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Gun (PS2)

• Developer:
• Publisher: Activision
• Genre:
• Official Website: http://www.gunthegame.com
• Score: 2 of 5: Strictly Rental

Sometimes less is more. What a great saying. At first, I was unsure what to rate this game, and I was asking fellow reviewers on the forums what they thought they would give the game. I just couldn't agree with Vyolynce on the forums when he told me that even if a game is short, it can still be better than a 30-hour epic with many boring side missions. How right he was …

If you didn't know, Gun is often described as GTA in the Wild West. The reason to this is, the game works a lot like the GTA games. You have your main story, but meanwhile, there are a bunch of side missions you can do-not to mention the game rivals GTA in violence and adult content (no Hot Coffee in this one; instead you get Cold Whiskey).

The main game starts off with a ‘tutorial' of sorts. You are hunting with your father Ned, and you learn the basic controls. After this mini tutorial, the fun begins. You get on a steamboat, which gets ambushed by some baddies that you obviously must kill. Other than blasting the crap out of them like you would normally in any other shooter game, you can use melee attacks with your knife (you can later purchase a scalping knife, sword and tomahawk) or use the quick-draw feature (more on that later).

The story is intriguing and interesting, with only a few flaws. The characters who are on your side are likeable, especially the main character Colton White (voiced by Thomas Jane). Normally in games, I don't really care for the villains, but the ones in Gun felt like they deserved to be killed, and it's a relief once you kill them-the end feels rewarding.

Some of the side ‘quests' available to you are hunting, working for the sheriff or other law enforcements, going to the ranch and helping the rancher or hunting down criminals. It is essential to do these so your stats get upgraded, as well as because they are just plain fun.

With quick-draw, you go into slow motion in the first person. Your revolver is being used now, and you can aim accurately and take care of a lot of people very fast. Quick-draw is also useful if you want to blow out dynamite out of the air that is being thrown at you. A variety of weapons are at your disposal such as rifles, shotguns, various melee weapons, bows and so on. You can scalp people, but other than hearing them scream in pain and agony, you can't do anything with their scalp. Now, wouldn't have that been a morbid side quest/goal to get a certain number of scalps? You are able to run while you gun and shoot while on horseback. Speaking of horses, you can go and trample the guys that are on foot or kill the enemy's horse. Pure awesomeness, if you ask me.

I have no complaints about any aspect of the sound in the game. The music is excellent, dramatic and touching, but not overdone. The guns sound great, unlike the peashooters in the GTA games. Voice acting for everyone is one of the best I have heard in a video game, making the game seem like a cinematic experience.

The graphics are pretty good. While no God of War or Resident Evil 4, the game looks pretty good on the PS2. The frame rate is good-it isn't like in GTA: San Andreas, when you fly your plane and then you notice there is a tree in front of you which just appeared out of nowhere. Sometimes when you sprint on your horse (because instead of using cars, you use horses to get around), grass appears out of nowhere on a dirt road, but that is not a nuisance. Also, when on your horse and going in sandy or dusty areas, you leave a trail of dust behind you. Nothing mind-blowing, but a nice addition.

To be honest, I really didn't expect much from Gun, and to my surprise, I had a really a really good time playing it. Maybe I should just expect every game to be mediocre, or not expect anything at all, because lately the games I wanted/expected to be good turned out to be average, and vice versa. Sadly, you can finish the whole game (and maybe all of the side quests) in a few days, which might discourage people from buying the game. At full price, it's a definitely worth a rental, but once the game becomes cheaper, it's a no-brainer: purchase. (And just so you know, there is a sequel in the making, which I can't wait for!)

Jan 26, 2006 | 2 comments
Mate Bors