Download Gunman Chronicles (Windows)

More than 31400 old games to download for free!

Gunman Chronicles

Windows - 2000

Alt name 战栗抢手
Year 2000
Platform Windows
Released in France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, United States (2000)
France, Germany, United Kingdom (2001)
Brazil, United Kingdom (2002)
Genre Action
Theme Dinosaurs, Regional differences, Sci-Fi / Futuristic, Shooter
Publisher Sierra Entertainment, Inc., Sierra On-Line, Inc.
Developer Rewolf Entertainment
Perspective 1st-Person
Tested on Windows 10, Windows 11
4.64 / 5 - 85 votes

Description of Gunman Chronicles

Read Full Description

Few people would disagree with the premise that the crown jewel of Sierra Studios' PC game line-up is 1998's Half Life, which received kudos and racked up numerous "Game of the Year" recognitions from just about every gaming publication. One prominent periodical even decreed Half Life as the "best PC game ever." This much-acclaimed and highly innovative heavyweight of the first person genre has spawned several different expansions and other retail incarnations, including Opposing ForceTeam Fortress Classic, and Counter Strike, not to mention innumerable custom made maps and MODs (modifications to gameplay, mainly for multiplayer purposes), created by resourceful players with the game's level editor. Many of these MOD's are available for free download on the internet. They range in quality from superior, semi-professional efforts to abysmally unimaginative and poorly executed disasters.

It is from this on-line community of Half Life MOD aficionados that the beginnings of Gunman Chronicles sprang forth. In its initial stages, Gunman Chronicles was nothing more than an excellently crafted MOD being developed by Rewolf Software, a group of on-line gamers/developers from around the globe. The quality of their Gunmanproject soon caught the attention of the folks at Valve Software and Sierra Studios though, and, before anyone could say "Gordon Freeman," Gunman Chronicles was on tap as a full-length stand-alone game powered by the Half Life engine. In fact, Gunman Chronicles holds the distinction of being the first independent non-Half Life game to incorporate this engine. That last statement brings up another important point. Gunman Chronicles is NOT a Half Life sequel. There is no Black Mesa research facility, no planet Xen, no Nihilanth (although there are other typical "boss" monsters to defeat), no man in the blue suit, and, of course, Gordon Freeman is nowhere to be found either. That being said, we now know what Gunman Chronicles isn't. So let me take a moment to describe what exactly the premise of Gunman Chronicles is.

In Gunman Chronicles, you assume the role of Major Archer, an officer in the elite galactic peacekeeping force known (not surprisingly) as the "gunmen." While on a mission to investigate the disappearance of a team of scientists on a remote planet research outpost, the gunmen ships are attacked by huge worm-like creatures never before encountered. One of these hideous creatures devours the ship of your unit's commanding officer, or "the General" as he is referred to. You barely make it out alive with your own ship's hull intact. The General is presumed killed in action.

Fast forward five years time. There is an alarming increase in the number of reported encounters with heretofore unheard of life forms. These "xenomes," as they are called, seem vaguely familiar. In fact, you soon discover that they are genetic mutations of the creatures that almost cost you your life five years ago. The gunmen are dispatched to investigate the situation and, upon arriving at your destination, you discover that the General and his crew survived the experience and have been living in isolation all these five years. The General turns out to be a man who holds a grudge (and then some), however. He and his men have unlocked the secret of the xenomes' DNA and have been exacting their revenge by creating these monsters in a laboratory and unleashing them on the galaxy to wreak havoc. The General has developed an unparalleled contempt for the gunmen as a whole, but specifically for those who tucked tail and abandoned him, leaving him for dead. It goes without saying that he is none too pleased to see you arrive on the scene.

It is up to you to learn the full extent of the General's plot and, in the process, defeat him and his faction of rogue bandits. In order to do this, you will have to explore four unique planets and overcome numerous obstacles such as treacherous terrain, robot sentries, enemy soldiers, and of course, more alien xenomes than you can shake a stick at. Each of these four environments is divided into over 70 individual levels. There is a fairly good amount of variety in the level design.

This is particularly evident when you must revisit an area for some reason or other. In many games, you just trudge back through the same map in reverse if you are required to re-enter an area, much to the detriment of variety (and often your interest as well). In Gunman Chronicles, however, this offense is dealt with rather effectively. Instead of merely retracing your steps, you will often find that an explosion or some other catastrophe has rocked the facility. Although the rooms are recognizable from your previous trip, navigating through them is an entirely different matter when they are scattered with debris, ceiling support girders have collapsed, gaping holes have been torn into the floors and walls, or even in some instances, the entire level is flooded. There is also a mandatory tutorial-style training session onboard the gunman HQ space station at the outset of the game. It is presented in a way that will be helpful to novice players while simultaneously maintaining the guise of moving the story along a bit to prevent boredom from setting in for veterans.

