And The Uglier!
Aside from combat scenarios GUN has an absorbing storyline worthy of any movie. The story is certainly one of the main reasons for sticking with the game right up to its conclusion. The cut scenes are refreshing. They can be skipped through but this would really take something out of a game that relies on the story to carry you all the way through to its end.
The graphics are generally below par. This game is a port of the PS2 game and it’s easy to tell. Characters are sometimes blocky whilst water and environment effects, such as leaves falling from trees or grass swaying in the wind, do not capture the realism that you would expect from the power of the 360. The animal animations are far better than the character animations. Your horse canters and gallops as accurately as you would expect, whilst wolves snarl realistically and elks wander around the forest. Enemy death animations are very realistic. Shoot a guy in the head with a powerful gun and watch his head explode or hit him in the leg and watch him hobble with pain. Shoot a man off the back of a horse and watch him fall of the saddle in the same dramatic fashion of those great movies. These death animations emphasise the violent and gratuitous nature of GUN. Explosions lack the oomph and graphical dazzlement that you would expect from an exploding barrel of TNT but generally, the vast wastelands and the gritty towns are well textured and realistic enough to get away with it.
Click for larger imageThe sound of the game makes up for most of the graphical inadequacies. Thomas Jane plays the role of the hero, Colton and puts in a convincing performance as a tough desperado. The great acting from the entire cast makes for an authentic journey back in time to the cowboy era.
The weapon sounds and effects are distinctly western and accurately capture the sensation and chaos of what it must have been like to engage in a gunfight back then, whilst the musical score adds to the feeling of involvement and intensity throughout the game.
The most disappointing thing about GUN is no online or multiplayer modes. When will we see a Wild West game that allows us to take on other would-be cowboys in a 12-man saloon battle? GUN is a decent single player game that does well to capture the dirty, violent world of the late 1800’s without doing anything groundbreaking. It’s a short game that could do with some extra missions thrown in but the combination of good story and excellent gameplay make it an essential buy for any fans of the Wild West.
Pros
Gripping Gameplay
Good storyline
Excellent side missions
Fluid control System
Cons
Too short
No Online or Multiplayer modes
Graphically average
The best Wild West shooter on the Xbox 360, but seeing as its the only Wild West shooter on the Xbox 360, that isn't saying much...
