Hired Guns
| Industry | Video games |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Hired Guns |
Hired Guns is a role-playing video game created by DMA Design for the Amiga and IBM PC compatible systems, and released by Psygnosis in 1993. Set in the year 2712, players command a squad of four mercenaries chosen from a pool of twelve candidates, with the mission to eradicate illegal bio-engineered creatures through a thermonuclear detonation. The gameplay offers four simultaneous first-person perspectives and accommodates up to four players. Players must handle character inventories carefully and navigate environmental hazards such as underwater sections.
The game's launch was postponed multiple times, becoming a recurring joke in the British publication Amiga Power. Upon release, Hired Guns received acclaim for its groundbreaking multiplayer mechanics but faced criticism over inadequate documentation, restrictive copy protection, and cumbersome inventory controls. In 1996, it was ranked 62nd in GamesMaster's "Top 100 Games of All Time".
Gameplay
The title features four concurrent first-person views inspired by Dungeon Master, with each character occupying their own screen quadrant instead of sharing one. Characters can trail one another to facilitate group movement when controlled by a single player. The game supports up to four participants simultaneously using mouse, keyboard, or customized Sega Mega Drive controllers connected via a parallel port adapter.
Environments are rendered in genuine 3D, with enemy AI capable of freely navigating levels—including ascending and descending stairs—setting it apart from many contemporaneous games. Players wield an array of weapons such as robotic sentries, incendiary devices, and grenades to combat adversaries on multiple floors.
Managing inventory is essential: each character has a weight limit that restricts how much they can carry. Surpassing this limit triggers a "Too heavy!" alert and blocks further item acquisition until weight is reduced. Carrying capacities differ among characters; for instance, heavy combat droids can bear more than human female characters.
"Psionic Amps" are unique gadgets that influence characters or surroundings—for example, generating breathable air underwater. Underwater environments pose dangers: humans risk drowning if submerged too long, and weapons deteriorate at varying speeds underwater—energy-based arms degrade swiftly unless shielded by active psionic amps. Neither humans nor robots can swim; both traverse the bottom similarly to land movement.
Plot
Led by Rorian, a group of outlaw mercenaries is contracted to eliminate illegal bio-engineered entities on the planet Graveyard by initiating a fusion-powered thermonuclear blast. This mission involves retrieving four fusion power core rings and installing them into the field coil generator located at Graveyard Central Spaceport. A secondary task requires scouting surface installations.
Release
The British magazine Amiga Power (AP) frequently displayed the same screenshot of Hired Guns in its "Next Month" feature due to repeated delays in the game's release. Even after launch, the game remained featured in the strip accompanied by humorous commentary suggesting it was permanently stuck there.
Reception
In 1994, Computer Gaming World commended Hired Guns' multiplayer mode and its minigames for delivering "memorable moments of surprise" through elements like friendly fire and team member dynamics. Although the review pointed out issues such as inadequate documentation, bothersome copy protection, restricted keyboard functionality, and awkward inventory handling, it ultimately described the game as "deeply gratifying." By 1996, GamesMaster placed it at number 62 in their "Top 100 Games of All Time" list.