The graphics, audio, and enemy AI in Gunman Chronicles are all exactly what you would expect considering the engine on which this baby is built... excellent. Rewolf has taken the proven Half Life engine and squeezed as much extra as they can out of it. The result is that many of the elements that made Half Life a success are present, but there are also some interesting new features, such as a drivable tank and a system of weapons modification that is critical to the success of your mission. You have the option of freely adjusting the settings on various weapons to alter the type of ammunition used, the trajectory of projectiles, and even whether ordnance detonates on impact, on a timer, or when tripped by a sensor. You can also acquire enhancements such as a useful sniper scope. In addition to the single player game, multiplayer support for up to 32 players is provided via LAN or internet.

One thing I found odd about Gunman Chronicles was the concept of the characters themselves. The gunmen are futuristic soldiers with advanced, hi-tech weaponry, yet they wear nineteenth century cavalry-style uniforms. In addition, some of the bandits are decked out in a sort of WWII flying ace get-up. While these anachronisms might be unappealing to some, it provides a sort of Mad Max quirkiness which isn't entirely disagreeable.

Even though there are 70+ levels, I have already seen some comments from players that the single player game was "way too short" and that Gunman Chronicles is not a good value in terms of cost versus hours of gameplay. On the "easy" difficulty setting, I was only taken out by enemy fire and forced to reload my last saved game (and I always save often!) on a handful of occasions. Most of the time if I died, it was due to my own error, such as carelessly stepping off of a cliff, lobbing a grenade set to detonate on impact or, on occasion, being caught totally off guard by an opponent with superior fire power and not reacting quickly enough. It took me a solid weekend (about 15-20 hours total) of playing to complete the game at the easiest difficulty setting.

I then started again on the hardest setting and jumped around from level to level in order to evaluate what the AI is truly capable of. Needless to say, it takes considerably more effort, skill, and time to make it through the entire game at higher difficulty levels. For some, it can be frustrating getting killed repeatedly but, in the long run, the net result is a much more significant sense of accomplishment when you finally do make it safely to the end of the level and triumphantly scream "in your face!" as you rightfully claim some much-needed medical supplies or body armor, allowing you to live to fight another day.

So to those skeptics in the crowd I say this... if you are playing on anything other than the hardest setting and you find the game to be too short... congratulations! You have gained enough experience and skill to master the easier levels and you are henceforth ready to tackle games set to "nightmare" or "berserk."

In terms of value, I'm sure we all would have liked it if this game had been released as a free downloadable MOD, but you can't have everything. However, those in the U.S. might be interested to know about the rebate Sierra are currently offering - $10 off the $29.99 price tag as long as it's purchased by Feb 2001, and an additional $15 if you purchase another one of the titles in the deal (including award-winning Homeworld Cataclysm, Zeus and the Half-life games).

Perhaps the greatest testament that I can give to this game is that, after playing it myself, I went out and bought another copy to give to someone else as a Christmas gift. Is Gunman Chronicles a perfect game? No, but how many products on the market can purport to make such a claim? While it doesn't necessarily capture the imagination to the extent that Half Life did, it does pack a pretty good punch. Considering the many positive features it has going for it, coupled with a reasonable price tag, Gunman Chronicles has the potential to make someone's Christmas merry indeed.

Review By GamesDomain

External links

How to play Gunman Chronicles Windows

Read Full Description

There's currently few methods how you can play Gunman Chronicles on modern systems. We checked all methods and made installation guides for it, so please check it out below. Also, don't forget to check PCGamingWiki if you have troubles

How to play the original game:

  • Mount the disc image. You will need the utility for mounting disc image files, like WinCDEmu, UltraISO, Alcohol 52%/Alcohol 120% or Daemon Tools Lite
  • Install the game (if autorun doesn't work - simply launch the installation from Setup.exe inside the disc)
  • It is recommended to install the game in default path C:/Sierra/Gunman
  • Once you installed the game - install CD music addon (instruction is in the archive), so you could hear the music in the game
  • After that - install NoCD: copy exe-file from the archive and put it in the game directory, after that run it to replace the original files
  • Open the directory with the game and find gunman.exe. Right click on gunman.exe - Properties - Compatibility - Set "Run this app in compatibility mode with Windows XP" and "Run as administrator"
  • Launch the game and play. If the game doesn't work in compatibility mode with Windows XP - try to launch it in compatibility mode with other version of Windows (Windows 95, 98/ME, etc.)

