Game Review: GUN (Xbox)

Today I thought that I would post again, and so I decided to do another game review. Here you go...

GUN (Xbox)

Overall Score: 8.5/10
Pros: Quickdraw mode is awesome, super great voice acting and story, silky controls
Cons: Graphics ain't exactly the greatest, but that's okay, and it felt less open-ended and more simplistic and linear

I have wanted this game forever, and so when I finally picked it up (The lady at Wal*Mart was mean, maybe I'll write about that later tonight), I was instantly immersed in the game. Then, after awhile, I got stuck with one of the bosses and put the game to the side. Later on, probably two months later, I picked the game back up, sat down, and played. Two days later, I was done with the game, having probably played it for nearly eight hours total over those two days. The story that the writers at Neversoft have penned is amazing, and is perfectly complemented by the amazing voice cast. The in-engine cut-scenes were always amazing to look at, even though the game's ending left off at a wierd point. The gameplay is great, and the third person perspective works in a way that I didn't think it would. It feels like a first person shooter when you're playing it, giving you total control over Colton throughout the game. Quickdraw Mode is especially fun, and I was absolutely delighted one time when I entered into Quickdraw Mode, shot an enemy in the right side of his head, and then watched chunks of his skull fly off, only on that side just as his head whipped around in that direction. Now that's good graphics, animation, and physics all rolled into one. Overall, if you're a first or third person shooter fan, snatch this game up right away, it is just that good. If you're not a shooter fan but you really like good stories, still buy the game, because 1) the story will hook you in, 2) the shooting is simple and easy, and may just suck you into the genre as a whole, and 3) the game is not very hard and not very long, which makes it a great find for gamers who don't have a lot of time to invest in a title.

Concept: A video game spaghetti western that is practically perfect.

Graphics: The in-game cutscenes are really good and show off an impressive use of motion capture and key-frame animation. The graphics as a whole, however, are very detailed for an open world game, but still not the prettiest.

Sound: The music fits in perfectly, and is really just as good as any hollywood movie that you go see today. If you really want to get a taste for it, just sit and let the game idle at its title screen just to listen to the music. I did this a number of times.

Playability: The camera works perfectly most of the time, the AI is pretty smart, the controls are great, and the Quickdraw Mode is one of my favorite video game features ever.

Entertainment: The game is pretty easy, and the story alone makes it worth picking up over and over again, or at least once a year for a complete playthrough.

Replay Value: High.