GOOD, BAD, - I'M THE GUY WITH THE GUN!
A Review of The Last Bounty Hunter
by Richard Roy
American Laser Games has made moves recently to broaden its' product base by acquiring Quantum Quality Productions (QQP), the makers of such strategy classics as The Perfect General and The Grandest Fleet. This unlikely marriage between the foremost full motion video game company and one of the best strategy game companies should produce some interesting offspring (Perfect General with a Gamegun?). Until such time, we can expect more games like The Last Bounty Hunter from American Laser Games.
The Last Bounty Hunter is American Laser Games largest production and live
action cast to date. No fewer than one hundred actors contributed their
talents to this interactive experience. Equipped with a six-shooter and
sometimes a shotgun, your job as a bounty hunter will require you to track
down four of the most vicious outlaws in the West: Nasty Dan, El Loco, The
Cactus Kid, and Handsome Harry. Unfortunately, these outlaws have scores of
gunfighters protecting them, so you had better be alert. The gameplay can
best be described as watching Fox Television's Cops within an Old West
setting. Using this live action, first person video perspective you will need
to analyze the situations and shoot any threats before they shoot you. Be
careful though, not all characters that appear are threats, some are innocent
civilians that like to jump in your way while you're blasting away with your
pistol. The pursuit of each outlaw takes you through different shootout
scenarios and challenges ranging from a saloon to a bank to an Old West
version of Chinatown.
Targeting can be set to either the mouse or American Laser Games new product: the PC Gamegun. In the latter case you can play The Last Bounty Hunter as a two player game, providing of course, that you have two PC Gameguns. American Laser Games also boasts that this is the first live action game that automatically adjusts the level of difficulty to the player's shooting skills. Speaking as someone who has managed to kill many outlaws by firing more than a foot from the actual target, I can attest to this fact. Other times, a near dead-on shot was not enough. It all depends on the difficulty you're having with any particular scenario. Make no mistake, you will die many, many times. In fact, it's likely you will not be able to go more than ten to fifteen seconds without dying throughout the entire game. Happily, you have unlimited lives.
Production values in The Last Bounty Hunter are extremely good. The acting is
first rate (albeit slightly cheesy) and really contributes to the Western
atmosphere. The set design and setting is also first rate. In fact, The Last
Bounty Hunter was filmed with the assistance of Old Tucson Studios in an Old
Tucson setting. The same locations were used in some well known movies
including Tombstone, Rio Bravo, and Lightning Jack. One downside is that the
video is sometimes quite grainy, although since the video is nearly full
screen this is understandable. Interestingly, one of the gunfighters that
protects the four outlaws is a world record holder in fast draw competition
in real life. Let me tell you this guy is QUICK! He can fill you full of lead
in the time it takes to blink. All in all, some very nice touches.
Of course, in a game of this type, there are negatives. The entire game from start to finish took me about one hour to complete. For the price of fifty dollars one would expect more than ONE hour of gameplay! Replayability is not even a factor since very little of the action is randomized. It mostly follows a set pattern from which there is little deviation. Although the documentation states that the order in which you stalk each outlaw will change the play action responses and difficulty level making for a different game each time you play, these changes are mostly cosmetic and will not result in anything new. A final gripe is that there can only be one save game at any one time. Although in a game that lasts about an hour one save game slot should be more than enough.
All in all, I had a great one hour of gameplay with the Last Bounty Hunter.
Production qualities are top notch, the acting believable, and the action
non-stop. In short, I had a blast. Though the game is enjoyable, I must admit
that I personally would not purchase it for list price. There are other
products out there with much more bang for your buck. However, if you ever
find it discounted for more than half off you might want to consider it.
Gamer's Zone Scorecard
| Product: |
The Last Bounty Hunter |
| Company: |
American Laser Games
|
| Cost: |
$54.95 |
System Requirements:
Dos 5.0
486+
2X CD-ROM
300 KB Hard Disk Space
Mouse or Gamegun
Breakdown:
Fun Factor 4
Graphics 3
Sound 4
Interface 4
Replayability 2
Overall Score:
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