Notes:

  • That way you will get the full original game with CD music. But the original game has some troubles on modern systems, like black screen when you press Esc button. So better to run the game through Xash3D engine or play with Steam version mod, if you have Half-Life 1 on Steam
  • If the installation doesn't start - try to launch Setup.exe in compatibility mode with old version of Windows (98, 2000 or XP)
  • NoCD is required for the launch because the game is using SecuROM DRM protection, which doesn't work on modern systems. That NoCD "breaks" DRM protection and allows the game to work on modern systems
  • If the game with NoCD still asks for CD-key - enter 2609-57245-0368
  • It is recommended to install all versions of Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for the correct work of the game
  • Also it is recommended to install RAD Video Tools and K-Lite Codec Pack for the correct work of the game
  • There's a very rare bug when the game crashes on Sierra logo. In that case use Skip intro fix
  • The game works on DirectX 7, so if you're using Windows 8, 8.1, 10 or 11 - you need to enable DirectPlay: Go to Control Panel, and select 'Programs'. Select 'Turn Windows features on and off', click on 'Legacy Components' and check the box 'DirectPlay'. Select OK, once the installation is done, restart your computer
  • The game is using CD audio for music, so install CD music mount so you won't have to mount the disc in virtual drive every time you play the game. The music will start playing once you complete the long tutorial
  • If you're playing the game on Windows 7 and newer OS - run the game in compatibility mode with Windows XP. If it didn't work - try to run it in compatibility mode with Windows 98/ME

How to play the game with Xash3D Engine:

  • Make the clean installation of the game, with CD music addon. No need to install NoCD, with Xash3D Engine you can launch the game without the disc
  • After that download the latest version of Xash3D Engine (currently it is v0.99 build 4344)
  • Extract files from the archive, you will see 3 folders: Xash3D_build4344, Xash3D_build4344_src and Xash3D_extras
  • Open Xash3D_build4344 and copy all files from it to the Gunman Chronicles directory, agree to replace original files
  • After that open Xash3D_extras and copy folders valve and tools to the Gunman Chronicles directory
  • Now open Gunman Chronicles directory and find rewolf folder. Move all files from that rewolf folder in valve folder
  • And it's done. Now launch the game from hl.exe and play. You must always run the game from hl.exe, not gunman.exe, otherwise it won't work

Optionally, if you don't know how to install all of that - you can download repack from Magipack or Zomb's Lair port, both are simple installers that includes the game with Xash3D Engine, you just need to install & play

Notes:

  • The game with Xash3D Engine has been tested on Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8 and Windows 10, works with no problem. If the game with Xash3D Engine doesn't work - try to run hl.exe in compatibility mode with old version of Windows (Windows 98/ME, Windows XP, etc.)
  • With Xash3D Engine you can run the game in widescreen and high resolutions, also the game works more stable when you run it with Xash3D Engine, so it is recommended to play the game that way
  • When the game is running through Xash3D, for unknown reason the intro videos doesn't work on some computers. If you doesn't see intro videos - you can watch it in media folder, videos in .AVI format

How to play the game on Steam:

  • If you have original Half-Life 1 on Steam, you can install Gunman Chronicles as a mod for Half-Life, since it uses the same engine. To do that download Gunman Chronicles Steam version mod, then follow the steps in this guide
  • Or you can use Gunman-To-Steam Patch, you will need to install Gunman Chronicles first, and then use the patch to convert the files in Steam version of Half-Life 1. Read this guide for detailed instruction
  • If you want to play Gunman Chronicles with Steam Deck - the game some small troubles on Steam Deck, check this small troubleshooting guide (it's on Russian, use the translation machine)

Gunman Chronicles had a lot of prototypes, including the prototype built on Quake II Engine. For more information about prototypes check this archive, or read this article (it is on Russian, so use translation machine). Also, demo version of the game featured levels that wasn't added in final release. If you want, you can install GC Demo Addon that add demo version levels in Singleplayer campaign

Comments and reviews

rASm 2024-08-27 0 point

Can't seem to make the mouse movement relate to camera, it's set to player movement by default.

bilel 2024-06-29 1 point

this game is acting weird with windows 11

Neo 2024-06-19 0 point

So I should mention that at 1440p the game crashes right after one of the boss fights, the one with the big belly alien blocking the path until you hurt it enough. To get past that point I set it to 1080p. I don't remember the exact error but it had something to do with some limit being exceeded (something 900). Haven't raised the resolution up right after so not sure if it happens elsewhere as well.

