Release Date:
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Game Platform:
Xbox
This intentionally kooky bounty hunter simulator—playing it is like watching an episode of Cops while huffing bleach fumes—is easily the most original game we’ve played this year. (Which isn’t really saying much, since it’s only January, but still…) The game stars Stranger, a somber, chimplike creature who wields Ted Nugent’s crossbow and wears a moth-eaten hat that looks like it flew out the window of Willie Nelson’s tour bus. Stranger uses actual live ammo—live spiders, live chipmunks, live skunks—to bag and tag his prey. Unlike real bounty hunters who blow all their cash on booze and massages, Stranger is saving his earnings for an operation. We’re not kidding. This game actually has a jaw-dropping “revelation” at its midpoint that puts most episodes of Extreme Makeover to shame. Our advice: Get to know this stranger.