Ok, hear me out. This argument has been going on for maybe a decade and many people simply name their favorite game, cinematic titles imitating movies or revolutionary games that created new genres. But Citizen Kane didn't get its status by inventing a million new techniques or simply being the best or the most popular of its time. It got it by taking the progress of cinema in the previous 40 years and using all the available tools to create an experience so confident, ambitious and masterfully crafted that it became the symbol and inspiration for what the art form was capable of. Deus Ex did the same thing for games. We've seen the first-person RPG design in Ultima Underworld, environmental storytelling in Myst, stealth in Thief and player choice in Fallout, but this is the game where they truly came together. The world of Deus Ex is alive. Sure, it might have empty streets, incredibly cheesy voice acting and limited lines of pedestrians compared to modern games, but if you see something it the world, you can interact with it and you can bet you'll get an interesting reaction back. From hidden locations, to NPC interaction, to item combinations, to AI and physics experimentation, Deus Ex knows you want to play and rewards you with depth many games can still only dream about. This is THE sandbox game. It trusts your intelligence and resourcefulness. You can sneak around without firing a single bullet, or you can blast your way through like a cyborg war machine. Be a messiah, a selfish prick or a murderous lunatic. Most of the choices you make aren't carefully highlighted A or B options waiting for your approval. As Sting would say, "Every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take, the game'll be watching you". Just like Citizen Kane used the strengths of films (editing and cinematography) to their full potential, so did Deus Ex with the exclusive aspects of video games (interactivity and choice).
It's impossible to ignore how much Rockstar's open-world western masterpiece owes to this game, arguably more than its own official predecessor. You've got the wide open plains for horse riding, mission structure inspired by GTA and cinematic cutscenes not afraid to get dramatic, but still keeping a delightfully pulpy tone. The music and voice acting are top notch. Unfortunately, it didn't age all that well. If this was 2005, I'd wholeheartedly recommend the game as the best Wild West shooter there is. But it's not 2005 and GUN has since been overshadowed by Call of Juarez and Red Dead Redemption, which have surpassed it in pretty much every way. The sad truth is that once you've played Rockstar's cowboy simulator, there's very little this game can offer, be it in terms of world design, gameplay, storytelling, activities or atmosphere. And even if you haven't, you have to take into account the dated aspects of the game. This was before open-world games got solid gunplay, lively worlds and cool side quests. That's not to say GUN does these things especially badly. They're ok, serviceable, but not much more. They lack polish and depth expected from newer titles, which can make them feel dull after a while. The map especially could've been filled with more detail and interactive locations. However, these problems never become really annoying, since the game is fairly short for an open-world title. GUN seems like a missed potential. It's still a fun game and you can definitely enjoy it for the story, but it lacks features and complexity that would make it a great game. Its biggest strength at the time was the unique setting, but these days it looks more like a stepping stone for bigger and better Wild West games.