Another little fyi "vid_displayfrequency" is limited to 100 max.

Neo 2024-06-16 0 point

I made a little batch script to run this game without scaling. (Note: script is available as download on this page)

SetDpi.exe 100
hl.exe -steam -console cl_showfps 1
pause
SetDpi.exe 125

As you can see it works with SetDpi.exe so put that and the batch file you can make with this into the game dir and play the game. Afterwards just "hit any key" to return the scaling to "normal". If you use a different level of scaling than 125% change it in the script. I'll put a link to these files into the next message if linking is allowed.

Neo 2024-06-16 0 point

Turned out to be a scaling issue. With scaling off it works ok. If you don't want to have to switch between scaling settings run it in windowed mode. Those settings are off screen so you have to at least turn scaling off once. Alternatively you could edit the video.cfg file in the valve folder.

These settings work ok on a 1440p screen:
_window_xpos "41" (1 is the top left corner of the screen)
_window_ypos "4" (1 is the top left corner of the screen)
fullscreen "0"
vid_displayfrequency "0" (this one doesn't really matter)
vid_mode "20"

Neo 2024-06-16 0 point

I've done the Xash3D manual extract thing. But once in the game I get this weird partial screen. Part of the bottom is off screen and part of the right is off screen (so hud is off screen and the crosshair is off from the middle). Doesn't matter what resolution I pick.

So I tried repack from Magipack, no dice it didn't even include the valve folder so no Xash3D. So I tried Zomb's Lair port. This does work trough Xash3D but same problem.

I'm on an intel 770 igpu. I have no issues with HL2 btw.

Any idea how to fix this?

LINAS FREEMAN ♾️♾️♾️ 2024-03-17 0 point

⚛️🪽🤠🤠🤠🤠 What A Rock-'n'-Roll GAME 🎯

admin 2023-08-08 2 points

@FEAR57 Nice to hear that you enjoyed the game. Also, if you have licensed CD with this game - you can activate CD-key on Steam and get Half-Life 1 Platinum (includes HL1 with 2 addons)

Fear57 2023-08-02 1 point

My uncle had the actual disc for this. When he passed I got it but was never ever able to get it to run. Now I can finally experience it, and it's turning out to be quite the experience. Amazing how many titles this site has uploaded.

PCGAMER90 2023-07-28 2 points

Thank you so much for the updated installer in the repack. It works great in Win 10! I can finally play this game now. :)

admin 2023-07-24 4 points

We have updated the game, added more language versions, plus fixes, mods, addons, etc.
Also we made a guide how to play the game on modern systems, don't forget to check it. And we added repack by MagiPack, with easy installation

nobby 2023-02-14 1 point

Rip Version, just says:
you have 0K of Memory
16 Meg needed ?!?!

superhard 2022-10-31 1 point

Thanks GUNMAN CHRONICLES FIX, your instruction works great. I passed the game(rip version) from begin till end on difficult mode in 1680x1050 resolution on windows 11. Only lava in some places was covered by health skin, but it's not problem for walkthrough.

nucclearffiestas 2021-07-16 0 point

I can confirm the instructions posted by "GUNMAN CHRONICLES FIX" work for Window 7 x64. I could not get the ISO version to work, so I recommend the RIP version in this case. These two versions are not identical; the ISO version notably lacking the .reg file, and the NoCD patch is no longer required with the RIP version. The game looks great in 1080p with the hires texture pack from moddb applied.

Nakula 2021-05-29 0 point

@MR. FIXIT

To me, this game was a ton more fun than Half Life. It's a total conversion that I personally think surpasses the original. This is my opinion only, but both HL 1 and 2 fell flat with me and I didn't finish any of the two games.

I finished this one, and if you like the space cowboy theme, you're going to love this game. Obviously that it's less polished than HL, but for a lover of space cowboy media this game is gold.

If you like this game, and you happen to like horror, I recommend you to check out these other two total conversions of Half Life:

They Hunger (zombies FPS)
Cthulhu (Lovecraft-inspired)

Gios_03 2020-08-07 0 point

I remember playing this game as a 5 yo kid! I've been searching for this game for a long time, ty!

