Gun [Xbox]

Given the title, it's not a shock to find that the weaponry is almost entirely of the blue steel variety. Rifles and pistols are abundant and the interface lets players quickly switch between them. A bow is on hand for silent kills, but Gun is really terrible when it tries to implement any sort of stealth, so don't count on using the bow for more than a hunting mini-game.

In targeting and accuracy, Gun goes pretty easy on players. Depending on the weapon, there's a lot of leeway when shooting; sometimes a shot that should be way off will kill, as if there's a damage halo around each character. But then, Colton does so much shooting from the saddle that a less forgiving aim would add unreasonable difficulty. And even from the focused quickdraw mode, kills aren't guaranteed.

The quickdraw is Neversoft's version of focus or bullet time. Colton can concentrate and zoom into a slo-mo view of battle, giving him a chance to drop a few enemies at leisure. It's an unfair advantage; the limitation is that Colton can only do this with a pistol. The slow quickdraw violence does really highlight the game's gore, which throws out exploded heads and limbs with abandon. There's plenty of chance to use it, too. Rather than severely rationing the ability, Gun just throws out lots of enemies, most of which can be killed with a couple shots.

Perhaps Gun's greatest weakness is the horse. The animals behave like electric cars, starting and stopping at the push of a button. Colton spends a lot of time on horseback, and the animals feel terribly mechanical. There's no weight or inertia, and unlike Agro in Shadow of the Colossus, there's no terrain they won't barrel over. A trample attack feels more like one block of wood encountering another; the blocks are simply skinned to look like horse and man.

We've also been spoiled by Grand Theft Auto and Tony Hawk, and it seems like this horse opera could have been so much more. What if heat and water really played a part in gameplay? Heck, what if a horse really felt like a horse? Hopefully Neversoft will return to the west with a truly next-gen effort and we'll find out.

But it's the strength of Gun's storyline that allows us to focus beyond some of its letdowns. Colton is a great western hero, and though his adventure is stitched together as a pastiche of classic western elements, the plot points are so well chosen and implemented that it feels seamless and almost new. The game is also full of good voice actors -- Lance Henriksen, John Getz, Kris Kristofferson. The occasionally ghoulish Brad Dourif weasels wonderfully as the crazy preacher Josiah Reed. Note the lack of women; only one female plays more than a passing role. Gun is truly a man's world.

There aren't a lot of good western games, so we're glad to find Gun stands out as one of the best efforts. The quality story, strong voice acting, vast landscape, and competent combat make for an all round solid action-adventure experience.