Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West
Encyclopedia
Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West (also known simply as Lead and Gold) is a team-based third-person shooter
multiplayer video game. It was developed by Fatshark
and published by Paradox Interactive
. It was released on April 8, 2010 for Microsoft Windows
via Steam and the PlayStation 3
via the PlayStation Network, and is in development for the Xbox 360
via Xbox Live Arcade
.
Lead and Gold is set in the American Old West
. It features four character class
es and six game modes to choose from. Players work as a team to accomplish the objectives of a chosen game mode. The game received mixed reviews, with Metacritic
reporting a 70% average score on the PC, and a 68% average on the PlayStation 3. Review scores for the game varied greatly, ranging from 36% to 90%. It was often compared as an Old West version of Team Fortress 2
.
. It features four character class
es to choose from, each having their own unique weapons, abilities, and "synergies". This "synergy" is a range-based booster that enhances the abilities of all nearby teammates. The Blaster wields a double barrel shotgun & dynamite sticks and radiates a defensive synergy effect. Deputies wield a repeater carbine rifle, have the ability to tag enemies for fellow teammates, and radiate a damage increasing synergy effect.
The Gunslinger carries a highly accurate revolver, has the ability to rapidly fire his revolver with reduced accuracy, and radiates a synergy effect that increases weapon accuracy. Finally Trappers are equipped with a scoped hunting rifle, carry traps that can immobilize enemies, and radiate a critical hit
synergy effect. Players can slowly regenerate health by remaining in proximity to other teammates. Additionally, any player can revive a fallen teammate.
Lead and Gold features six game modes to choose from. The first, Shootout, is a the standard team deathmatch
game mode. Conquest mode is similar to Unreal Tournament 2004
s Onslaught mode. The objective of Conquest is to conquer waypoints in order. One team starts at their home zone and moves towards the enemy zone, while the other team advances in the other direction. Conquering a zone unlocks the next zone in the sequence. Clearing a zone of enemies and staying in the zone until your flag is raised will conquer that zone.
Powder Keg resembles another Unreal Tournament 2004 game mode, Assault. In Powder Keg, one team is trying to destroy objectives using powder kegs, while the other tries to defend these objectives. This mode is played in two rounds with each side taking a turn as attacker and defender. Gold Fever is a single player or two player cooperative game mode. The goal is to fend off endless waves of AI characters while you and your teammate attempt to obtain as many sacks of gold as possible. The game ends when both players die.
The fourth game mode, Robbery, is similar to Powder Keg, with one team the attackers and one the defenders. The attackers need to blow up a bank vault and steal three bags of gold. The defenders attempt to defend the bank and the gold. This mode is played in two rounds with each side alternating as attacker and defender. In the fifth game mode, Greed, players are to deliver as many gold sacks as possible to their team's drop zone. Once gold sack spawns on the map, both teams fight to bring the sack to their respective areas. Once a team successfully brings the gold sack to their zone they gain a point and a new round begins.
. The game is powered by the Diesel engine
, which was used to power titles such as Bionic Commando Rearmed
and Wanted: Weapons of Fate. The music for Lead and Gold was composed by Fathom, who created four tracks for the game. Fathom had previously worked with GRIN
, the company from which FatShark was formed, on titles such as Bionic Commando and Terminator Salvation
. The soundtrack was made available to the public on July 18, 2010 via iTunes
.
The four character classes for Lead and Gold were patterned after American frontier
archetypes. Staffon Ahlström, Visual Effects Artist for the game said "everyone has their archetypes in their mind of what [different kinds] of cowboys there [were]." "You have really distinct and iconic weapons in the Wild West" stated the game's writer Mangus Liljehdahl, adding "there's an apparent balance in the weapons that are available."
During development Gunnar Johnson and Mårten Stormdal of FatShark traveled to the United States to promote Lead and Gold. Johnson and Stormdal filmed the trip, in which they documented their visits to gaming media such as Game Informer and IGN
and PC Gamer
. Journalists played the game in groups of six via networked laptops and Xbox 360 controllers. FatShark has released multiple patches to decrease network lag, add dedicated server support, and provide other fixes and updates to the game. An additional patch containing one new map, Jacob's Bridge, and one new game type, Demolition, was released on May 20, 2010
In December 2009 FatShark Gamereactor
s Bengt Lemne mentioned stories of developers waiting long amounts of time for their titles to be published on Xbox Live Arcade, to which Lead and Gold Producer Robert Bäckström responded "we really want to release it as soon as possible, [but] things might take time." On August 3, 2010 Mark Wester, CEO of the game's publisher Paradox Interactive
cited issues with getting the game certified for release on Xbox Live Arcade. "It seems like we have to put it on the backburner," Wester said, further stating that the team was "not really putting any more effort into releasing on XBLA." The reason for the delay was not mentioned, merely that Paradox and FatShark were waiting for response from Microsoft on Lead and Golds status. This has led some websites to list the game as cancelled or to remove the Xbox Live Arcade listing entirely. To date no official cancellation of the Xbox Live Arcade release has been made.
reporting a 70% average score on the PC, and a 68% average on the PlayStation 3. GameRankings reports similar scores, with the PC version averaging 76.5% and the PlayStation 3 scoring 68.83%. Reviewers for the game varied wildly, from a 36% given by PC Power Play to a 9/10 awarded by Gamers Daily News. The majority of reviews for both PC and PlayStation 3 scored the game 60% or higher. On July 25, 2010 Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West reached the number one spot in sales on Steam.
