Years ago, back on the PlayStation, Agetec released an action game called Rising Zan: The Samurai Gunman, and it was far from your typical Wild West tale. Made by the good folks at UEP Systems (Cool Boarders), the game involves a samurai cowboy by the name of Johnny who can wield a mean pistol and slash with a samurai blade. Sometimes he could chain a combo, or, in some spots, some quick, accurate shooting came into play.

Even when it was released Zan was a horrible looking game, but it was filled with so many inventive ideas and entertaining gameplay that its looks didn't matter, and it didn't hurt that the game also contained one of the coolest theme songs out there ("Rising Zaaaaaan, Johnny NOOOO MORE!"). It remains a favorite of mine to this day.

If any game has come close to Zan's nature it would be Atlus' Samurai Western, a game that pits a lone samurai against several villainous gunslingers and their bosses in a fight to the finish. Instead of a gun, however, the swordsman can deliver justice with his mighty blade, using defensive tactics for survival while moving along sections of the town. It sounded enticing to me, and I couldn't wait to try it out.

Needless to say, Samurai Western is no Zan. Its developers may have tried to capture the same inventive spirit as UEP Systems' corny masterpiece, but somewhere along the way, the ingenuity ran amuck, and when you don't put effort into a game, the seams stick out further than my stomach after a NBA Finals buffet at my friends' house. The game has its moments, but not nearly enough to add up to a "buy me" statement.

The game focuses on a lone swordsman named Gojiro Kiryu, who wanders into town with strange mid-Eastern clothes and a sword by his side. Soon after he finds himself getting in with the wrong crowd, and moments later he's fighting against several bad guys.

The plot really doesn't matter for a game such as this. It's all about the action, and the game does deliver this action quite purely. Gojiro uses quick slashes from his blade to get the job done, and can also use defensive moves to deflect incoming bullets and dodge vicious attacks in order to proceed. Along the way, he can also obtain new weapons that have their own techniques come into play, and this is a fresh element to the game as you continue on your adventure.

If only that was enough. One of Samurai Western's heavy flaws would be the fact that the game is really quite easy to rummage through. This is due in part to most of the enemies you will face, who act incredibly stupid and leave themselves too wide open for your brooding offensive attacks. Oh, they'll taunt. In fact, they'll over-taunt, saying the same things over and over as they try to gun you down with the aim of a blind gunman. It gets old really quickly, and some might feel unmotivated to go on after mowing down so many bad guys. Repetition sets in rather quickly.

It also somewhat affects the gameplay. I really appreciated the defensive tactics that came into play, using Bushido Sense to deflect bullets with ease. But the offensive moves aren't varied enough, as only one button is used for attacking. That means slash, slash, move along, slash, slash. I think the implementation of a more complex battle system would've made this title more fun to play, but it never materialized, and as a result, you can't really add much of a style to your samurai. He's too cookie cutter.

If the game does have one thing going for it's the level of customization. Not only can Gojiro acquire new weaponry, but he can also accessorize with hundreds of bizarre items that he can pick up along the way, everything from sunglasses to an afro to new clothes to...carnival gear! It may not be the most serious thing out there, but it adds flavor to the game and may push some of you to keep slashing away so you can collect everything. I suppose it's better to have than to have not, even if it means looking like a clown.

The rest of the game is pretty average. The graphics look alright, with some smooth details here and there, but the slowdown and various graphical glitches that could've been fixed before the game's final release are just unsightly. The camera's also a huge mess, as it gets stuck even during ambushes. The sound is also not impressive, though it has some pretty good music and decent effects. However, what kills is the game's dialogue. It's not even enjoyable on a hokey Resident Evil level.

On its own level, Samurai Western does warrant at least a rental for those who are curious as to what it has to offer. It's not a complete failure by any means, and some may like the idea of boldly walking into a shooter's town with something a little different. But I really feel that Atlus dropped the ball here, coming up short in so many areas. If only a few more months had gone into the game's localization, we could've had a contender for sleeper hit of the year.