Revenge. And bounty hunting. Getting in the way of each other. Picking one and sticking with it, even if it were the latter, similar to Thief: The Dark Project and do world-building with, like this, relatively little plot, would have been preferable. Both do allow you to meet, and usually go up against, if not always kill or even win against, tons of infamous people. Name-dropping, mostly, albeit some get to do their thing, such as a bank robbery or blowing up train tracks, which you try to stop.
This whole thing is you, Silas Greaves(Cygan, charming), recounting highlights from his career to a handful of listeners in a saloon that you do get to visit, an opportunity they waste. That allows jumping around the US and in time. Along the way, they'll challenge your account. So you adjust to fit. Enemies and paths will come and go. They occasionally overdo it. And I can understand those who dislike this, well, gimmick. If you do, this is not for you. Or hearing them talk in general, which there could have been an option to turn off since most of it doesn't affect anything. Personally, I'm glad we're getting different approaches, as long as the ideas and execution are, at least, good, and here, they are. Not bad, and not ugly. I'll get to those.
This is essentially a shooting gallery. And Where's Waldo, since they blend in with the background, something I can't recall seeing elsewhere, even in retro stuff. Everything is an excuse for the bullets to fly in all directions. At least it's not really racist... the Latinos and Natives are treated the same as the Whites. Not better, either... after all, you *are* trying to snuff out each other, you're not doing reparations. They may charge at you, throw dynamite as grenades(you can, as well, and hit and blow it mid-air) and carry it on belts that scream "aim for me", hold up a wooden shield(feels like it was designed for another setting in time and place) and sometimes peaks out from behind it, or wear armor. That's how similar they are.
What you're using to deliver the lead matters. And ultimately, you only have revolvers(fast and weak, ranged and power, and the middle-ground), shotguns(short and regular. Good luck using them, what with being fought by their spread and frequent reloading) and rifles(one of the two being sawn-off). For all the limitations of the where and when, it still feels as lacking in variety as it is. I'm not asking to be able to pick up the Tomahawk, or the bow and arrow that they could have had. Just something. You can dual-wield the first four mentioned, using either the same one, or two separate, triggers. Ammo conservation is an obvious strength of the latter: if you run out in one, the other might have some left.
The upgrades don't alter much, other than stats. Compared to developer Techland's Dead Island, which is definitely overall worse than this, it's simple. There, they change how you play. Examples include boomeranging what you toss, crushing skulls of downed foes, the Rage attacks, customizing extra damage for weapons. It has special enemies that force you to adjust how you play when dealing with them. Varied ones in general. The fun of freely chopping off limbs instead of merely proceeding in a straightforward manner. I'm not saying all of these could be in this, or should be, still, the contrast is stark. The three are: speed, close range, and distance. Each has two skill trees, and can unlock two "Legendary"(read: improved version) firearm.
Completing this once unlocks level selector, the hardest of the 3 difficulties, with no HUD, and New Game +: Play again with all your stats carried over. It apparently gets tougher, as well. This is challenging on easiest. I personally got everything I wanted the first time through. I don't see myself returning to this. It took me four and a half hours, another two for the Arcade ones, each once. For the current asking price of about 15, bucks or Euros, that's basically fine.
Even if you're not doing Duel Mode, you will have to master the quickdraw to complete this. You know, where it's vital that you avoid being hit by this one person, when you take plenty any other time. It's awkward all the way. Hold a shrinking circle over the possibly-probably-not-though-moving-either-side to focus, and it'll zoom in on him. Eh, not too bad? Wait. For some reason, it moves slowly, barely, and going too far happens a lot. Position your hand over the holster. Or don't. Not sure it matters. This whole bit needs to be repeated each time you do, and you will, die. No idea why, you can't do it more than one way. Finally, at 80% or so, you can go for it. If you're fine with doing it dishonourably. Otherwise, wait for him to, first. Be polite about it. Then, you dodge to either side if he gets one off, which decidedly doesn't fit the period and location. At least the bullet-time mimics the reflexes. You, obnoxiously, adjust the reticule to get a mortal wound on them. And voila.
I haven't played the first three in the franchise... it's not quite a series anymore, not much continuity. In research, I did find that they had a lot this doesn't, and thus, is missed. Stealth. Two characters that offered abilities the other didn't. You might switch between them one level to the next. Or choose which. Maybe they go together, one of them controlled by AI. Riding horses and doing drive-by's as it were. Multiplayer, with modes beyond the bare minimum. Of course, at least this is considered to be superior to the dreadful third one. Not sure why the cover mechanic is gone. It left a gaping hole. It should be there.
I recommend this to the biggest fans of spaghetti Westerns. 5/10
