Gunman Chronicles | PC | 2000
Howabout a crazy first person shooter that I guarantee is unlike any other FPS you've ever played? From the game's Wikipedia page:
Gunman Chronicles is a first-person shooter that requires the player to perform combat tasks and puzzle solving to advance through the game, much like its predecessor Half-Life. While gameplay is similar to Half-Life's in terms of health-and-armor systems and artificial intelligence, one major aspect of Gunman Chronicles is the ability to customize each weapon. Each weapon the player obtains has multiple alternate "modes" for various situations; for instance, the starting pistol can be turned into a sniper rifle or a rapid-fire machine-pistol while the MULE, a rocket launcher, can be configured to fire homing rockets, timed explosives, or cluster bombs.
Another new aspect of Gunman Chronicles is the ability to drive vehicles, something that was expanded on in Half-Life 2. During the latter half of the game, there is a lengthy vehicle section in which the player is able to drive a tank through a system of canyons. Similar to the vehicle sections of Half-Life 2, the player occasionally comes across obstacles hindering the tank's path which will require the player to stop and figure out a puzzle or activate a switch.
The game features a wide variety of enemies, including rogue Gunmen-turned-bandits, giant dinosaurs, genetically-modified aliens called Xenomes, and robotic attack drones. Bandits will roll around to dodge fire while returning fire with dual pistols or rifles, while Xenomes will charge at the player in packs with reckless abandon and release homing projectiles upon death. Similar to Half-Life, certain objects such as vases and crates can be destroyed to provide ammunition, health, and armor. Unlike Half-Life however, armor takes the form of actual vests, and can not be replenished by chargers like health can.
Unlike Half-Life and its expansions, Gunman Chronicles, however sparsely, uses cutscenes to tell key parts of the storyline. These usually appear only as transitions between different worlds and levels however, and thus most of the plot is seen through the eyes of the player like in Half-Life.
That's right, you've got space cowboys, dinosaurs, aliens and robots, vehicle driving and even custom weapon design! You've also a S.H.O.D.A.N. like entity in the game that unlike GLaDOS actually HELPS you out. Valve not only sanctioned this total conversion of their original Half-Life, they went so far as to take inspiration from it for Half-Life 2. Here are some pics:
Gunman Chronicles was panned during its release because people thought it was just a reskinned Half-Life. That false assumption wasn't even close to the reality of what this game actually is. If you're an FPS lover and ready for a blast from the past with a great sense of humor, and a focus on zany fun, it's time to resurrect Gunman Chronicles from its undeserved early grave.
Personal anecdote; I beat this game listening to Klaus Nomi's Rubberband Lazer. That song of his mixes cowboys and space in a way that was just a great fit. Or maybe I'm just silly.
It is always my go-to underrated game.
