentic weapons of the period, including revolvers (which can be dual-wielded), rifles and shotguns, as well as bows, knives, hatchets and dynamite. You will even be able to use mounted weapons like cannons and Gatling guns. When you want to give your trigger finger a rest, you will be able to use vehicles like canoes and hitch a ride on trains.

However, your main source of transportation Ц and perhaps what could be the coolest feature of the game Ц will be your horse. You will have full control over your trusty four-legged companion and he won't just be for transportation either; you can also use him as a nasty weapon by galloping into enemies or rearing up and trampling them. Now that's gotta hurt. You will also be able to use your horse to jump over and across obstacles. To make your horse gallop faster, you simply dig in your spurs to make him sprint, but be careful since you can literally run your horse to death.

While on your horse, you will be able to freely rotate the camera, allowing you to look and shoot in any direction. Yee hah! When on foot, you will be able to dodge, roll and lean, so will need to keep an eye out for cover.

The open environments are promising to be HUGE, ranging from the mountains of Montana to the plains of Kansas to the deserts of New Mexico. The environments will be streamed like in GTA, so there should be no annoying load times as you explore the various towns, stores, bars, whorehouses, and numerous natural and man-made landmarks scattered across the landscape. And just like GTA (maybe they should call this game Grand Theft Cattle), you can play however you want; feel like starting fights in bars? Go ahead. Want to gun down people in the street? Feel free. However, be warned that the townfolk will react appropriately to your actions, so if you go on a rampage, expect a similar response in return.

Graphically, the game is looking great; the characters have an impressive amount of detail and the expansive environments are stunning. Add support for 720p widescreen and Dolby 5.1 and this should make your home theatre system quite happy. Sadly, the game will be single player only, but the massive environments and wide array of side quests should keep gamers busy for some time.

A word of warning, though: despite the Western setting, this will not be a game for the kids. The developers chose to present a more realistic view of the old West, so the game will be quite violent; shoot someone in the head and a big cloud of blood will spray out as they collapse in painful ragdoll fashion, and attacking someone with hatchets will be a rather messy affair. Throw in the rough customers at bars and brothels, and you won't have the family-oriented Western that most parents remember from their childhood.