PSN Review - Fast Draw Showdown

Fast Draw Showdown is a live-action game that was originally released on laserdisc back in 1994. Early this year, Digital Leisure brought the game to the WiiWare, and now they have decided to bring PS3 users the title with PlayStation Move support. The game is currently available on the PlayStation Store, and it is worth noting that you must own a PlayStation Move controller to be able to play this game. But is it worth owning the game if you have a PlayStation Move?

From the get go, players will be able to tell that this game stays true to the original, though the graphics have been redone in HD, which is always a good thing. You will take on the role of a gunslinger in the old west and must face any challenges that come in front of you – literally. After beginning the game, the player must first calibrate the controller and then choose which difficulty (deputy, sheriff, and marshal) they would like to play during that particular run-through.

The overall premise is simple, draw your gun (PlayStation Move controller) faster than your opponent and successfully shoot (with the T trigger on the controller) them before they do the same to you. It’s just like an old western showdown, hence the title of the game.

You will be introduced to your opponent, with a video of sorts that is mainly there to distract you. If you do not remain on your guard, they will definitely beat you in the showdown by shooting you before you have a chance to react. Just because you are unsuccessful – and trust me you will be – does not mean that you will not progress. At the bottom of the screen there is a set of stars that are filled up at the very beginning, these grow as your act continues, and by using one you only have to face your opponent/opponents that you failed to win a showdown against. Yes, you read that right, opponents. There will be times where the game has you face sometimes two, or even three, opponents on your screen, but only one of them will draw their gun against you. It’s up to you to react quick enough to get the win.

If the single player mode becomes a bore to you, then you can join the game with a friend to see which of you has the fastest draw. Also, you can both go up against opponents to see which of you can take them out first. Though, honestly, this is all the game offers, and it will eventually become boring, and will leaving you wanting for more.

The motion controls of the game work reasonably well. From the instruction videos the game has people unholstering their “guns” at waist level, but when calibrating the PlayStation Move controller it doesn’t take into account your height, and that is a disadvantage at times. This will have you needing to raise the controller higher than should be necessary for it to register on the screen, thus making your “draw time” considerably slower. This results in you losing more than you should.

For those looking to customize the look of your gunslinger, you will have to wait till you accomplish various objectives within the game. By meeting certain guidelines you will unlock several items that fall into one of nine categories (hat, accessory 1, accessory 2, pants, bandana, gun belt, chaps, jacket, boots). This gives a sense of ownership over your particular gunslinger, though many will wish there was more to it.

Graphically the game is a “live-action” game, meaning there are actual people on the screen with real world environments, rather than rendered graphics. This gives an old school feel with it, seeing as how many games from the past had this type of graphics, especially in arcade shooters.

Overall, Fast Draw Showdown is an average game. It offers a quick pick-up that will entertain you for a few hours at best. Once experiencing all the modes that the game offers, it most likely will not be played again any time soon.