Gunslinger is such a good time. I went in with absolutely no expectations either way, and absolutely loved my weekend with it.
I certainly couldn’t help wondering how fantastic it would have been for it to be an open world game, with the levels as missions within. It does make that incredibly stupid faux pas of having areas of the sprawling levels you’re just not allowed to walk toward – “You’re wandering from the story” – which rather emphasises that point.
But within its own restrictions, it remains the most fun I’ve had with a shooter in ages. Unpretentious yet wonderfully original in its gimmicks, and unashamed of being an elaborate shooting gallery, without casting you as a sidekick to an AI hero who opens the doors for you, it remembers what the genre is supposed to be. And that alone is enormously refreshing. That it delivers it all with such panache, a great sense of humour, and manages to poke fun at the genre without breaking it, is to be lauded.
