Lead and Gold Review

EagleThorn

May 19, 2010

War games expound and profit in the multiplayer gaming landscape, but the Western is a thinly exploited genre. So what's next in the line of great quick draw games? Let's look at Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West, which is available on PC, XBL and PSN. The game involves class-based gunplay between teams of dusty scavengers, which inevitably becomes fast and dirty, but there's a sense of strategy that rewards slowing things down a beat and keeping an eye on your fellow cowboys.

LeadandGoldSide1 (24K) Lead and Gold supports four classes, each of which offers unique weapons. The weapons include a pistol, a long-range rifle and a devastating shotgun. Each class also has a special trait: the pistol-packing gunslinger can fan out many shots at once, the sniper can lay animal traps and the shotgunning miner can throw dynamite. These traits are considered secondary or special moves. Characters also radiate positive-effect auras to help nearby friendlies. One class buffs up accuracy; another increases the chance for critical hits. In effect, this is a formal mechanic that underlines Left 4 Dead's lesson: Stay close, work together.

Most of the time, these buffs are a background effect, but when you're defenseless while clambering with heavy powder kegs to blast open new objective areas, the assist comes in handy. Other elements, such as the cartoonish aesthetic graphics and glowing teammate outlines, were definitely inspired from Valve games like L4D and Team Fortress 2.

As for gameplay, even balanced matches can quickly turn into a massacre. The weapons can be slow to reload and aren't always amazingly accurate, but that feels appropriate to the setting. And what the weapons lack in speed, they make up for in sheer power. The six maps are winding and easy to maneuver after you play them a couple of times. You might be surprised at how large the maps actually are.

The developers did include some thoughtful touches to enhance gameplay. Downed characters can be revived by nearby friends. (Do you take a moment to help out a comrade?) And each team has a flag that may be carried into battle to act as a mobile spawn point. (Do you take the role as the leader?) A sudden respawning of teammates by you in the midst of a firefight can turn the tide, or just land you atop a body pile. The third-person view is unusual for a game of this type, but it shows off the well-designed characters.

The games sells for $15 and the developer, Fatshark, promises DLC to expand maps and classes. The game is recommended for fans of Team Fortress, however, I'd also say wait a little bit and see if you can pick it up for $10 if you're cheap. That is especially true if you feel you might be done with the game after only a couple of hours. Overall, Lead and Gold definitely has the glint of the good stuff.

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