Developer: Game Tongue Software
Price: $2.99
Version: 1.1
App Reviewed on: iPhone 3GS

A bunch of games cast players in the role of the good guy. A decent number of them also put them in the bad guy’s shoes, but they tend to make the evildoer relate-able in some way or turn them into an anti-hero rather than a full on villain. Very few games allow players to be that homicidal jerk that everyone’s afraid of but no one likes, so it’s refreshing to see Legendary Outlaw step up to take on that challenge.
Legendary Outlaw is all about Colt Kaufman, a despicable desperado who only cares about one thing: Colt Kaufman. He’ll do whatever it takes (murder, mayhem, etc…) to keep himself alive and go even further to boost his infamy. He’s not a very nice man. Fortunately, no one has to worry about facing him because he’s the main character. Players will guide Colt through the shadows, getting the drop on unsuspecting
victims
lawmen and outlaws, tossing plenty of lead around and pulling off crazy bullet-time stunts like running up walls. All in the name of popularity. It’s kind of depressing, now that I think about it.
There are a whole lot of mechanics crammed into Legendary Outlaw‘s unassuming frame. We’ve got first-person fist fighting as well as shooting. We’ve also got plenty of stealth elements which require Colt to stick to the shadows and take his unwary enemies out from behind. With an axe. There’s an experience system that rewards the diligent (or homicidal) with new abilities like dual-wielding and regenerating health. Finally, slow motion Matrix-style firearm acrobatics round out the package. It’s all pretty cool, save one thing.

To put it bluntly, Legendary Outlaw still needs a lot of work. The framework is solid and the systems that are in place are certainly interesting, but the gameplay itself borders on a complete mess. The virtual stick used for movement will lock-up often, making Colt move when I’m not even touching the screen. Looking around can be even worse, as on more than one occasion the screen has “jumped” to a new, seemingly random direction. It’s even done a full 180 on me, which obviously gets in the way of targeting. Switching weapons can take several attempts, which also leaves me open to a hail of bullets. Even the bullet-time itself has issues, such as the jerky and disorienting “bullet cam” used for every single shot that I’m still not entirely sure was intentional.
I take no pleasure in taking so many shots at Legendary Outlaw, even if Colt Kaufman is an awful man. It’s a game that’s got plenty of great ideas, but the execution is just too rough to do them any justice. With some adjustments this could turn into an amazing must-have western adventure, but in its current state it’s really not worth the time or money.