GUNMAN CHRONICLES

IT'S HIGH NOON IN DEEP SPACE

It's been five years since you took control of the Gunmen, after the General fell in battle fighting the alien Xenomes.

Now the Xenomes are back in force, but this time there's a sinister presence controlling them. The infestation has taken a new, deadlier form and they're wiping out your forces.

You're on your own, facing a gang of genetically-engineered aliens and the desperados controlling them. Luckily you've brought your guns....  lots of them.

• Carniverous reptiles inhabit the Mayan-structures of this, the first of four enormous worlds to explore.
• Fight your way through this futuristic underground stronghold that may hold the key to the Xenome plague and the evil mind behind it.
• Watch the skies... not all bad guys are on the ground. Deadly aerial forces are awaiting to bombard the unaware. 

• An all-new gripping tale of betrayal and revenge: over 40 hours of action-packed gameplay
• Four immense and unique worlds to pacify
• Extensive weapon customisations options - up to 32 configurations per weapon
• Dozens of different genetically modified mutants track you with fiendish intelligence
• Intense multiplayer action with up to 32 gunmen via LAN or the Internet

~ from the back of the UK box

It's not often that you see fanmade projects get bumped up to fully-featured retail releases backed by a major studio, but that's what happened with Gunman Chronicles. Before its ultimate release in 2000, the game began life as a multiplayer Quake mod from a small team of bedroom coders scattered across the world. Then, after a small detour with the Quake II engine, it settled on being an ambitious Half-Life mod. It was its showing at the Half-Life Mod Expo in 1999 that attracted the attention of Sierra, and the rest is history.

Unfortunately, that history is all but forgotten now, perhaps due to some entangled legal rights between Sierra's current owners at Activision/Microsoft, Half-Life creators Valve and the ragtag team at Rewolf Entertainment, a development company formed just for this project. It's all but abandonware now, but the game lives on if you're willing to mess with the Steam release of Half-Life or tinker with its open-source alternative; Xash3D. In using this engine, you can even play with some nicely upscaled high-definition textures, and considering their hand-made nature it is something to behold. Each door, frieze, wall or animal skin was moulded in clay before painted and photographed to make up the game world, and it makes the two-year-old engine look fresh and new. Or 2000-era new. It's understandably dated now, but I still believe there's an unparalleled charm to it even to this day.

The opening moments set on a space station acts as a tutorial.

A lot of the mechanics introduced won't come into play until much later in the game.

The charm is mostly down to is pulpy B-movie roots. Gunman Chronicles mixes up sci-fi tropes and steampunk aesthetics with wild-western iconography. Add in some dinosaurs roaming around a crumbling Mayan temple and the mish-mash of ideas is insane. But somehow, it works. The story is little more than an excuse to set up the incoming events. A crazed General of the Gunman Forces is hell-bent on destroying life as we know it because he was left behind on a dangerous mission. In the years that followed, he spent his time genetically altering the planet's lifeforms into something he likes to call a Xenome. A sneaky distress signal calls you and your team to that planet, only for it to be a ruse made to steal Gunman spaceships and deliver these dangerous creatures to all populated planets throughout the galaxy. It's silly AF, but in the context of the game its streamlined storytelling doesn't need to be anything more than it is.

By being on the Half-Life engine, it's easy to see the similarities in terms of gameplay and presentation. Even the European box art was designed to be as reminiscent of its bigger brother as possible, using the same logo-on-a-coloured-background configuration. After a CGI opening cutscene (which unfortunately must be played separately to the main game when using Xash3D), we begin with a long in-engine introduction that was a feature of Valve's creations. Here, we have free reign of a small outer-space elevator with some interesting sights to see outside of its small rectangular window. From here, we explore the space-station as a glorified tutorial before setting off to the dinosaur planet.

Destroy pots, crates or padlocks on doors to gain access to much-needed health and ammo (left).

The impressive dino here may look like a boss, but it is in fact an obstacle to get past unscathed (right).

Dinosaurs are always good to see in a videogame, and they're no exception here. Much of the pre-release talk was about these dinos to the point that I thought they would be everywhere in every level. They are only in this first area - about a quarter of the game in total - but it is by far the most memorable. It may progress in a linear fashion, but the design is varied and fast-paced with enough set pieces to keep you glued to the monitor. It even has puzzles, such as they are. Levers are pulled, buttons are pushed and boxes are pushed to gain access to new or secret areas. Some require some neat out-of-the-box thinking. Even background activities have major roles in your progression. Witness creatures attack each other before setting their sights on you watching on the side-lines in the hope the bloodshed  would save some ammo. Or how about waiting around in a bunker for a tank to blow a hole in the floor so you can move on. There are countless semi-scripted scenes like these that do a lot to immerse you in the game world.

With a name like Gunman Chronicles, it's a given that the gunplay will be a stand out. The weapon selection is varied and customisable, which was unusual for the time. Your standard sci-fi Laser Pistol has multiple functions, including a charge blast, rapid fire and a sniper mode should you procure the required add-on. Your shotgun can double as a more accurate rifle, with the option of increasing the number of shells fired from each shot for more damage. The game's interpretation of a rocket launcher - called a M.U.L.E. or Multiple Unit Launch Engine - has a slew of aiming, detonation and explosive options including homing missiles and cluster bombs. This is all accessed in real time using the right mouse button and the scroll wheel. It's a little clunky so it's best not to change things up mid-battle, but it's intuitive enough to gander at in quieter moments.

Gonna need something explosive! Swap out weapons using the scroll wheel on the mouse (left).

Time for Rapid Fire! Each gun has multiple functions accessed using the right mouse button (right).

Later planets are a little more generic than the first. You'll visit laboratory complexes, military bases and a Wild West themed desert planet. It is in the latter where you can control a tank blasting buildings and turrets as you go. It's a rather fun distraction, but I found the on-foot sections much more entertaining. Later on, you'll make friends with a female-voiced devious AI that's very reminiscent of GLaDOS from Portal. At first, she'll sick her robotic drones on you out of self-preservation before realising you both have a shared enemy in the General. Each of the levels are very well designed, with minimal use of Half-Life's most aggravating mechanics - platforming. It moves along at brisk pace with little reason to backtrack or deeply examine locations for hidden areas or pick ups. Enemy intelligence is well programmed, if a little on the scripted side, but each enemy type is diverse enough to require different approaches.

So, Gunman Chronicles is something of a minor classic. I might even utter the blasphemous and suggest that it's a little more enjoyable than the original Half-Life's meaty and revolutionary campaign. In comparison, it's shorter, more concise and devoid of filler with an entertainingly out-there vibe to contradict the dour and claustrophobic horror of its forefather. It deserves much more than to be left to obscurity. Highly recommended.

To download the game, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber runs natively on Windows using the Xash3D engine with the HD Upscale Pack. Manual and Official Strategy Guide included. Read the ChamberNotes.txt for more detailed information. Tested on Windows 10.

File Size: 830 Mb.  Install Size: 1.31 Gb.  Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

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Gunman Chronicles is © Sierra On-Line & Rewolf Entertainment
Review, Cover Design and Installer created by me

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