Gunman Chronicles

The game's "Wild West in deep space" tone is established in the opening cinematic, which shows a rescue mission on a hostile planet gone awry. Five years later you must return to the scene of the disaster and use your skills as the last of the vaunted Gunmen to save the galaxy from aliens, mutants, and maybe even your brothers-in-arms.

The graphics aren't bad, and the character models look terrific, but their quality is offset by the game's mediocre audio. The gameplay rarely rises above average. There are numerous scripted events that sometimes add to the game's tension but more often seem gratuitous. Events meant to surprise--like an enemy popping out of the darkness behind you--are usually more annoying than scary, especially when they result in a cheap hit. Your foes aren't smart at all and rely on blind rushes as their chief tactic. It is a lot of fun managing your arsenal, however, as each weapon offers many customization options. See something particularly scary up ahead? Duck behind some cover and tweak your shotgun so it shoots eight shells at once instead of two. It adds a little more depth to an otherwise derivative game, and Half-Life fans looking for something similar to that title's decidedly better single-player action should certainly give Gunman Chronicles a go. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Customizable weapons are fun to mess with
• The many scripted events make the game surprisingly cinematic
• The game is much more impressive when you consider it wasn't created by professionals

• Configurable guns and drivable vehicles don't add as much to the gameplay as promised
• Although the production values are great for a fan-created add-on, they are relatively low for a full retail release