Gun (Windows)

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Description

The Wild Wild West meets Grand Theft Auto in this free-roaming action game. Set in 1870, you are Colton White, a young gunslinger whose father is killed by an Indian tribe led by Reverend Reed. Just before passing away, your father hands you a token and reveals you are not his son. Sworn to avenge his death, you pursue the killers and unravel the secrets surrounding the item. Although you are on your own, temporary alliances can be formed with townspeople, Apaches, and posse members, but watch your back as they can turn against you.

The main storyline, written by Hollywood screenwriter Randall Jahnson (The Mask of Zorro, 1998,) is linear. You will have to fight duels, defend towns against bandits, help build railway tracks, intervene in various conflicts, and kill heavily-armed bossed. There are also many side missions or alternative ways to earn money. You can play poker in the casino, help out farmers with their livestock, assist the local sheriff, or deliver items with the pony express. Other possibilities include bounty hunting, regular hunting for rare animals, mining for gold, and various rescue missions.

The RPG elements involve acquiring and improving skills, such as QuickDraw (shown in Bullet Time,) Zoom Firing, Melee Combat, improved accuracy, the ability to throw axes, and strategically equipping and upgrading different weapons. There are hand weapons (knives, tomahawks, bayonets), archery arms, explosive throwable items, and regular guns, such as sharpshooter rifles, colts, and Winchesters. Some are earned during the missions, others can be bought and sold for cash in the towns.

The GTA reference is reflected in the main means of transportation: horses. There are different animals to find with extensive movement options. Go on wild chases, spurt, gallop, do skid attacks, or trample your enemies. Give them some rest from time to time, or you will wear them down to death. In the melee combat, you can do roll maneuvers, use objects to provide cover, grab your opponents, and even scalp them. You are free to steer away from the main storyline and explore the giant landscape, with towns, deserts, mountains, wilderness, and caves.

Screenshots

Promo Images

Alternate Titles

• "枪" -- Simplified Chinese spelling

Part of the Following Groups

• BPjS / BPjM indexed games
• Console Generation Exclusives: Xbox 360
• Gameplay feature: Horse riding
• Genre: Open world / Free-roaming / Sandbox action and driving
• Gun series
• Launch title: Xbox 360 (North America)
• Setting: Western / Old West
• Software Pyramide releases

User Reviews

Like the set for a western movie - great action on set, nothing much behind it	koloboko (123)
Good story, easy to play, fails to live up to full potential and too console-like	Marko Poutiainen (1160)

Critic Reviews

Game Chronicles	Nov 19, 2005	9 out of 10	90
Gamesmania.de	Nov 13, 2005	87 out of 100	87
Gameplay (Benelux)	Nov 26, 2005	83 out of 100	83
UOL Jogos	Dec 13, 2005		80
ActionTrip	Nov 30, 2005	80 out of 100	80
JeuxVideoPC.com	Apr 10, 2006	16 out of 20	80
4Players.de	Nov 16, 2005	78 out of 100	78
2404.org PC Gaming	Jan 02, 2006	7.1 out of 10	71
Computer Gaming World (CGW)	Feb, 2006		70
Immoral Gamers	May 18, 2009	5.5 out of 10	55

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Trivia

Controversy

The Association for American Indian Development made a petition to have Activision remove all "derogatory, harmful, and inaccurate depictions of American Indians" as they were outraged that Apaches were shown slaughtering renegade members of their own tribe, the killing and scalping of Apaches is a game requisite, and the killing of sacred white animals was shown as part of their culture (which it isn't). If these were not removed and the game re-issued then a total recall was wanted.

Activision's response was this statement:

"Activision does not condone or advocate any of the atrocities that occurred in the American West during the 1800s. Gun was designed to reflect the harshness of life on the American frontier at that time. It was not Activision's intention to offend any race or ethnic group with Gun, and we apologize to any who might have been offended by the game's depiction of historical events which have been conveyed not only through video games but through films, television programming, books and other media."

German version

There are several changes in the German version:

• All blood and gore effects were removed
• The German translation calls headshots "Volltreffer" (Direct hit)
• Death animations were removed
• When taking a hostage, the player can either release or execute it in the end. In the German version, the execution was replaced with a knockout.
• It is not possible to scalp enemies
• Enemies which come into contact with the molotov weapon don't burn to death. They still run around in panic and cry, but there are no flames.
• The intro was deleted without substitution
• In another cutscene between level nine and ten, a decapitation was removed

A detailed list of changes can be found on schnittberichte.com (German).

Awards

• GameSpy
  • 2005 – Xbox 360 Action Game of the Year

Related Web Sites

• GUN (Official game website)
• Wikipedia: Gun (Information about Gun at Wikipedia)
• X360A Achievement Guide (X360A's achievement guide for Gun.)