Gun (2005 Video Game)
8/10
Probably the best Western game to date, but still room for improvement.
12 February 2007
If Gun were two or three times larger and longer, it could have been truly great. It just seems to move way too fast. I wish the timing of the game was more like GTA or Mafia, and there was more to do. Even better would be a completely free-form western role-playing game. A Morrowind style game for the Wild West would be perfect.

They needed to do a little more research on the real Wild West, too. They did do research of course, but as they say, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Gun mixes elements from many historical eras of the American West with no concern for reality. It is set in 1880, but you have 1830s mountain men with percussion rifles and keelboats right alongside 1870s Colt Peacemakers and 1880s lever action shotguns. And 1850s Volcanic Repeating Pistols being presented as superb state of the art weapons in 1880 is laughable. The Volcanics were abandoned in 1860 as they were too underpowered. The basic design became the basis for the Henry & Winchester rifles. Also, Colton's arm tattooing is from the Eastern Woodlands Iroquois of New York and Ontario. Not the Apache of New Mexico.

Another thing that I HATE about Gun are the huge guiding words everywhere. For God's sake, let me find the wanted poster or the shopkeeper or the Marshall or Hoodoo Brown by myself. Don't show me huge words floating in the sky. If you really think most players are too impatient to search for themselves at least give me the option to turn the guide words off. The same goes for the constant prompting telling me what to do next. I can play my own game, thanks very much.

I love the blood and crsing myself, but I would also appreciate an option to turn off blood and profanity for when my kids play.

I also would prefer a primarily first person viewpoint with the ability to go third person as an option. Seeing my character on screen knocks me right out of the feeling that I am really there in the game world. Sure, it's nice to have third person for screenshots and checking out the costume, but playing first person is much more immersive.

Finally, making the renegades look like undead zombies was just stupid and probably meant to lure in kids who won't play a game that doesn't have fantasy or supernatural elements. I wish the renegades just looked like scummy desperadoes in tattered cavalry uniforms, and not like walking corpses.

But, all in all, having the chance to ride a horse and fight outlaws and wild Indians is worth putting up with all these problems. I really love Gun. I just wish it was bigger and you had more freedom and things to do.
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