While my time with the game was short, I did get to spend some time playing the multiplayer modes with some folks from Rockstar. Thankfully, the modes are pretty fun and also stay in line with the heavy Western theme of the game. In all there are three different multiplayer modes; Sun Down, High Noon, and Bounty Hunter. Sun Down is a time-based Deathmatch-like affair, with up to four players battling it out to see who can get the most kills. High Noon is a mode that’s focused on dueling. That’s right, the game features dueling. In an interesting setup, all the players in the game start off in close proximity to each other. For a few seconds before all hell breaks loose, you can move your targeting reticule around to try for your enemy. When the time expires, everyone starts firing and depending on whether you were a good or lousy aim, you may end up alive or dead. The dueling feature also comes into play during the regular single player missions, and often times you’ll take on bosses in the game using it. The last mode in multiplayer is Bounty Hunter, which has players not only fighting it out with their opponents, but also trying to gain as much money as they can from their kills.
An interesting aspect of the multiplayer modes is the way that power-ups are implemented. All upgrades are based through picking up special playing cards, which are usually dropped when you defeat an enemy. Cards range from having all sorts of bonuses, including more Dead Aim time and new weapons. In an interesting twist, you can also apply some Poker rules to the card system, opting to play the game using Stud or Hold ‘Em rules.
In all, four players will be able to play multiplayer at once via split-screen. Unfortunately, neither the PS2 nor the Xbox versions will feature online play. But, to make up for this, the game will feature quite a bit to keep things fresh. In all, the PS2 version will feature 20 multiplayer levels, with the Xbox getting 21. And, to ensure that everyone can be their favorite character, there will be 47 different characters to choose from. As you play through the normal single player game, you’ll eventually unlock new players to play as either by defeating certain bosses or enemies as well as purchasing special items in the various stores and shops that you come across. The menu for picking characters is also pretty neat and is set up like an old-timey photograph which fills in with characters as you acquire them.