The June 2010 issue of PC Gamer UK
magazine was positive about the game, saying that it was "easily comparable with titles twice its price. Its core gunplay and design are more airtight than a collapsed mine." GameZone
praised the simplicity of the game, stating that it was the game's greatest virtue. IGN
enjoyed the team dynamics, particularly that players can revive other fallen comrades. IT Reviews commented that "Despite some aiming issues, this ambitious foray into online team shooting set in the golden age of outlaws has plenty of variety and well designed character classes and won't cost you a fistful of dollars." The Australian video game talk show Good Game
s two reviewers gave the game a 7/10 and 7.5/10. Kotaku
stated the level designs were unique, providing plenty of choke points in maps and opportunities to flank opponents.
Edge Magazine was less enthusiastic, saying that "there's wild west fun to be had within these simplistic charms, but it's unlikely to replace your favoured multiplayer shooter." Eurogamer
, GameSpot
and Kotaku complained of multiplayer lag in the game. Kotaku's Luke Plunkett said he "[couldn't] remember the last online shooter [he] played that was so crippled by it." Subsequent patches have repaired networking issues found in the original release.
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
multiplayer video game. It was developed by Fatshark
Fatshark
Fatshark is an independent video game development studio based in Stockholm, Sweden.. The company's current name is a direct translation from Swedish meaning "to understand" or "to get it".-History:...
and published by Paradox Interactive
Paradox Interactive
-External links:*...
. It was released on April 8, 2010 for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
via Steam and the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
via the PlayStation Network, and is in development for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
via Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
.
Lead and Gold is set in the American Old West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
. It features four character class
Character class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
es and six game modes to choose from. Players work as a team to accomplish the objectives of a chosen game mode. The game received mixed reviews, with Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reporting a 70% average score on the PC, and a 68% average on the PlayStation 3. Review scores for the game varied greatly, ranging from 36% to 90%. It was often compared as an Old West version of Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2 is a free-to-play team-based first-person shooter multiplayer video game developed by Valve Corporation. A sequel to the original mod Team Fortress based on the Quake engine, it was first released as part of the video game compilation The Orange Box on October 10, 2007 for Windows...
.
Gameplay
Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West is set in the American Old WestAmerican Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
. It features four character class
Character class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
es to choose from, each having their own unique weapons, abilities, and "synergies". This "synergy" is a range-based booster that enhances the abilities of all nearby teammates. The Blaster wields a double barrel shotgun & dynamite sticks and radiates a defensive synergy effect. Deputies wield a repeater carbine rifle, have the ability to tag enemies for fellow teammates, and radiate a damage increasing synergy effect.
The Gunslinger carries a highly accurate revolver, has the ability to rapidly fire his revolver with reduced accuracy, and radiates a synergy effect that increases weapon accuracy. Finally Trappers are equipped with a scoped hunting rifle, carry traps that can immobilize enemies, and radiate a critical hit
Critical hit
In many role-playing games and video games, a critical hit is a successful attack that deals more damage than a normal blow.-Origin:The 1975 role-playing game Empire of the Petal Throne introduced the concept of critical hits...
synergy effect. Players can slowly regenerate health by remaining in proximity to other teammates. Additionally, any player can revive a fallen teammate.
Lead and Gold features six game modes to choose from. The first, Shootout, is a the standard team deathmatch
Deathmatch (gaming)
Deathmatch or Player vs All is a widely-used gameplay mode integrated into many shooter and real-time strategy computer games...
game mode. Conquest mode is similar to Unreal Tournament 2004
Unreal Tournament 2004
Unreal Tournament 2004, also known as UT2K4 and UT2004, is a futuristic first-person shooter computer game developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes...
s Onslaught mode. The objective of Conquest is to conquer waypoints in order. One team starts at their home zone and moves towards the enemy zone, while the other team advances in the other direction. Conquering a zone unlocks the next zone in the sequence. Clearing a zone of enemies and staying in the zone until your flag is raised will conquer that zone.
Powder Keg resembles another Unreal Tournament 2004 game mode, Assault. In Powder Keg, one team is trying to destroy objectives using powder kegs, while the other tries to defend these objectives. This mode is played in two rounds with each side taking a turn as attacker and defender. Gold Fever is a single player or two player cooperative game mode. The goal is to fend off endless waves of AI characters while you and your teammate attempt to obtain as many sacks of gold as possible. The game ends when both players die.
The fourth game mode, Robbery, is similar to Powder Keg, with one team the attackers and one the defenders. The attackers need to blow up a bank vault and steal three bags of gold. The defenders attempt to defend the bank and the gold. This mode is played in two rounds with each side alternating as attacker and defender. In the fifth game mode, Greed, players are to deliver as many gold sacks as possible to their team's drop zone. Once gold sack spawns on the map, both teams fight to bring the sack to their respective areas. Once a team successfully brings the gold sack to their zone they gain a point and a new round begins.