Flimsy Jim 2020-06-25 0 point

Hey how do you set this to windowed mode

Answer to Dazz 2020-06-12 -1 point

Hi, I had the same exact problem (running this game on Wine) but changing to windowed mode fixed it.

bobo 2019-12-19 3 points

2147-48362-1470

Gunman Chronicles FIX 2019-12-08 9 points

To DAZ
1) Go to moddb DOT com/engines/xash3d-engine to Download Xash3D_build4344_with_extras
2) Create a folder called Gunman Chronicles on Desktop or wherever u prefer
3) Open Xash3D_build4344_with_extras
4) Open Xash3D_build4344
5) Extract to Gunman Chronicles 'folder'
6) open Xash3D_extras
7) Extract 'tool' and 'valve' folder to Gunman Chronicles 'folder'
8) Download RIP Version
9) Open Gunman-Chronicles_Win_EN
A) Save gunman.reg into Gunman Chronicles 'folder'
B) Double click gunman.reg Yes to install

10) Open Gunman-Chronicles_Win_EN
A) Open Gunman then Open rewolf 'folder'
B) Extract ALL folder / files into:
Gunman Chronicles -- valve 'folder'
YES to OVERWRITE
Go back to Gunman Chronicles 'folder'
Double click hl.exe to PLAY

Know BUG:
A) When u in Tutorial "Firing Range" after u finish GRENADE there be a Rocket Launcher coming up from the Floor, PICK it Up QUICKLY Bcos if u leave it too long it fall througt so it impossible to pick it up and u stuck in Tutorial

B) IF there a new Xash3D Engine Update version and u Extract
LAST [not the frst Extract as in 1) ] and Overwrite all u will get a Knife BUG as when u first time time pickup the Knife the Knife DISAPPEAR [UNLESS it Fixed on Xash3D Engine Update version] so again u stuck in Tutorial

Work fine on Win10 x64 v1803 / 2560x1440 /64GB RAM

Dazz 2019-08-25 6 points

Any tips for the following issue:

I can launch the game and enter the menu, however when I start the game the screen disappears! I hear it in the background but can't pull the active game up.

Bam08 2019-05-09 -5 points

It's asking for CD keys.

Mr. Fixit 2018-11-21 0 point

As good as half life ... perfect

Write a comment

Share your gamer memories, help others to run the game or comment anything you'd like. If you have trouble to run Gunman Chronicles (Windows), read the abandonware guide first!

 

Download Gunman Chronicles

We may have multiple downloads for few games when different versions are available. Also, we try to upload manuals and extra documentation when possible. If you have additional files to contribute or have the game in another language, please contact us!

Windows Version

DownloadEnglish version English version 646 MB DownloadRepack by MagiPack (based on Xash3D engine, includes CD music and GC Demo Addon) English version 411 MB DownloadRip of English version (no intro video, no CD music)
Unpack in C:/Sierra & run the .REG file English version 190 MB
DownloadGerman version German version 457 MB DownloadSpanish version Spanish; Castilian version 392 MB DownloadItalian version (includes GC Demo Addon and Steam version mod) Italian version 959 MB DownloadRussian version Russian version 525 MB ManualEnglish version 587 KB

Game Extras

Various files to help you run Gunman Chronicles, apply patches, fixes, maps or miscellaneous utilities.

GuideEnglish version 6 MB NocdEnglish version 438 KB FixSkip Sierra intro fix
Replace Sierra.avi if the game crashes on intro video English version 630 B
FixNo Scaling Script
Provided by Neo English version 12 KB
MapMultiplayer Maps from FilePlanet English version 13 MB MiscPolish translation patch Polish version 35 MB MiscCD music addon English version 33 MB MiscSerial key English version 61 B MiscSoundtrack in mp3 English version 13 MB ModSteam version mod
Allows to launch the game on Steam, as Half-Life 1 mod English version 238 MB
ModGunman Chronicles Demo Addon
Add levels from demo version to the final game English version 10 MB
ModGunman-To-Steam Patch
Allows to launch the game on Steam, as Half-Life 1 mod English version 58 MB
DemoGunman Chronicles prototypes, including Quake II build English version 954 MB DemoOriginal demo version English version 59 MB DemoPre-installed demo that can be launched as Half-Life mod English version 172 MB

Similar games

Fellow retro gamers also downloaded these games:

Need for Speed: Underground abandonware
Need for Speed: UndergroundWin2003
Winter Games abandonware
Winter GamesDOS, Mac, Atari 2600, C64, Amiga, MSX, ZX Spectrum, Atari 7800, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Apple II, Apple IIgs, PC-881985
Mech Commander: Gold abandonware
Mech Commander: GoldWin1999
Starsiege abandonware
StarsiegeWin1999
Oni abandonware
OniWin2001
Terminator 3: War of the Machines abandonware
Terminator 3: War of the MachinesWin2003

Ad Consent Terms About Contact FAQ Useful links Contribute Taking screenshots How to play

MyAbandonware utopiaweb