Isn't it a bit sad that there haven't been much in the way of better western themed games, at least on the PC, since Outlaws came out in 1997? The year after Duke Nukem, Outlaws features a much more involved plot than most shooters on the market. Sure, it was basically just your typical revenge story, but the colorful characters you meet along the way helps put a face to the enemy you're facing. Literally. There's also way more variation in the level design and set pieces compared to games like Duke Nukem 3D. That train level will likely cause your pulse to race even today. But what really steals the show is Clint Bajakian's amazing score. Pretty unusual for the time, Clint's soundtrack - clearly inspired by Ennio Morricone and the like - played directly from the CD, in crystal clear hi-fi quality. No MIDI style beeps and boops here! Finally, the critical success and commercial failure that was Outlaws, is back from the dark corners of abandonwareland, and ready to be played by modern gamers. Whether it has aged well or not is up to you to decide, but either way you still shouldn't let this masterful piece of gaming history pass you by.
