Gun
Publisher: Activision
Platform: X-Box, PS2 and PC
Taiwan Release: Late Nov./early Dec.
While shoot-outs, bank robberies, stagecoach hold ups and ornery outlaws might seem like the perfect material for a fast-paced, first-person shooter the Wild West format has long proven to be a dud. None of the Western-themed games that have been released over the years have really lived up to expectations. Until now that is, as Activision's recently released Gun is an engrossing and fun game to play.
Sure, it doesn't have the cinematic feel of great Westerns like The Wild Bunch or The Magnificent Seven and it's hardly on a par with the latest World War II themed games, but when it comes to Westerns Gun is the fastest draw in town.
The plot is straight forward enough: The game's hero, a mild mannered, yet deadly gunslinger called Colton White and his partner Ned get into a gun fight while attempting to rob a steamship. Colton heads off to (yes you've guessed it) Dodge City where he embarks on a series of adventures and goes up against an evil railroad tycoon/robber baron. Of course, being a Western there's plenty of work to be done on horseback, something that has long been the bane of many a Western themed game. Gun avoids all the usual pitfalls, however, and whenever Colton gets on his trusty steed the graphics and movements are pretty plausible.
When gamers aren't taking in the superb John Ford-like landscapes, or racing to catch-up with a stagecoach before ornery outlaws rob it, they get to toy with and shoot it up with a great array of weaponry. Colton's arsenal includes pistols, rifles, shotguns, sharpshooters, bows and of course, the favorite Western weapon of all time -- sticks of TNT.
The shooting action is pretty good and combines the need for a steady hand with great visual effects. The game's "quick draw" mode is great fun, although not that difficult to master. In conclusion, Gun is a good game and one that any PC/console owning fans of Westerns should find highly entertaining.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platform: PC, PS2 and X-Box
Taiwan Release: Already Available
The movie opens tomorrow in Taipei but gaming fans of Hogwarts' favorite wizard are already honing their wizardry with Electronic Arts' latest concoction, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Predictably enough the game follows the same storyline as the movie and tells of Potter's fourth year at the school of witchcraft and wizardry. Along with chums, Ron and Hermione, Potter travels to the international quidditch tournament, where he is forced to go up against evil opponents.
Something that's sure to please Potter fans, however, is the fact that the game is filled with a multitude of moments that they would have only read about before. Players can choose to be other characters, can cast spells and get up to all kinds of mischief. Graphically the game is brilliant, but then we're talking about Electronic Arts here so that really shouldn't come as any surprise. The storyline is engrossing, even for an adult more used to gnarly shoot 'em ups.
It's a great game for kids, as gameplay and control, regardless of format, are easy to master and there's no blood and gore. There are plenty of puzzles to solve and, as in the books, teamwork plays an important part.
While it is an enchanting game it does have some problems. These will not stymie the enjoyment of younger gamers, but they will annoy more experienced players.
At a time when free-roaming games are the norm, EA has chosen to stick to a more linear format. Gamers have to complete certain tasks in a preset order and there is little opportunity for deviation from the original plot.
Call of Duty: The Big Red One
Publisher: Activision
Platform: X-Box and PS2
Taiwan Release: Now
It seems hardly a week goes by without at least one World War II themed PC/console game hitting the shelves. While many are simply rehashed versions of last year's games the latest in the Call of Duty series is a serious attempt at overhauling the format.
Call of Duty: The Big Red One boasts more entertaining game play and a storyline that is far more engaging than previous games in the series. Like the much-lauded Brothers in Arms series the latest Call of Duty game focuses on a unit as it battles its way from the deserts of North Africa to the hedgerows of France.
The unit is the US' "Fighting First" or The Big Red One. The most compelling games are the Italian missions, which attempt to recreate the chaos of the battle of Troina and Operation Husky. Every mission has the cinematic feel of a good war movie and is packed with incredible audio effects and equally stunning graphic and visual effects.
Gamers get to fight it out with the wily "Bosch" and undertake several special missions. The only annoying mission is when the gamer is required to make it to the gun turret of an allied bomber. Quite what an infantryman is doing there is anyone's guess. But, as Alfred Lord Tennyson used to say, "Theirs is not to reason why: Theirs is but to do and die." And chances are you will be doing quite a bit of dying here.
Star Wars: Battlefront II
Publisher: LucasArts
Platform: PS2, PC and X-Box
Taiwan Release: Already Available
If you thought last year's Star Wars: Battlefront was a great game then wait until you play Battlefront II, which, thanks to some serious upgrades, is a truly remarkable and addictive game.
Like last year's version, Battlefront II is all about massive battles featuring a heap of characters from the Star Wars series. Gamers not only get to run and gun nasty Death Star storm troopers on the ground, but also get to zip around in space while shooting it up with various enemy factions.
Another first for Battlefront II is the chance to become that lovable hairy space critter, Chewbacca.
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