Gun for the Xbox is a renter, but a fun one

Gun for the Xbox is a shooting game set in the 1840’s Wild West. While the game setting may be original, the gameplay is pretty linear, like Call of Duty or Star Wars Replublic Commando. I found this game to be pretty fun, but not as good as it could have been. It is also quite short, meaning that you’d be better off renting it for a few days rather than shelling out $40 for your own copy. Due to violence and profanity, this game is rated M for Mature.

This game features a cast of voice actors that could easily have been the stars of a major motion picture. The character which you play, named Colton, is voiced by Thomas Jane from Deep Blue Sea and The Punisher. Kris Kristofferson (Whistler from the Blade movies) plays Ned, and his on-screen character actually looks like him. Other well-known actors include Lance Henriksen (Hard Target), Brad Dourif (Wormtongue from LOTR), Ron Perlman (Hellboy), and Tom Skerritt (Top Gun).

Writing credits for Gun are given to Randall Jahnson, whose previously big-screen scripts include The Mask of Zorro and Oliver Stone’s The Doors. The story begins with you and your father hunting Elk. This little expedition, which also includes quail hunting and a showdown with a bear, serves as a training session for the game’s shooting mechanics. After the hunt, you board a steamboat where your dad has a mysterious behind-closed-doors conversation with a young woman and you see them putting something in a safe. Moments later, the boat is attacked by white men dressed like Native Americans. Just before the boat gets blown up, your father gives you a token to a saloon in Dodge City, then informs you that he’s not your real father. From there, you go off with the token and try to find out the true story of your life.

This game is mostly just a shooter with some role playing elements. The shooting parts of the game, which are quite plentiful, play much like a shooting gallery where you move from scenario to scenario. The action has a very linear feel to it, so much that the only real strategy is to not get hit. I prefer games like Star Wars Battlefront where you can run all over the place and pick your own method of attack. For example, let’s say I need to clear out a building full of bad guys. The game forces me to go inside, room to room, to get at them. I’d much rather go outside and shoot them through the windows, but that is not an option. The role playing elements are your standard RPG fare that involve either going to find someone or something, or to go destroy something or kill someone. These extra missions do add to the otherwise short length of the game’s main storyline.

At times, Gun can be difficult, but luckily it has a lot of waypoints in the middle of shoot-outs so that you don’t have to backtrack too much. Just be sure to save your progress before actually quitting the game. Most of what makes the game difficult are the attempts at making it somewhat realistic. For example, the gun loading times. Back in the 1800’s they didn’t have fully automatic machine guns with 50-round clips. They had some cartridge loading rifles and pistols, but they were limited with ammo consumption. In other words, you had to be a really good shot if you wanted to survive a gunfight. In this game, the reloading can take a few seconds, and simply firing your rifle often takes precious moments in between shots. This means you have to do a lot of duck-and-shoot footwork to clear enemies out of an area. Most of the bad guys just sort of stand there during the gunfights, and their sheer numbers are what make the game tough. If they get too close, you can always whip out your knife and slash them to death.

The graphics in this game are pretty good and capture the look seen in most western movies. I have an HDTV and this game supports 480p mode, so the colors and edges are all pretty crisp. I did notice a few little bugs with the graphics, such as collision issues where people or items melt into one another, but nothing major. Overall, the look of the people and locations is pretty well done. The sound is also very good and this game makes full use of Dolby Digital surround sound. It can be very helpful when somebody is behind you. The music, from composer Christopher Lennertz, is very good. Lennertz also did the music for two of the Medal of Honor video games, as well as several feature films and television shows.

All in all, Gun is a pretty good game, but not worth owning. It plays like an interactive movie, which to me makes it one of those games that you play through once, then never look back. It seems to have been popular enough to spawn a sequel, so maybe the next game will have more options and more freedom to explore. Definitely rent before you buy.