GUN - The NES Files

He rode out of west on a steel horse with his trusted six-shooter by his side - Colton White is out for revenge and he wants answers. After all hell breaks loose on a river boat, he wakes up to find himself wrapped up in even bigger problems as he searches to find the meaning behind the crimes and tragedies of his mysterious past. This calm but stern protagonist can best be described as Max Payne of the Old West, but let's not get the wrong impression here. Although 'Gun' does bare many similiarities to 'Max Payne' and the like, it is very much a game on its own.
So now Activision has brought us a title that has the open-ended goodness of 'Grand Theft Auto' with the unparalleled intensity of 'Resident Evil 4'. Behold ''.

Created by Neversoft (makers of Tony Hawk skating games, and not much else), this game really took me by surprise. Although there was a little hype, it seemed like this was something that was just going to blow over and quickly become forgotton. Thankfully there was enough of a memorable game here to warrant a solid recommendation.
There's no shortage of platforms to play this one on (5 total). It was released for PS2, GameCube, XBOX, XBOX 360, and PC. All versions, to my knowledge, are the same (although the XBOX's have some sort of "LIVE" thing that I didn't bother looking into).

At the core is a 'Grand Theft Auto' style mission based format set in a completely free-roaming environment. There are some "invisible walls" to contain you, but for the most part you're pretty much free as a bird to travel the vast area the makes up the game from quite early on.
And what an area it is. The land seems to stretch out for miles, and not a single load screen to interrupt the action (even when entering buildings, caves, etc). In fact, this is probably the single largest environment I've ever seen in a video game that didn't have load times, and it just made the whole experience that much better.
Imagine running through a game the size of 'Ocarina of Time' and never having to see a blackout screen before loading the next area - that's 'Gun'.

The "story missions" are in logical order, but the "side missions" can be done whenever they become available at any point in the game. Although it's possible to just play the story parts, you will gain valuable stat increases (more health, faster quick-draw, better horses, etc) by finishing the side missions.

Horses in 'Gun' are almost like cars in 'GTA' and are a vital part of game play. You can jump in the saddle of any one you see, and riding the horse is a lot of fun. You can jump or dash at will and it controls much like a actual horse (the realistic movements are amazing). Horseback riding takes up a good majority of the exploration, so it was important to incorporate a good "horse engine" such as this.

The adventure element comes into play in missions such as "hunt down and kill the one rare animal terrorizing the countryside" or searching for "gold". The size of the area really creates the feeling of a sense of travel as you wander the expansive fields and canyons. I really think adventure game makers could learn something by observing the landscape in 'Gun'. This is how it should be done people.

The game's action involves some of the usual western clichÃ©s, but amped up to the extreme. There's heavy fire fights on the streets of Dodge City, showdowns at the local saloon, wanted criminals on the loose, train robberies, stagecoach ambushes, Indian raids (yes they are called "Indians" in this game), and a lot of situations involving "dynamite".
What makes the action so good to play is the responsive and intuitive controls. It's easy to aim and fire your weapons and switch them on the fly. You can take down your foes with head shots, shooting the guns out of their hands, or fire at their legs to knock them out of the action without killing them (this is how you take criminals "alive" in "wanted: dead or alive" situations).
Then there's the "quick-draw" feature. By the simple press of a button, the game shifts into first-person mode and moves in slow motion so you can easily aim and pick off your enemies for a limited period of time. This slow motion effect may remind us of something seen in 'The Matrix' movies or the "bullet time" in 'Max Payne' but it is suitable here in 'Gun' and not overused. Remember - Colton is supposed to be a crack shot so slowing down time is really just a way to exploit his ability in a game play situation.

The variety of weapons is decent too. Because this takes place in 1890, there's no sub-machine guns or rocket launchers, but there is a nice number of authentic weapons like rifles, shotguns, revolvers, and bows. The are cannons and TNT barrels to handle the "explosive" part of the firePOWer, and thrown objects such as dynamite sticks and a "whiskey bomb" ("molotov cocktail" by modern speak) to ignite your foes.
In addition, there is also melee combat for close range fighting. You can slash your knife or wail away with a tomahawk if anyone gets near you in the midst of a shootout just by hitting the melee button. It's really all about the quick, responsive controls here.

The graphics are very well detailed. Especially the landscape (considering how large it is). Although most of the plains and the "Badlands" are fairly empty, it all looks really good at least. Other nice touches are the sky and mountain sides, particularly when you are viewing them in motion. Seeing the gorgeous sunrise over the hazy mountain range is truly a sight to behold.
The characters are well animated and rendered as well. Animals such as buffaloes, wolves, cougars, and of course horses are some of the best animal graphics I've ever seen.
So yeah, the graphics are excellent.

The sound is top notch as well. All the spoken dialog is done by convincing voice over actors (including Kris Kristofferson as Ned, Colt's father) and is very entertaining.
The in-game ambience is superb. When walking into a saloon you can here the sound of people laughing and drinking while the piano player is pounding out some old tune. Then upon walking out, the sound of the people inside the bar fades and as you step outside you will hear stuff like the wind blowing, horses making horselike sounds, and just people in general bustling about the town. Again, NO LOAD TIMES. Cool stuff.
There is one scene has you and group of Indians raiding a fort. The sound here is reminiscient of something out of a Civil War movie. At night time, all's quiet with just the sound of crickets and crackling fires nearby. It's this kind of sound production that creates a rich atmosphere that really takes gaming to a whole new level of alternate reality.
So yeah, the "sound" is good too.

The music is very well arranged. Sometimes very melodramatic like a Hollywood score, other times just a catchy western rythm. It perfectly compliments the well designed cut-scenes and never overPOWers the in-game ambience.

So have a listen to it. It's not bad.

Content wise, this game is definitely "Mature rated". The violence (especially the main bad guy's brutality) is quite extreme. First-person and melee combat is visceral and detailed right down to the last punctured artery or chunk of flying flesh. You can even "scalp" half-dead enemies with the proper knife just for sake of doing so.
This of course, is all very entertaining (if not for desired reasons).

Not all is perfect though. I really felt the game faltered in the final act. A frustrating last boss and an "ending" that left a few unanswered questions. I wanted a "successive play" mode as well (where I could start a new game with my finished game stats and weapon/items) but that is not possible.
It's also short (to be finished in under 20 hours on average) and not much of chance to use those cool unlockable things I got for getting 100% completion.

So there is still room for improvement, but this is still a must have/play game. Perhaps we'll see those improvements in a possible sequel. 'Gun 2' perhaps?
I'll be waiting.