Fun with Gun(s)
| Platform | Presentation | Controls | Variety | Audio | Depth | Value & Fun | OVERALL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GameCube | 7.00 | 7.00 | 8.00 | 9.50 | 7.00 | 8.50 | 7.81 |
| Presentation | 7.00 |
|
The world is a fair size, although it certainly feels confined at the beginning. The character faces look great, but there are some strange deformities in the hands. The whole game runs at a frame-rate that's a little slow, but it's consistent and doesn't hinder gameplay. There are some graphical glitches throughout the game, namely the entire Alhambra saloon being empty when you enter but still has crowd ambiance, then people slowly appear when you turn away while in the saloon; the other is that once you do the side missions for a certain person, he'll be there when you approach, then disappear. There are also a few minor clipping problems not being able to shoot closely against the edge of a rock or fence. |
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| Controls | 7.00 |
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Movement on foot feels very stiff at first, but grows comfortable. Horseback riding feels smooth throughout the game; while some things may come across as difficult to do on horseback, it's naturally difficult as it should be. Switching weapons is too complicated for its own good. Hold left on the D-pad to open up the menu in the corned then: press Up/Down/Left/Right on the C-stick for the different heavy weapons (Rifle/Snipe/Shotgun/Bow) or press L/R to switch between explosives (Whiskey Bomb/Dynamite). Tap left on the D-pad to quick switch to your last selected heavy weapon. Meanwhile on the D-pad, press up to heal, right to reload, and down to switch to zoom aim. You also press down on the D-pad to put away your pistols, so in order to holster your weapon, you have to switch to pistols then put those away. Shooting is fairly intuitive, though, and is quite tactile. Throwing your explosives or things you pick up has a metre, which while you'd think would be a no-brainer, there are plenty of games out there without one. |
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| Variety | 8.00 |
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What made the west what it was is in this game. Mining gold, quick-draws, poker, cattle-herding, wanted posters, the Pony Express and more. It definitely feels like the west, which is a big plus for the game. Mining gold is simply a matter finding a pile of golden rock and pressing Y to mine it (if you have the pick-axe) to get $10 to spend at one of three shops. You can also make money (and improve your stats in Gun Handling, Quick Draw, Health, Horse, and Melee) through side missions including ranching, pony express, deputy work, helping the federal marshall and poker tournaments. Oddly, you can make more money in the game that you can spend as the things you can buy are finite in number. There are 6 rounds of poker to unlock in total, and you make $10 multiplied by the round number. For the first 3 rounds you are able to cheat by inserting a card that you hide under the table from a previous hand. Aside from that, it's standard texas hold 'em poker with sub-par AI, but it's fun in its own right (and only take 5 minutes, if that, to win). Wanted Posters allow you to go bounty hunting, which will warrant different approaches depending on what the bounty is up for; these include dead/alive/either and they is an occasion in which there is more than one outlaw with individual circumstances. I found these the most entertaining, although they are likely the most simplistic. Deputy work and federal marshall tasks are varied, while ranching has you herding cattle and pony express has you delivering things on a stiff timeline. There is also hunting, which you simply talk to the hunter, then you can finish the hunt anytime unlike the other missions which you do immediately. The only problems overall with the variety are that you don't really notice the stat changes, the side missions are pretty simplistic, NPCs are there only for decoration, and the game is very short. I'd estimate 10 hours or less, although there was no timer on the game and I don't pay close attention to the clock. |
|
| Audio | 9.50 |
| Beautiful scores with stellar voice-acting. While there are a few spots of cliched characters and voices, the main characters in the story are excellent. The main track from the game is particular good and fits well. All that's missing is parlor music in the saloons; there is one piano playing one song that you can only hear if you stand right beside it and move the camera over the piano. | |
| Depth | 7.00 |
| Gun is too much gun for it's own good. For the most part you can plow through the enemies with ignorance to your health and be fine; in fact, there are some situations in which that's the best strategy. There is some tactical methods such as hiding for cover, and whether to use your horse to trample enemies or to ride and shoot. Overall, the variety in game modes adds more to the depth than the depth in gunplay itself. | |
| Value & Fun | 8.50 |
|
While the game is short, it is very enjoyable. The whole world feels realized, and the presentation in general is top-notch. The story is fantastic, and the characters are well imagined and portrayed; it's also right in the perfect position between brutal violence and disgusting violence, which is a thin line. In fact, the game passes so quickly, that playing through it again will likely be of interest, especially if you played it on Normal (what I chose) or Easy, as the game isn't that difficult (but difficult enough) on Normal. However, the gameplay does get a bit redundant, and the illusion is shattered somewhat by how many shots you can take. The run-and-gun style feels detrimental, especially for the first while until you just get used to it. The game is also seriously lacking pistols-at-dawn action. While there is the quick-draw which allows you to slow time for a short period and pick off enemies with your pistols, there's no standing in the streets and drawing against an enemy with a one-hit kill type scenario, which is probably the most prominently known thing about the west. And again, the final boss battle failure. I won't give any spoilers, but it's frustrating, confusing, and completely unrealistic in every respect. |
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| Overall | 7.81 |
| Gun is clearly flawed, yet incredibly fun for what it is. There is plenty of what you'd expect from a game of this nature, and a grand story along with it. If you're a fan of the west (particularly, western movies), definitely take interest in Gun. | |
Posted by Ellyoda Tue, 09 May 2006 00:00:00
Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:18:09
Do you remember how long it was?
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