Anniversary: 20 Years Ago, ‘GUN’ Brought America’s Old West (And An All-Star Cast) To GameCube

Ever had the urge to embody your video game cowboy persona, yet Red Dead Redemption and its somewhat unwieldy sequel, despite their quality, simply take too long to immerse into?

You catch my drift. Rockstar’s sagas are the obvious selections in this instance. Nevertheless, occasionally, I just wish to blast things in a cowboy fashion, preferably right away, and I have no interest in spending time on overly elaborate narratives and expansive world elements that extend a gaming session to a three-digit hour total. Who has the bandwidth for that in this market? (Me, but that’s likely a discussion for another article on a different platform.)

There are several alternatives for a rapid six-shooter fix. Indeed, Rockstar’s Red Dead Revolver aligns more closely with what I’m envisioning. However, you’ve probably already experienced that, either at its release or after you progressed through Red Dead Redemption.

Enter GUN *kicks swinging saloon doors wide open*, Neversoft’s 2005 Western action endeavor, which celebrates its 20th anniversary today! This is an often-ignored treasure of a game that still holds the ability to provide exactly what you desire. Heck, it even maintains a pretty charming appearance.

We didn’t get around to reviewing GUN back in the day, which is unfortunate [The website was just a day old! – Ed.], but it received favorable critiques across the board, and I have only positive observations to share. With the passage of time, you might actually reframe one of the major criticisms at launch — a somewhat empty and small open world — as one of its advantages nowadays. Particularly if, like me, you never wish to encounter another vast, icon-filled world map again. Well, not for a few weeks, at least.

Let’s begin with my favorite aspect of this one: the characters.

We have Thomas Jane, Lance Henriksen, Ron Perlman, Brad Dourif, and none other than Kris “sort of a deity” Kristofferson appearing in this Western narrative, and they haven’t just turned up, either. They’re not merely phoning it in and making a quick exit with their loot. No. There’s some solid performance here, which in turn lends the entire experience an unexpectedly high level of seriousness. The narrative here, penned by Randall Jahnsen (of The Doors movie fame), is no match for Red Dead’s exceedingly serious storyline, make no mistake, but it isn’t aiming for that. It seeks old-school suspense, shocks, and twists that are more immediate in nature.

Jahnsen chose a revenge narrative that operates coldly and mercilessly in the classic Unforgiven style. It revolves around Colton White (Jane) and his father (Kristofferson) as they embark in search of Colton’s beloved Jenny (Rugrats alum, Kath Souchie) who has been abducted by the murderous Reverend Reed (Dourif). Throughout the campaign, we witness intense shootouts, horseback action scenes, and delightful on-rails segments that still perform wonderfully today. I’m not just claiming that, I’m currently engaged with it, and it looks and feels very pleasant, thanks.

In fact, it functions considerably better than I recalled, and the GameCube edition is no slacker, operating at a super smooth pace and appearing just as attractive as other versions. As I noted, the open world here is limited in size and activities, once criticized in 2005, but now signifies a more straightforward and time-efficient experience. There’s no necessity to spend 100 hours collecting flowers here, and you can start shooting stuff within the first couple of minutes. A triumph for common sense!

The shooting, which features a required slow-motion six-shooter feature (referred to here as QuickDraw), also comes off far better these days, I believe. It faced criticism — outside of those focused slow-motion segments — for being somewhat challenging to aim accurately. However, I contend that it feels more authentic than tightly auto-aimed nonsense. You need to focus a bit and carefully place your shots, which works for me.

There’s also a fantastic assortment of era-appropriate firearms to siphon from defeated bosses and such throughout your journey. Winchesters, Colts, Schofield rifles that turn heads into bloody mush when aimed just right. You even get to do a touch of archery, launching massive cannons. Have I mentioned that it’s quite bloody? Good.

So, the third-person shooting action, along with the pacing of the world, remains quite well to this day, and it’s a world that, despite its modest dimensions, presents plenty of suitably grand vistas, alongside some striking urban surroundings, all the while managing to appear good in 2025. This is one of those ‘early-noughties beige’ numbers. You know, dusty and rusted in an attempt to appear mature, and as a result, it’s got it where it matters in terms of ambiance. It’s very jagged around the edges, certainly, but there’s a degree of detail and some proper cinematography at play, so it manages to pull it off.

Once the plot picks up momentum, once Colton is en route to Empire City to meet figures like Mayor Hoodoo Brown (Perlman), and as chaos subsequently erupts, we’re then treated to a delightful blend of shootouts, proper no-nonsense hard cowboy dialogue, and levels, such as a marvelous stagecoach one, that don’t overstay their welcome. You also must tune in just to hear some iconic gruff cowboy lines delivered with the flair of this all-star cast, too.

GUN also benefits from a rather edgy and ‘of its time’ attitude in some aspects. It’s a bit subversive here and there (I won’t spoil), and it even incorporates some story inspirations from places you might not anticipate. It ventures into…supernatural territory. So it possesses a whole off-kilter vibe, supported by the bizarre brilliance of that cast.

There is an attempt to enlarge the world’s scope through the ability to track down a few wanted criminals, hunt animals, or do a bit of ranching, but these are the areas where GUN falters. No, it’s in the insane assemblage of remarkably talented actors, in that uniquely rust-tinged noughties ambiance, and in some extremely violent and satisfying shootouts that GUN truly shines.

At 20 years old, many video game cowboys have long since retired their holsters. GUN, however, if you’re willing to give it a whirl, still possesses all the vital elements. If you’re yearning for some uncomplicated cowboy roleplaying, without needing to dedicate 100 hours or a therapist to navigate Arthur Morgan’s trauma, you’ll find it pretty challenging to locate many games that perform the function better than Neversoft’s interpretation of America’s Wild West.

Who would have imagined that the Tony Hawks development team would excel so brilliantly in this particular genre?

Have you experienced GUN? Share with us if you recall it quite so fondly!