X05: GUN Updated Impressions

AMSTERDAM--Amid the games on display at Microsoft's X05 press event, Activision's GUN stands out. The game is the Xbox 360 version of the upcoming third-person, Western-themed action game that has been cooking at Neversoft for the better part of two years. You're cast as a newly orphaned desperado who discovers that everything he knew about his past was wrong and sets out to sort out his family tree. Though we've seen the game in motion before, the Xbox 360 version on display at X05 let us appreciate how far it has come since Neversoft gave us a quick peek at the 360 game in July.

Despite the fact that the game was in a much more polished state than the last time we saw it, we weren't able to get our hands on the game. As a result we were only able to watch a demonstration of a single mission in which you were tasked with protecting Jenny, the friendly but mysterious call girl you're directed to by your foster father before he's murdered at the beginning of the game. The headstrong lady of the evening holds clues that will send you on your journey of self-discovery. Of course she's not going to give them up, so you'll have to establish a relationship with her and help her out some, which is where this particular mission figures into things. This was an escort mission in which we had to keep Jenny safe as she made her way from Dodge City to Empire, another settlement in need of some special attention.

Though the mission sounds as though it's a walk in the park, it's anything but. As it turns out, your duties change dynamically as trouble brews--Jenny even ends up helping you out at one point. You'll start out on horseback, sticking close to the wagon, and taking out evildoers looking to block your path. As you progress through the mission, you'll wind up riding on top of the wagon in a rail-shooting sequence and eventually getting up close and personal with baddies as you defend the wagon while it's repaired with the help of Jenny herself.

Besides showing off the dynamic nature of its missions, the version of GUN on display offered an impressive showcase for the massive, streaming world Neversoft has created for the game. Your road from Dodge to Empire features no shortcuts and actually takes you on a path through miles of the rich world.

As far as the visuals in the game go, GUN looks pretty snazzy on the Xbox 360 thanks to buffed-up visuals, smoother animation, and lower load times than its other console cousins. The characters in the game sport improved detail courtesy of higher-resolution textures and small flourishes of animation that give them more than a little personality.

Though we still haven't played it, we're intrigued by GUN and hopeful that it can live up to its promise. The game is currently scheduled to ship this fall for the Xbox 360. Look for more on the game in the coming months.