Outlaws + A Handful of Missions (Classic, 1997)

You remember DOOM? Sure you do. While it wasn't the FIRST FPS evermade, it certainly was one of, if not THE most influential of its time. It's the original that launched a thousand imitators, some great, some garbage. Where does Outlaws fall? Let's find out The story is that a man named Marhsal Anderson is trying to live a quiet, peaceful life with his beautiful bride and young daughter. But a greedy man wants land and lots of it to build his empire and will get it any way he can, legal or illegal. So he sends his henchmen to Anderson's home while he's in town gathering provisions. He returns to find his wife dead, his house burned down, and his daughter kidnapped. And now, he must pick up his gun rescue his daughter. It's a classic Wild West story and I'm sure there were a few movies with this same story. Personally, I'd love to see this become a movie, but I doubt that's gonna happen. Anway, gameplay is just as I described: DOOM with a wild west paintjob. If you're expecting rocket launchers and laser guns, you'll be dissappointed, as this game has six shooters and rilfles aplenty. The goal is simple: find the keys, kill the bad guys, make it to the level's boss, kill said boss, rinse and repeat. Along the way there are secrets to unlock. Some helpful, some just...Odd. You can find aliens in the first level for example, and that's just scratching the surface on what odd secrets the game hides. Good to know the game has a sense of humor. If you get lost, which you probably will if it's your first time, there is a map that you can access with the Tab key, and this also shows how many secrets there are, and how many you've found. Graphically, this game features hand drawn graphics, and they look awesome! Guys, why isn't this a movie?! I'd watch it! The voice acting is great too, but get ready expect to hear "WHERE ARE YOU MARSHAL?!" A lot. In the end, should you pick up Outlaws? Without a doubt, yes. And for ten bucks, you cannot go wrong.

~ Disclaimer: I completed the game on 'Ugly' difficulty (hard) ~ --- The Negatives --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The story is super-cliché. I won't share any specific details, but just know that the narration was not in Lucasfilm's priorities. It's pretty much the same western rescue story you already know. Sometimes, because of the lack of enemy animations (which is probably the result of a dated and limited engine), enemies can shoot at you without having to look in your direction. They could be facing left, right or the opposite way and it makes no difference. The only indications you'll get that you've been shot is the sound of the gun itself and your health decreasing. Out of the nine levels it has on offer, only a select few of them are genuinely fun. That's not to say that the others weren't enjoyable, but they were slightly above mediocrity. There was one level, however, that I really did not like: the Sawmill. It's confusing level design forced me to constantly backtrack and look up a guide on how to find the last gear I needed to progress. --- The Positives ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Outlaws has a drawn look that is very pretty in cinematics and gives the cutscenes a charm, making them very watchable. Its aesthetic is also present in the graphics, but they don't stand out as much because they are beside old 1997 textures and sprites that look dated. Three of Outlaw's most memorable levels were the Train, the River Basin and Bob Graham's Ranch. The Train offered close-quarter combat, allowing you to put your newly-obtained shotgun to good use. The River Basin had large, open and pretty landscapes, forcing you to kill enemies from afar with your scoped rifle while showing the Jedi engine's capabilities. The final level, Bob Graham's Ranch, made you use stealth to reobtain your trusty revolver, and then later on gave you the Gatling Gun, which you can use to kill the villain. The score is brilliant. Clint Bajakian did a fantastic job composing it, and while playing the game, you'll enjoy listening to every second of it. Some songs stand out, like the main theme and the one during the confrontation with "Gentleman" Bob Graham. --- The Verdict ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Even though I mostly enjoyed my time with this game, it is undoubtedly flawed. The charming aesthetic of its cinematics, its beautifully-composed music and its cool arsenal of weapons give heart to a game plagued by a typical revenge story, enemies that can shoot from behind and one of the most annoying levels that I have played in a while. It may have its shortcomings, but I can still say that this game is one of the greats.

Plays well on newer systems, still as much fun as I remember.

I played this game when it first came out, i think as a demo on the then magazine PC Quest. It was an awesome game, and i don't recall how many times I played it through. Wish there was a decent game like this in recent times. For anyone who hasn't played this game, for under $10, this is quite a steal! But keep in mind, certain areas can be really hard.

Some people may be put off by the fact that Outlaws is an old game, with old graphics and old control scheme, this is one of the finest shooters of late 90s. Controls are responsive and the little things that might irk you will grow on within few levels, though it did take me few runs through the keyboard just to find a way to use a crowbar. Shooting might require some getting used to if you haven't played these types of games, but the feeling of mastering how to fire each gun is satisfying. If you are familiar with the games of this age, you'll have no problem with Outlaws. Graphics are excellent and the level of detail is beyond what I was prepared for. The cut scenes are well made and enjoyable, but not too long. Story of Outlaws is as basic as almost any other wild west shooters story: Something happens to your family. Go deal with the bad guys by working up the chain of command. It doesn't take that long to play through it and whenever that is a good or bad is up to you. For me, it's a good thing, since the game doesn't stay out its welcome. But what crowns this game for me is the voice acting, sound design and atmosphere. Though the enemies repeat their lines quite often, all of the voice acting is well acted and fits each character well. Every weapon sounds as it should and there were many times that I was alerted by nearby enemy, because I heard heard a bullet hitting the wall near me. Background musics never feel out of place and even if the locations did seem bit "old school", the feeling each area gave me was that of a man seeking revenge, letting no-one stop him. Over all, I would recommend this game to anyone who wants to play a quality game from the 90s, especially if you like first person shooters or you just like wild west games.