Outlaws + A Handful Of Missions (GOG)

A sun-baked revenge tale gives this classic shooter far more personality than its age might suggest. Former Marshal James Anderson watches his family and homestead destroyed by a ruthless railroad baron, then rides across a stylized Old West determined to settle the score one bullet at a time. The mood balances hard-edged frontier violence with the exaggerated character work and cinematic flair of a Saturday-matinee western. Hand-drawn animated cutscenes, memorable villains, and a dramatic orchestral score make the journey feel like a lost interactive LucasArts film rather than a disposable corridor shooter.

Anderson fights through towns, mines, rail yards, canyons, and enemy strongholds using period-appropriate tools including revolvers, rifles, shotguns, a sniper rifle, and dynamite. Gunfights reward careful aim and timing, especially because reloading leaves you exposed and enemies can punish reckless movement. Levels are not simply shooting galleries: locked doors, hidden routes, switches, keys, environmental hazards, and occasional logic puzzles break up the action, while several areas invite cautious exploration for supplies and secrets. The included A Handful of Missions expansion adds more frontier scenarios to conquer, extending the campaign with tougher layouts and additional shootouts.

What stands out most is how committed the game is to its western identity. Many early first-person shooters borrow military or science-fiction trappings, but Outlaws builds its combat, weapons, environments, soundtrack, and storytelling around dusty six-shooter mythology. Its sprite-based visuals and deliberate pacing unmistakably show their 1990s roots, yet the expressive art direction still carries more charm than many technically sharper contemporaries. Fans of Doom-era shooters who want slower, more methodical gunplay, or anyone who enjoys classic westerns with a revenge-driven story, finds plenty to like here; newcomers should simply arrive ready for old-school level design and a demanding difficulty curve.