So, looking through the Wayback Archive for my review of Deus Ex for GamePen, I stumbled on this review.
Does ANYONE remember Gunman Chronicles? No? Well, here it is from December 5, 2000:
Gunman Chronicles
with Jonah Falcon
12.5.2000
What's to like:
Superb opening movie cutscene, neat programmable weapons, creature animation, promising deathmatching, tank driving kicks ass
Superb opening movie cutscene, neat programmable weapons, creature animation, promising deathmatching, tank driving kicks ass
What's not to like:
Broken enemy AI, linear levels, Half-Life engine starting to show age, bugs include a bad memory leak
Broken enemy AI, linear levels, Half-Life engine starting to show age, bugs include a bad memory leak
Yippie-ki-yay mother-[censored]
Gunman Chronicles (GC) ultimately is an exercise in frustration. There is so much promise in the game that it literally hurts to see so much amateurishness in the design. While it might be expected - GC was born as a simple Half-Life mod that was discovered by Half-Life developer Valve Software and turned into a full game - one would think buying a full game shouldn't have resulted in something with somewhat less quality than Half-Life: Opposing Force.
If you've ever read the Elseworlds comics by DC, you'll instantly recognize that GC is an alternate reality Half-Life, set in a strange Old West universe, where the generals look like Marshals from the Civil War, people talk like a spaghetti western, and where all metal looks old and rusted (despite the fact metal can't rust in outer space, where there is no oxygen to react with.) However, if you're expecting a game like LucasArts' Outlaws with a Westworld twist, you'll be disappointed. Chronicles implies, and delivers, action on different planets.
Part of the frustration comes from the opening sequence, easily one of the best ever seen in a computer game, where you're treated to a tense battle reminiscent of Aliens. However, you're immediately taken right after that to a familiar railway that seems to have been a staple in Half-Life games - except this time you're being taken a tour around a space station that serves as the training base, teaching you the basic maneuvers.
Half-Life players will find everything in place. The alien Xen baddies are now called "Xenomes". Some scenes will seem frighteningly similar, such as in the "West" level, in which you're on a rocky ledge being harassed by a helicopter, though this time the helicopter resembles the Helicopter Man from The Road Warrior, and is nowhere as touch as the Half-Life Apache. At one point, a female computer AI joins you, who sounds and acts like System Shock's SHODAN with major PMS.
The weapons are very neat, and even the most ho-hum are given a kick with customization. Most of the weapons have programmable modes. The dull laser pistol, for example, can be set to shoot a plasma-like electric burst, and later, when fitted with a scope, turns into a sniper rifle. The best weapon is a grenade/missile launcher, which allows you to shoot grenades in a ton of ways. Better yet, the same grenades can be used as trip-wire mines. Gunman has the potential to have kick-ass multiplayer similar to Duke Nukem 3D.
One of the best scenes and featured weapon/vehicles is an homage to On A Rail from Half-Life - however, instead of the wimpy little vehicle you get there, Gunman offers a tank. A big, heavily armored full-blooded tank. There is nothing more visceral that rolling along in the tank, blasting machine guns with your missiles and guns.
I’ll be hornswoggled…
Unfortunately, GC otherwise is a mess. Enemy AI is disappointing, especially human AI. Often, they would stay still when you approached them in plain sight - obviously broken AI. Even when they're fighting you, they have none of the intelligence of the Half-Life marines. The creatures are not as intelligent, but at least they are aggressive - running straight at you. This is a major disappointment not only for Half-Life veterans, but people who have recently played No One Lives Forever. Another problems also rears its head - the aiming reticule turns red at any creature - even friendly ones, so it is possible to accidentally shoot creatures helping you. (At one point, robotic creatures join your side, but it's too easy to expend ammunition thinking they are enemies when you enter a room.)
It's too bad, because some of the creatures are awesome looking - from a giant carnivorous sauropod-like dinosaur to giant robots to "mother" aliens who give birth to their drones. They look much more organic than the creatures from Half-Life.
The creatures are in stark contrast to the level textures. Granted, they should look grimy and rusted - it does keep in "feel" with the Western motif - but they are just unfocused, and look lo-res even on the highest settings. The Half-Life engine definitely needs an upgrade, especially when compared to the games the Quake III and Unreal engines are churning out.
The levels, though, are simply amateurish. On the Black Mesa-like scenes, you can see where the map bottom is, so it looks like you're on a short cliff suspended in mid-air. The levels are also obviously linear, adding to the amateurish feel to the game. The cutscenes subsequent to the grand opening sequence stutter by fading in and out, and are nowhere the quality of the opener.
On too many occasions, Gunman Chronicles would drop to Windows without nary an error message. There also seems to be a severe memory leak -- as the game goes along, the control becomes more and more sluggish until it feels like you are "lagged" -- even though you're not online. It's obvious that with the broken enemy AI and this bug, there will be a patch out sometime in the future.
However, Gunman plays and feels like a Half-Life mod, somewhere between the quality of a regular Half-Life mod like They Hunger and a full-blooded expansion like Half-Life: Opposing Force. While the multiplayer may potentially kick ass, Gunman suffers from being related to Half-Life, and the quality demand implied by that association. Gunman Chronicles just does not live up to the comparison.
It's too bad, because some of the creatures are awesome looking - from a giant carnivorous sauropod-like dinosaur to giant robots to "mother" aliens who give birth to their drones. They look much more organic than the creatures from Half-Life.
The creatures are in stark contrast to the level textures. Granted, they should look grimy and rusted - it does keep in "feel" with the Western motif - but they are just unfocused, and look lo-res even on the highest settings. The Half-Life engine definitely needs an upgrade, especially when compared to the games the Quake III and Unreal engines are churning out.
The levels, though, are simply amateurish. On the Black Mesa-like scenes, you can see where the map bottom is, so it looks like you're on a short cliff suspended in mid-air. The levels are also obviously linear, adding to the amateurish feel to the game. The cutscenes subsequent to the grand opening sequence stutter by fading in and out, and are nowhere the quality of the opener.
On too many occasions, Gunman Chronicles would drop to Windows without nary an error message. There also seems to be a severe memory leak -- as the game goes along, the control becomes more and more sluggish until it feels like you are "lagged" -- even though you're not online. It's obvious that with the broken enemy AI and this bug, there will be a patch out sometime in the future.
However, Gunman plays and feels like a Half-Life mod, somewhere between the quality of a regular Half-Life mod like They Hunger and a full-blooded expansion like Half-Life: Opposing Force. While the multiplayer may potentially kick ass, Gunman suffers from being related to Half-Life, and the quality demand implied by that association. Gunman Chronicles just does not live up to the comparison.
Publisher: Sierra Studios
Minimum System Requirements: Windows 95/98/2000/ME/(NT 4.0 with latest service pack); 233 mhz Pentium proc/32 MB RAM/4x CD-ROM/640x480 SVGA 16-bit/400 MB HD space
Version: 20240320
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