GUN Showdown PSP review

We might as well cut to the chase before we get started as this is a genuinely fun game but it is the same genuine fun you'll have had when Gun came out on every other format as this is a simple conversion that has taken long enough for you to think it might be a sequel. It isn't. From now on, if you're still reading we'll assume you missed the other releases and this is all new to you.

Gun has one major benefit compared to many other third person shooters, the setting. Considering the Wild West was an era of lawlessness, bad behaviour, guns, hookers and gambling it is amazing that there aren't more games set there. Is it young folks associating the West with old films? Feelings of guilt about Native American treatment? The realisation many stories are untrue and most are exaggerated? Whatever the reason, there aren't many games set there and Gun really benefits. It's a genuinely great era for games to be set in.

Once Upon a Time in the West

The story in Gun isn't something just thrown in as an excuse to kill people, it really drives the game forward. Young Colton is a hunter, along with his father. When selling some collected pelts on a steam boat all hell breaks loose and it quickly becomes clear Ned is going down with the ship. He leaves his son with one revelation - that he isn't in fact his father. Go and find a hooker named Jenny and she'll tell you more.

From there on the game manages to keep the story interesting until almost the end where it gets a little weak. It throws in a couple of twists along the way that are surprising, and even manages to shock on at least one occasion, earning an 18 rating in the process. The story makes the whole game worth playing.

The Shootist

The game itself makes getting to the end a desirable process. The PSP controls make the game a bit more awkward than it should be, but with moving on the face buttons and aiming on the analogue stick it works well enough. Riding a horse can be a real pain until you get used to it but major problems are few and far between.

Unsurprisingly, Gun features its own slow-motion mode giving you more chance to shoot and removing the need to reload, in true Western fashion. The bar that measures it is topped up by headshots and quick killing and with a little practice it is easy enough to stay in "Quick Draw" mode for entire gun fights. It feels odd and possibly makes the game a little too easy but it makes sense - if you can do that some of the time, why not all the time you're concentrating? Health is also well implemented - you can't take too many shots before dying but a drag of whisky puts you back up. As you can carry more than enough for two or three glugs from your flask it moves control into your hands rather than a simple automated recharge.

Dodge City

Alongside the main game, side missions are available to pad it all out. They range from the simple peace-keeping missions where you basically just run around town shooting folk, pony express delivery missions, a fully fledged and entirely decent game of limit poker and a clever hunting mode requiring you to track prey and take them down with your Bow and Arrow. It's possible to finish off the side-missions after the main game, although since they reward you with improved stats it is worth doing at least some of them in the gaps between missions.

A special mention should go to the ranch missions, which are basically herding cattle. They expand into a bit of protection later on, but they often feel slowing, tedious and like hard-work. With the rest of the game, for the most part, feeling well designed is it surprising to see them here? No - this is the reality of being a cowboy. You herd cows and it's boring and as it is only a side mission it is a very clever inclusion.

Tombstone

Everything goes a bit sour towards the end unfortunately. Boss battles get close together and are simply annoying. It starts with the boss that has the same health system as you, meaning you can easily never kill him unless you manage to trap him into an awkward corner. That is followed by a boss with a cannon who can kill you in one shot unless you find a hiding place through trial and error where you can shoot him without repercussion.

And the final boss? Invulnerable unless you shoot vents in the floor and then the final section has "Shoot him repeatedly in the head to annoy him" as an instruction. As his blood continuously gushes it's fair to say that most people would be much more dead than annoyed. Even the story suffers at the end, getting in quite a tangle and simply ending in a worse fashion than you want it to. In many games a poor ending wouldn't be seen by many but this is a game where lots will get this far and it's disappointing it is so poor. It doesn't ruin the game but it leaves a bad impression.

How the West was Won

Gun is an impressive game on all counts. Graphically it impresses, with nothing but occasional pop-up marring the show and it is easily one of the better looking PSP games. The area the game allows you to roam freely isn't massive and you'll return to the same places more than once but the fact loading breaks are short and rare is to be highly commended, especially for a PSP title. Multiplayer modes aren't great, but are a fun distraction enough if you get the chance to play them with bots padding out numbers.

It gets annoying at the end and it isn't a long game by any stretch of the imagination but it works well. It would have been better a while ago but complaints are limited. If you have played a previous version this is hard to recommend and the fact they are available cheaply makes them a tempting option even now. If you've never played it on another format, and you're looking for a new PSP game this is an excellent option.