Unlike a certain other Western-themed game, Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West makes no attempts at being overly serious or realistic. To put it in simpler terms: Lead and Gold is basically to Red Dead Redemption what Team Fortress 2 is to Half-Life 2, in the sense that they’re each marginally related to a bigger game but choose a more lighthearted approach. In fact, Lead and Gold and TF2 have quite a few similar qualities. Both are multiplayer-only shooters, class-based, and make a point of being cartoony and unrealistic. With so much in common, it’s easy to go in to Lead and Gold with a more open disposition, and for the most part, this game delivers the things you’d want and expect from such a shooter.
Lead and Gold takes the basics of a class-based shooter like TF2 and transposes them to an Old West framework. As a multiplayer game it brings the essentials, like team deathmatch (“Shootout”) and waypoint capture (“Conquest”), along with a slew of modes build around stealing gold (“Robbery,” “Greed”) and blowing things up (“Powder Keg”). Also included is a Gears of War Horde-style co-op mode where two players can team up against waves of enemies together. The number of maps and modes doesn’t quite measure up to something like TF2, but there’s more than enough there to avoid stagnation during a rotation.
Lead and Gold earns its “class-based” tag, but not by much. Only four types are available: The Blaster, The Deputy, The Trapper, and, of course, The Gunslinger. Each class has a unique perk; for example, The Gunslinger fans his pistol for a quicker shot, and The Trapper sets giant bear traps to snare enemies. Though this limited selection size can occasionally lead to over-reliance and crowding for one class in particular, teams more often than not will balance themselves naturally.
One notable and praiseworthy quality of Lead and Gold‘s is its “synergy system”. Each of the four classes has its own unique effect, which naturally radiates around them and buffs certain skills of nearby teammates, including accuracy, health, and damage. The closer they are, the stronger the effect becomes. This synergy can also be increased by gaining experience and leveling up, though these stats are not persistent from round to round. This system reinforces an equally helpful respawn mechanic that allows a player to carry a flag into battle for his team which his comrades can spawn directly to. In tandem, these mechanics work to emphasize and reward teamwork and cooperation, which essentially makes success a possibility at any skill level .Despite being limited to Old West-era weapons, combat in Lead and Gold is quite often just as frantic and enjoyable as any other game. Though classes have only one or two weapon options each, ammunition is infinite. This keeps the pace of play from slackening and ensures a moderate amount of equality between both teams at any given time. There’s a good balance to the gunplay as well; though it takes only a few shots to down someone, there’s a “last stand” feature that allows the victim to continue fighting while waiting for a teammate to revive them, much like in the Left 4 Dead games.
There are a few things that can detract from the experience though. Perhaps it’s just the PC version, but every time I played there were only a handful of games available. This wasn’t a terrible hindrance, and since this review was written, dedicated servers have been added, but finding a game was still frustrating at times nonetheless. Voice chat isn’t supported, which in turn makes communication and strategy amongst team members more difficult, though this problem is often quelled through the synergy system.
While it probably won’t enjoy the success or longevity of Team Fortress 2, for $15 Lead and Gold is reasonably priced and has enough variety and original substance to stand on its own as a legitimate source for some quick multiplayer fun.
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Things We Liked: Plenty of maps and modes. The synergy system. Combat is quick and satisfying.
Things We Disliked: Only four classes to play as. Frequent lack of available games to join. Little to no player communication.
Target Audience: Team Fortress 2 fans. People looking for something short and sweet. Western aficionados.
(Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West – Developer: Fatshark. Publisher: Paradox Interactive. Available on PC via Steam and PlayStation 3 via PlayStation Network – PC version reviewed. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes. Unfamiliar with CFD!’s review system? Read our newly revised explanation here.)