Development and marketing
Lead and Gold was revealed August 2009, slated for release on the PC via Steam, the PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live ArcadeXbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
. The game is powered by the Diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
, which was used to power titles such as Bionic Commando Rearmed
Bionic Commando Rearmed
Bionic Commando Rearmed is an enhanced remake of the 1988 Nintendo Entertainment System version of Bionic Commando. It was developed by GRIN and published by Capcom for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live Arcade and was released on August 13, 2008...
and Wanted: Weapons of Fate. The music for Lead and Gold was composed by Fathom, who created four tracks for the game. Fathom had previously worked with GRIN
Grin
Grin may refer to:* A facial expression; see Smile* Alexander Grin , Russian novelist* Grin , 1993* Grin , a band formed by Nils Lofgren** Grin , 1971...
, the company from which FatShark was formed, on titles such as Bionic Commando and Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation (video game)
Terminator Salvation is a third-person shooter action video game, released on May 19, 2009 to coincide with the release of the film of the same name on the same week. It is developed by the Halcyon Company's gaming subsidiary, Halcyon Games, along with GRIN and published by Equity Games and Evolved...
. The soundtrack was made available to the public on July 18, 2010 via iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
The four character classes for Lead and Gold were patterned after American frontier
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
archetypes. Staffon Ahlström, Visual Effects Artist for the game said "everyone has their archetypes in their mind of what [different kinds] of cowboys there [were]." "You have really distinct and iconic weapons in the Wild West" stated the game's writer Mangus Liljehdahl, adding "there's an apparent balance in the weapons that are available."
During development Gunnar Johnson and Mårten Stormdal of FatShark traveled to the United States to promote Lead and Gold. Johnson and Stormdal filmed the trip, in which they documented their visits to gaming media such as Game Informer and IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
and PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
. Journalists played the game in groups of six via networked laptops and Xbox 360 controllers. FatShark has released multiple patches to decrease network lag, add dedicated server support, and provide other fixes and updates to the game. An additional patch containing one new map, Jacob's Bridge, and one new game type, Demolition, was released on May 20, 2010
In December 2009 FatShark Gamereactor
Gamereactor
Gamereactor is one of Northern Europe's biggest game magazine and Gaming sites that covers video- and computer games as well as mobile phone-games and indie-titles. It started in Denmark in 1998 by Morten Reichel and Claus Reichel - first years under the name Gamez.dk. The Magazine and Online...
s Bengt Lemne mentioned stories of developers waiting long amounts of time for their titles to be published on Xbox Live Arcade, to which Lead and Gold Producer Robert Bäckström responded "we really want to release it as soon as possible, [but] things might take time." On August 3, 2010 Mark Wester, CEO of the game's publisher Paradox Interactive
Paradox Interactive
-External links:*...
cited issues with getting the game certified for release on Xbox Live Arcade. "It seems like we have to put it on the backburner," Wester said, further stating that the team was "not really putting any more effort into releasing on XBLA." The reason for the delay was not mentioned, merely that Paradox and FatShark were waiting for response from Microsoft on Lead and Golds status. This has led some websites to list the game as cancelled or to remove the Xbox Live Arcade listing entirely. To date no official cancellation of the Xbox Live Arcade release has been made.
Reception
Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West received mixed reviews, with MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reporting a 70% average score on the PC, and a 68% average on the PlayStation 3. GameRankings reports similar scores, with the PC version averaging 76.5% and the PlayStation 3 scoring 68.83%. Reviewers for the game varied wildly, from a 36% given by PC Power Play to a 9/10 awarded by Gamers Daily News. The majority of reviews for both PC and PlayStation 3 scored the game 60% or higher. On July 25, 2010 Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West reached the number one spot in sales on Steam.
The June 2010 issue of PC Gamer UK
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
magazine was positive about the game, saying that it was "easily comparable with titles twice its price. Its core gunplay and design are more airtight than a collapsed mine." GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
praised the simplicity of the game, stating that it was the game's greatest virtue. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
enjoyed the team dynamics, particularly that players can revive other fallen comrades. IT Reviews commented that "Despite some aiming issues, this ambitious foray into online team shooting set in the golden age of outlaws has plenty of variety and well designed character classes and won't cost you a fistful of dollars." The Australian video game talk show Good Game
Good Game
Good Game is an Australian video gaming talk show television programme created by Janet Carr and Jeremy Ray currently on ABC2. It premiered on ABC on 19 September 2006...
s two reviewers gave the game a 7/10 and 7.5/10. Kotaku
Kotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
stated the level designs were unique, providing plenty of choke points in maps and opportunities to flank opponents.
Edge Magazine was less enthusiastic, saying that "there's wild west fun to be had within these simplistic charms, but it's unlikely to replace your favoured multiplayer shooter." Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
, GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
and Kotaku complained of multiplayer lag in the game. Kotaku's Luke Plunkett said he "[couldn't] remember the last online shooter [he] played that was so crippled by it." Subsequent patches have repaired networking issues found in the original release.