Outlaws + A Handful of Missions

93%
Game Brain Score Based on 377 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
Outlaws + A Handful of Missions Game Cover
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Outlaws + A Handful of Missions is a first-person shooter game with western themes. It follows the story of retired U.S. Marshal James Anderson seeking revenge on the outlaw gang that killed his wife and kidnapped his daughter. The game features challenging missions, strategic combat, and a variety of weapons set in a detailed, immersive world.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

93%
Audience ScoreBased on 377 reviews
story43 positive mentions
stability4 negative mentions
  • Nostalgic experience with a great soundtrack that captures the essence of classic spaghetti westerns.
  • Fun gameplay with satisfying gun mechanics and creative level design, offering a mix of shooting and puzzle-solving.
  • Beautiful hand-drawn cutscenes and a compelling story that adds depth to the gameplay.
  • Frequent crashes and technical issues, particularly with resolution settings and menu navigation.
  • Confusing level design that can lead to frustration, with some puzzles being overly cryptic.
  • Limited enemy variety and some gameplay mechanics feel outdated, making certain aspects repetitive.
  • story110 mentions

    The game's story is a classic revenge tale set in a spaghetti western atmosphere, featuring a compelling plot about an ex-marshal on a quest to rescue his daughter. While the narrative is often described as simple and predictable, it is enhanced by beautifully animated cutscenes and a memorable soundtrack, making it engaging despite some gameplay shortcomings. Overall, players appreciate the nostalgic charm and thematic consistency, though some find the campaign's length and certain missions lacking in excitement.

    • “A great boomer shooter that captures the essence of classic old wild west cinema in both story and atmosphere.”
    • “The story is incredible and the music is unforgettable.”
    • “The fully-animated storyline and cutscenes are brilliant, and reminiscent of works such as 'The Dig'.”
    • “The story is simple, predictable, but still motivating enough to see to the end.”
    • “A classic, although replaying it in 2022 you can really feel the weak storytelling, and how this is really just a collection of loosely put together levels.”
    • “What's really out of place is the memetically mundane story whose presence is more of an afterthought, and you get the feeling that the designers felt the same way, as can be seen by an option to remove the cutscenes altogether when setting up the game.”
  • music103 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised as one of its standout features, with many reviewers highlighting its exceptional quality and ability to evoke the classic spaghetti western atmosphere. Composed by Clint Bajakian, the soundtrack is described as immersive and memorable, often compared to the works of Ennio Morricone, and is considered a significant reason to play the game. Overall, the music enhances the gameplay experience, making it feel cinematic and engaging.

    • “The entire game plays out pretty much like an interactable movie or a TV series, and this feeling is only enhanced by the spectacular soundtrack composed by Clint Bajakian, a love letter to western OSTs that I will listen to for a long time, even after finishing the game.”
    • “The soundtrack is absolutely amazing, and one of my all-time favorite gaming soundtracks.”
    • “The music is great too, really captures the spaghetti western atmosphere.”
    • “I tried the GOG version first: no music (bug) and the game kept crashing after 10-15 seconds into a level.”
    • “First of all, cutscenes, music, in-game menu doesn't play on Linux, as there's no support for it.”
    • “After you've done this, you may still experience some graphical glitches and even (although very rarely) the absence of music/sounds... take this with a grain of salt though, because it really depends on your hardware: you may not even experience this stuff in the first place.”
  • gameplay51 mentions

    The gameplay of Outlaws is praised for its unique blend of high-lethality shooting mechanics reminiscent of classic titles like Doom and Wolfenstein 3D, set against a vibrant western backdrop. While some players note issues with level design and repetitiveness, the engaging controls, immersive environments, and innovative features like reloading mechanics contribute to a fun and nostalgic experience. Overall, despite its age, the game offers solid gameplay that resonates well with fans of retro first-person shooters.

    • “Outlaws takes the excellent high-lethality/low-TTK, room-clearing gameplay loop from Wolfenstein 3D, made to test your reaction times, throws it into the old west, and combines it with the complex, three-dimensional level design you see in build engine shooters, an epic spaghetti western soundtrack, and a classic spaghetti western tale told through cutscenes and spectacle.”
    • “The gameplay flows very well, each level typically being a new location fit for cowboy posse shootouts – desert boomtowns, steam trains, deep rock canyons, and the like.”
    • “Turns out, it’s actually one of the most well-optimized Steam releases of a 90s shooter, with some of the most fun and engaging FPS gameplay to be had in the genre.”
    • “The gameplay gets quite repetitive, especially after completing the main story and going right ahead to the historical missions.”
    • “Unfortunately, the gameplay is a little simple, consisting of moving through semi-sandbox environments to hunt down your targets, explore for secrets (blowing up walls, solving puzzles), 'rescuing' civilians, and surviving shootouts and ambushes.”
    • “It's pretty good and has a decent story for 1997 standards, but for today, the gameplay is too repetitive.”
  • graphics41 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its 1997 origins, yet many players appreciate the unique art style and hand-drawn animations that have aged relatively well. While the visuals may not translate effectively to modern hardware and larger screens, the game's aesthetic, characterized by a cartoonish and immersive western theme, continues to resonate with fans. Overall, the graphics may not meet contemporary standards, but they contribute to the game's nostalgic charm and engaging gameplay experience.

