GUN

• Platform: PC, Xbox, PS2, Xbox 360
• Published by: Activision
• Developed by: Neversoft
• Release Date: Nov 17, 2005
• Genre: Action
• Multiplayer: No
• Online: No

 

Gun Interview

-- November 9, 2005 by: Chris Remo

Let's say you feel up for a good Western. But you don't want to watch it, you want to play it. Video games seem like the answer, but Western-themed games are few and far between. Luckily, Neversoft understands, and has gone back in time several years to begin development on Gun (PS2, Xbox, GCN, X360, PSP, PC), a brutal Western adventure. As it happens, that very game is shipping this week. I've already previewed it for this very website, but I wanted more. So I asked some questions. And I got some answers from producer Irwin Chen. And here they are.

Shack: What led Neversoft to decide to pursue an original IP and why this one?

Irwin Chen: We really wanted to take this chance and work on something entirely different than the Tony Hawk series. Once we started throwing ideas out there and researching we found the western theme to just be a perfect fit. There are so many great stories, characters and locations that were just waiting to be brought to life. The brutality and lawlessness of the time had not been captured in a game yet so we knew this was our chance.

We contacted Randal Jahnson (The Doors, Mask of Zorro) to write our script and bring together all our disparate ideas into one epic story. The more we talked with Randal and the more research we did it became obvious just how different that time was. You had gunslingers, outlaws, cattle rustlers, rail road barons, native Americans, lawmen, whores, opium pushers and gold miners all trying bringing there own set of morality and law and everyone of them carrying a gun.

Shack: More than most genres, the term "Western" brings to mind a very specific aesthetic and setting. What sources (film, literature, anything) have most influenced the atmosphere and world of the game?

Irwin Chen: Inspiration for Gun was drawn from every source imaginable. Not only did we use movies, literature and television, but also real life experience. To get the sound and feel right a weapons expert was brought in and consulted. He took us out to the desert to fire replicas of the actual guns being used in the game so that we could record the sound.

The atmosphere in the game isn’t your standard old western. The bad guy doesn’t always wear the black hat and the good guy doesn’t always get the girl and ride off into the sunset. Gun sets itself in the real west, where good and bad blurred together as murder became the only means of justice and greed corrupted all but the most righteous. The player gets a chance to experience what it was really like to survive on the edge of civilization in the late 1800’s.

Shack: The horse mechanics (animation, control) in GUN are somewhat evocative of those of Shadow of the Colossus. Is this coincidence or was there any inspiration there?

Irwin Chen: The horse was a very important part of the west and we’ve recognized that in Gun. Every horse in the game, whether it is your trusty steed or the mount of a lawless bandit, is a living and thinking creature in the game. They get spooked by gunfire, fatigue if you ride them to hard and can be killed by bullets same as you. You can steal and ride any horse in the game and upgrade them as you complete side missions and buy items from the store.

The horse is also a weapon. Not only can you fight from horseback, but you can also run down and trample your opponents into the dirt of the Montana Territory. Be careful though as your enemies can also ride horses into battle and use them against you.

We worked very hard to get the horse to look and feel just right because we knew it would make such an important part of GUN. Joel Jewett, president of Neversoft, owns a ranch and brought the development team out there to ride and to really get a good look at how a horse behaves. Along with solid controls, this attention to detail really makes the horses in GUN stand out.

Shack: As a longtime Tony Hawk fan, I couldn't help but draw a parallel, however slight, between the combo chains formed by tricks in Tony and those formed by combat moves in Gun. Is there any connection there, and if so are there any other design elements of Gun influenced by Tony Hawk (or other Neversoft games)?

Irwin Chen: We really wanted to take a departure from the Tony Hawk series when we made Gun so there aren’t a lot of shared design elements. What the Tony Series did help us with was the confidence to know we could make a great game that was fun to play. That confidence helps immensely when you are going through a two year development cycle and all the disparate parts of the game are still coming together. You know, because of your experience and your trust in the other team members that it will come out amazing.

Shack: What I've heard of the music is very striking. Who is composing the game's score, and was there a lot of direction given in terms of styles and influences, or was the composer essentially given free reign?

Irwin Chen: We listened to a lot of different submissions before deciding on Christopher Lennertz to compose the score for Gun. We loved the epic feel his music brought to every situation. He was given some loose style direction but was pretty free to come up with what he thought fit the mood of the game. With film, the experience is 50/50 audio and visual. As you can tell, Lennertz’ contribution to the game has made for such an interesting vibe and overall cinematic feel. The music compliments the game perfectly, with its diverse instrumentation, bringing just the right themes and emotions to the surface.

Shack: Are there any plans to extend the GUN franchise after the release of the upcoming game?

Irwin Chen: Neversoft and Activision have big plans for the future of Gun. There are plenty of secret meetings going on as we speak about the next step. You’ll just have to keep your eyes open for what we come up with.

Shack: Thanks for your time.

Neversoft's Gun is currently shipping for PS2, Xbox, GameCube, and PC, and is slated to hit Xbox 360 when the system launches on November 22. A PSP version is in development, with no release date currently set.

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