GUN

Activision's new title, Gun, attempts to bring the Wild West back to life with the sandbox-style gameplay of the blockbuster Grand Theft Auto series. As they figure, I suppose, GTA already went back to the eighties – why not a bit farther back?

The result is a somewhat mixed bag. On one hand, this virtual western is convincing. There are old fashioned weapons, hunting, steamboats, horses, dynamite, and all other expected elements. There's big, dusty Dodge City to roam around in, with many interesting characters to mingle with, and a fair number of missions – both integral to the plot and side quests – available for the taking.

The plot revolves around a young fellow named Colton – you. The game kicks off with a training sequence where Colton learns to hunt with his dad, Ned. They both soon board a steamboat headed for Dodge City, where Ned seems to be involved in some sneaky business. Before you know it a crazy priest is starting to wreak havoc and the boat is being invaded by enemies. Ned goes down with a sinking ship, but leaves you with an elusive little trinket. You wash ashore and are found by a devious fellow who offers you a horse – and the game goes from there.

The storyline, while not terribly long, is interesting through and through and the cutscenes are decently well done. The whole game will take you easily under 10 hours to beat, although partaking in some of the sidequests will up the game time a bit. Still, since there's no experience or stat-building system in place, and the sidequests barely add to the main story, there really isn't that much point in doing them.

Maybe they'd be worth doing if Gun were extremely fun, but it really isn't. The actual gameplay screams “mediocre” from the start, with clunky controls firmly in place – and not helped at all by the somewhat cumbersome GameCube controller layout. Colton can do basic movement and jumps and crouches, but it all feels a little stiff. Aiming with the C-stick nub is also a real pain at times, especially since the reticule is so tiny and it's hard to strike the right balance between overly-sensitive and not-sensitive-enough with the C-stick.

Luckily the game offers a nifty little “Quick Draw” function that acts similarly to bullet-time in Max Payne or perhaps moreso like the slo-mo in the recently released F.E.A.R. as the game zooms into a first-person viewpoint when triggered. Basically, the game slows down enough that it is very easy to hit enemies. As if this weren't enough, it also offers up what is essentially automatic aiming – just tap a button and no matter how far off you are from your target, your gun will swing exactly in the direction it needs to. All you have to do is actually pull the trigger.

The enemy AI is somewhat devious – and while it seems a bit too straightforward, enemies can be challenging, especially since you are often outnumbered. And when your Quick Draw meter runs out, you're pretty much temporarily in a very tight spot. Luckily taking a swig of Colton's flask restores a bunch of your health immediately, and refills are extremely abundant. Everyone loves to drink in the Old West, it seems, and it's pretty darn healthy for you. Still, the combination of tough AI, tricky aiming, and easy health boosts makes the game feel awkward and unbalanced. Coupled with the clunky control scheme, the game isn't always much fun to play.

The graphics are pretty good. While they certainly don't push the bar for Gamecube graphics and are really more on par with a crisp Playstation 2 game, they're not bad. Characters are all modeled well and finely detailed – and well animated, to boot. The cutscenes really are fairly enjoyable. Additionally, the environment is decently modeled, and the game runs at a smooth framerate most of the time. 

The sound is not bad by any means. The western-like music is hit-or-miss, but reasonably acceptable. The real draw here is the excellent voice acting. With famous actors like Thomas Jane (The Punisher), Ron Pearlman (Hellboy, City of Lost Children) and Kris Kristofferson (the Blade series) rearing their heads and best western voices, the acting is actually a real delight and adds a lot to the already good-looking cutscenes. Sound effects are well-done as well, with everything from gunshots to explosions and horses sounding more than adequate. 

Gun isn't really a bad game by any means – it sports some really good production values, and the atmosphere is great from head to toe. If it was just a little more fun to actually play – if the control was tightened up and perhaps there was some motivation to complete the additional side missions and lengthen the game, Gun could have been up there with Grand Theft Auto. As it stands, it feels a little too straightforward and a little too stiff, it's hard to recommend Gun as much more than a rental. Still, if you're a fan of the wild west or would just like some more GTA-style play, it is definitely worth that rental.

Gameplay: 6.5
The controls feel stiff and aiming can be a pain – it's either really troublesome or entirely too easy in Quick Draw mode. Mildly fun, but mostly disappointing.

Graphics: 8.0
It's not really pushing the limits of the GameCube but it looks good enough, and characters are finely detailed. There's not much difference between this and the Xbox 360 version.

Sound: 9.0
In all fairness, Gun has some really good sound. With great voice acting and top-notch sound effects, you should be pleased with the vibrations emerging from your speakers.

Difficulty: Medium
The game feels a bit off balance here. The enemy AI is tough, and aiming can either be super easy or very difficult. Restoring your health is a snap, additionally. It's not hard to progress but it can feel a little wrong.

Concept: 7.0
A sandbox-style GTA game is brilliant with a Wild West setting, but the game falters a little and it ends up being too straightforward.

Overall: 7.2
Gun, overall, isn't terribly fun to play. But the story is definitely entertaining, the game looks fine, it sounds great, and the Wild West feel is pretty authentic. It's hard to advise dishing out $50 for a short, and mildly fun title, but it makes for an excellent rental.