It seems that every now and again we need a fresh new take to add variety to the many similar shooters that have been released recently. In comes “Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West,” which comes on the heels of highly acclaimed “Red Dead Redemption.” Unlike RDR (Red Dead Redemption) there is no in-depth story line. The game is more of a indie-esque game which is to recruit casual gamers who are fans of both third-person shooters and the Wild West.
L&G is a third-person shooter set in the Wild West, where you and your friends will team up on either PC, Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA), or Playstation Network (PSN). The game is developed by Fatshark and is published by Paradox Interactive. The engine for the game is based off the Diesel Engine, which is made by GRIN (based in Stockholm Sweden). The game is strictly multi-player with only a practice mode utilized to teach you the game. The four different character classes are the Blaster, Deputy, Gunslinger, and Trapper. The classes have their own unique weapons, abilities, and “synergies.” The synergy is that each class will be able to do something extraordinary when holding down the synergy button. For example, the Gunslinger will be able to use his revolver in RAPID succession as in the old Western films, where using your one hand to slam the hammer of the gun will shoot rapidly. Only few game modes are allowed for the preview, but their are 7 different modes for the full game. The different modes are: Shootout, Conquest, Powder Keg, Gold Fever, Robbery, Greed, and Practice mode.
Once again, Steam has delivered a preview to its rabid (and always online) fans, that love to get previews/demos of new games to hit the marketplace. L&G (Lead and Gold) is a decently built game that I believe will do quite well on the PC for casual shooter fans.
The visuals of the game are well-made, and the movements are fluid while playing the game. There seems to be an issue with certain video cards (or because its a port from consoles), that the game will show refresh lines while playing. It seems to be more of a bug than an actual problem. You can see this problem on the video clips below. Fortunately, I was still able to grab in-game screenshots, and a short video of game-play for everyone to enjoy.
The audio for the game is also well made. One of my favorite sounds is when killing the enemy, is how the killer will shout “WOOHOO” in its namesake southern accent! The controls are also very simple and are made more for the fun of the game than for anything else. The signature moves add a nice depth to the game and add some definite fun for casual fans. The game-play is great, especially being a small title for multiple platforms. The game is definitely fun, and seems to have the potential for some team-based strategies for the different modes. The addiction for this game should go up thanks to the potential for team-based strategies. In turn, this will depend on whether or not the game is finds a niche in the PC gaming community. Overall, the game is fun, nicely detailed, and should provide a break from other games thanks to its casual shooter feel.
