I don\'t even like westerns, but I love Deadwood. The grimy, gritty Old West environment, teetering between nature and civilization, lends itself to some gripping drama and high adventure. Plus, there\'s plenty of cursing. So I get very interested when I hear that Neversoft, one of my fave game developers, has also been watching Deadwood, and has created an entire game based in the Wild West, with the goal of expanding the open-play scenerio beyond cops and robbers. GUN will come out this Fall for Xbox, PS2 and Xbox 360.
Neversoft has a great history: Inventing Spider-Man for the modern gaming console. Inventing the THPS franchise and, more importantly, setting the standard for control in all extreme sports games to follow. So when they say they\'re interested in recreating the open-play style of gaming, I have to believe them.
GUN puts you in the role of Colton, a wayward soul on the search for family, revenge, meaning and money. Your activities will range across a virtual wild west that is filled with opportunities, from tribes of Indians to mountain men, crusty old miners, and boomtowns full of hooch and hoors.
It\'s not bad to think \"GTA on horses\" but don\'t stop there. The subject matter makes all the difference: Neversoft has done loads of research on the old west and has been inspired by some of the best western books and films. Expect lots of dynamics, and a more open mission system without the structured approach of other free-roaming action-adventure games.
Early Xbox 360 recommendations put GUN low on the list because it\'s visuals aren\'t as good as the first-party titles. This is indicative of many of the upcoming next/current-gen multiplatform titles. Yet, while GUN would surely be enhanced by the lighting of, say, Gears of War, there is enough promising gameplay and narrative here to get excited about.
Keep an eye out for GUN to release for PS2, Xbox, and XB360 this Fall.