Like many kids of the 90’s, I watched western movies when I was little. I always loved the idea of being a bounty hunter! To be a good guy and go around collecting or killing people in the name of justice was always a fantasy of my childhood. Bounty hunters seemed to me like superheroes; they always had faster gun skills than the bad guys, had a higher intelligence and fought for justice. At that time, I did not know they got paid for getting the wanted man.

The setting takes place in the Old West in Abilene, Kansas 1910. While in a bar a few people recognize your name, “Silas Greaves”. Silas sits down and talks about his past adventures as a bounty hunter. In his tales you will meet legends of the Old West like Billy the Kid, Jesse James and The Dalton Gang. You play Silas who gets into a whole load of trouble due to him trying to hunt down a few people for personal reasons you will not learn about until later in the game. You will choose from several guns like shotguns, rifles, and the trustworthy weapon of any cowboy — a pistol. What makes this Old West game different from any other? I would have to say the story, the variety of choices and gameplay. Above I have given some details about the story and will say that a few good twists do happen in the game, but the game did become dry in a few places.

The developers try to keep the game fresh by introducing a number of different characters and give you a few steady characters to gain attachments to. As for the variety of choices, they are bountiful! You have three modes, story, arcade, and duels. In arcade mode you unlock different areas to play and the goal is to get through them faster and with more points than any of your friends. In duels mode you can practice for story and compete against other players, sadly only for high scores, not an actual versus match up. I would have loved to have been able to duel other players! The gameplay was fun. Increased accuracy by aiming down the sights, or using items in the environment, like explosive barrels, to kill were nice touches. I love to use long range weapons in First Person Shooters, mainly sniper rifles. In this game there is no delay, meaning where you shoot is where the bullet will go. I can’t count the times I was able to use my pistol for a head shot on an enemy that was a good distance away.

I would not only classify this game as a first person shooter (FPS), but also as a role playing game (RPG). Some of the choices you can make is to be a long distance shooter, get close in personal with shotguns, or a mix of the two. Many things will give you experience points to level up with and spend on talents. There are three talent focus points, long-range, pistols, and close range. The long-range will help you get better focus and give you a chance to do more headshots. The pistol talents range from dual wielding pistols to faster reloading. By completing so many talents in each focus you unlock new upgrades for weapons. This game truly gives you the ability to be any type of cowboy that you wish. I was happy with the graphics due to the fact that they did not try to make people real like some games will, instead they made it cartoonish. The graphics reminded me of Bioshock or Borderlands. The sounds are elegant; you can hear the fuse on TNT burn. The music helps set you into the Old West mood and feeling. Also, the controls are pretty easy to get used to, especially if you have played first person shooters before. For those who are new to this style of gameplay there are many tutorials that will teach you to become the best bounty hunter possible.

Overall, I loved the game! It had a good story line with a few unexpected twists. The game had a good length of gameplay for an arcade game. Also, the game definitely lived up to my expectations of what it should be like. For those who like to try different tactics or collect everything, this game will have plenty of replay value, but those who want to play for story will most likely not be interested in replaying it. Although, there are a few things that could be added, I can’t see how this game could be much better than it already is.