The Bad
Combat throughout the game is simple; you select your weapon, aim your crosshair and shoot. The crosshair will turn red once you have aimed towards the enemy, indicating that you are shooting on target. There is location-based damage. If you score a headshot, your enemies head will explode, whilst aiming for the legs will cause your opponent to dance the jig of pain. Cover is important since nonchalantly charging in-guns blazing (even on the Normal setting) is a quick way to an early grave. Use your left button to duck behind inanimate objects such as bars and boxes and bob your head up and down to take out your foes. Shooting is fluid and much easier than previous Western shooters, aim a little off centre and the reticule will still turn red allowing you to get a shot in before your opponent.
Click for larger imageThe quick-draw ability is an essential skill easily mastered in Gun. When surrounded by half a dozen enemies, quick-draw is a great tool for culling the bad guys down, and cull them you will. When the steamboat trip turns nasty in the first mission, Ned has to fight an army of desperados who attack the ship in vast numbers. Entering quick-draw is simply a press of the right button. The mode is timed and this ability will fade rather quickly. Whilst in quick-draw, time slows down, your gun has unlimited ammo and your bullets do a lot more damage. Arrows appear on the screen in this mode, which represent nearby enemies’ locations, which can be quickly targeted with a flick of the left analogue stick in the direction of your next victim. It’s an incredibly fluid and intuitive system, and is a vast improvement on the targeting system employed in the recently similar game, Red Dead Revolver. Also, by pressing the ‘X’ button, you can slice your opponent to pieces in close up battles.
Click for larger imageYour health will diminish when hit and can be replenished by taking a swig from your whiskey bottle. You can buy an upgrade that increases your health bar, from the local shopkeepers.
Overall the combat is consistently good and you’ll find yourself taking out gringos with ease. Perhaps the most fun to be had is shooting from the safety of horseback.