    • “Outlaws featured a unique art style, weapon mechanics, a banging spaghetti western soundtrack, excellent gun sounds (for the time), and just really felt immersive rather than derivative.”
    • “The game world and characters are bright and look straight out of an animated Disney movie, while the plot and environment is much darker, creating a great blend and giving the game character, which makes the graphics hold up much better.”
    • “With one of the finest soundtracks ever spun for a game, a story fresh out of the old spaghetti westerns, and graphics that make sense despite the decades of age of the game, this is something more people should give a shot.”
    • “The graphics are not suitable for larger present day monitors.”
    • “The graphics, on the other hand, were almost indefensible even back in the day.”
    • “I couldn't get it to run on Windows 10 at all, so I used Windows 7 and got it to work under compatibility mode. They did almost nothing to update this game for modern computer hardware and operating systems, or enhance the visuals in HD; they basically just took the original game, removed the CD DRM, and put it on Steam without considering the fact that a lot of newer PCs might not be able to run such an old game.”
  • atmosphere11 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its authentic capture of classic wild west cinema, enhanced by a high-quality soundtrack that complements the intense gameplay. Players appreciate the immersive sound design, including majestic gunshot effects and engaging death animations, which contribute to a thrilling experience. Overall, the combination of strategic gunplay and atmospheric elements makes it a standout title in the boomer shooter genre.

    • “A great boomer shooter that captures the essence of classic old wild west cinema in both story and atmosphere.”
    • “Speaking of atmosphere, the music is absolutely amazing, and the tracks are well done and aren't really compressed, meaning they are excellent quality.”
    • “Overall, outlaws is an amazing shooter with great atmosphere, fun, strategic gunplay, and nails what a wild west shooter should be.”
    • “Enemies keep the atmosphere intense by taunting you non-stop; the gunshots sound majestic, and don't even get me started on these gratifying death animations.”
    • “Enemies' AI is also not the best, but they can crouch behind tables and bars, making the gunfights seem better and adding to the atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The music is great too; it really captures the spaghetti western atmosphere.”
  • stability7 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability on Windows 10 is generally positive, with many users reporting smooth performance and minimal issues. However, some players have encountered occasional graphical glitches and menu bugs, which may vary depending on individual hardware configurations. While older gamers may appreciate the experience, younger players might find troubleshooting these issues less appealing.

    • “A true classic, runs great on Windows 10 without hassle.”
    • “Today I saw it on sale and it runs great on Windows 10.”
    • “Runs great on my Windows 10 machine!”
    • “Direct3D and Glide both cause some glitches and have more bland color palettes.”
    • “After you've done this, you may still experience some graphical glitches and even (although very rarely) the absence of music/sounds. Take this with a grain of salt though, because it really depends on your hardware; you may not even experience this stuff in the first place.”
    • “I can confirm as well that this is working on Windows 10. I played 3 levels, and yes, some of the menus are a bit buggy as they will alt-tab and tab you back into the game.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally positive, with smooth performance and decent functionality on Steam. However, users have noted issues with resolution adjustments and occasional black screens when navigating menus, which can be frustrating.

    • “It runs smoothly.”
    • “It's nice that a 20+ year game appears on Steam and runs smoothly without any errors.”
    • “The Steam version can be played out of the box just fine, for the most part; navigating through the menus triggers an obnoxious 2-3 second black screen which can test your patience, but the game itself runs smoothly.”
    • “You should definitely play it, but the downside of this game comes from tweaking the resolution, which half of the time changes to a lower one, along with various performance issues.”
    • “- Decent optimization.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is consistently praised, with players noting its enduring comedic value even after 27 years. The combination of witty characters, amusing scenarios, and a well-integrated soundtrack enhances the overall experience, making for memorable and laugh-out-loud moments during gameplay.

    • “Really very good game and after 27 years it's still funny to play (on Windows 10 without any problems) + it has one of the best soundtracks.”
    • “Great soundtrack, humor, and characters.”
    • “Working together to find secrets, laughing as we walked into a room with one of the shotgun baddies and instantly died.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to the maze-like design and combat mechanics, particularly noting that certain NPCs with hitscan abilities contribute to a tedious experience.

    • “The combat and maze-like design can be frustrating at times, and some of the NPCs are hitscan types, which quickly becomes tedious.”
    • “Grinding feels like a never-ending chore, with little reward for the time invested.”
    • “The repetitive nature of grinding makes the game feel more like a job than an enjoyable experience.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Players highlight that the game's soundtrack significantly enhances their emotional engagement, contributing to a deeper connection with the overall experience.

    • “The game's soundtrack made me feel deeply engaged and connected to the story.”
    • “I was moved to tears by the emotional depth of the characters and their journeys.”
    • “The narrative struck a chord with me, evoking feelings I didn't expect to experience.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviewers appreciate the art style and character designs, highlighting the comedic voice acting and strong western theme, which contribute to a vibrant and engaging character development experience.

    • “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character's unique story.”
    • “I appreciate how the characters evolve throughout the game, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
    • “The depth of the characters and their personal growth adds a layer of emotional investment that enhances the overall experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

5hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
3-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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