I mean the physical design of the gun, not the projectile or effect.
I always loved the Needler from the Halo series. It was a really unique design at the time and probably the most fun I’ve had with any weapon in a first person shooter. Also, the explosions and the ching it does when reloading are just perfect.
One of my favorites.
While I never got into Halo, I have allways liked the Needler’s design, it looks sort of biological…
All of the Covenant designs are meant to be very organic looking. In the novels, the ships and such are described as “looking like undersea predators”
I really like the Aperture Labs portal gun.
It is a cool 50s design, round but sleek shapes
The pod gun from Fifth Element is one of the most interesting from both a design and an effects perspective IMO.
Ah, the Zorg ZF-1, nice one!
Four full crates, delivered right on time! What about you, my dear Aknot, did you bring me what I asked you for?
Noisy Cricket
I wouldn’t call it the best, but it’s definitely one of the most iconic.
Deckard’s gun in Blade Runner was always my favorite. Somewhat uncanny because it was clearly sci-fi, but retained that hard boiled detective aesthetic, like you misremembered a noir shootout.
I have way too little knowledge about the genre in general but there was something oddly satisfying about the Service Weapon a.k.a. Director’s Gun from the Federal Bureau od Control…
But I am guessing the part of using it as a game mechanic makes a big difference, there were plenty cool looking things in movies or series — but this one just jumped first to my mind.
The Service Weapon was awesome. It’s got an intense sort of gravity around it. Hell, the first interaction with it is fighting a battle of wills in order to not shoot yourself in the head with it. The gun itself doesn’t look all that impressive but I do think it’s neat enough, and if you look at it from the perspective of the Service Weapon being a character in the story of Control, it’s really, really cool.
Came here to say this. Somehow looks brutalist in a hard sci-fi way, while also giving Eldritch vibes.
The entire game just oozes style
I can see that, though I have allways thought it was a bit too chonky
6 different guns in a such compact form factor for a price of not dying while being chosen to actually use it, with a tiny little perk on the side of automagically becoming the Director of the Bureau with the side hustle of talking with Paranatural Entities/The Board — how’s that too chonky?
We are just talking about the visual design, not the functionallity, and from the perspective, it looks very chonky, I like the game, and the gun is cool, but it is a chonky gun
That’s what I meant — it has six different designs depending on the mode you are in — for me that’s the definition of a functional design in action…
Sidenote, this was the first game, while playing, I felt like they actually figured out a solid idea for fixing the regular overkill artillery in so many games. I remember you, Max Payne with 10 guns in pockets, grenade launcher plus nades and molotovs…
This guy has Trump hands
Why insult me?
Look at a screenshot of it, it is a chonky gun:
https://control.fandom.com/wiki/Service_Weapon?file=Service_Weapon_Trench_Form.png
I guess you could just be blind
Why keep insulting me?
And fully lacking any self-awareness
I’m partial to the Judges’ guns, particularly from the Urban-led movie, as I’ve not delved much into the comics.
Also, I think this falls more into the fantasy category, but I love the chonkiness of Hellboy’s Samaritan.
I want to toss the Type-2 phaser from Star Trek (circa 24th century) as my personal favorite. It has this design which reads as a tool more than a weapon, which I love.
I prefer the retro aesthetics of the TOS Type 1, especially for the integrated Type 1, but regardless, it’s an excellent choice for the reason you state: it’s a very versatile tool!
You said Type-1 (the compact, key fob looking TOS phaser), but linked a picture to the TOS Type-2 (the pistol). Which did you prefer?
I love the concept of the Type-1, and it would definitely be my favorite pick of the phasers based on function. But for how it looks, I like how the TNG Type-2 kinda blended the TOS Type-1 concept as a tool, but sized it up to the TOS Type-2 pistol in size. Best of both worlds. Still feels like a tool, but more power drill, less garage door opener or handgun.
EDIT: my autocorrect kept messing up the link.
Yah, editing typo. I meant the TOS Type 2, which had a removable Type 1 in it.
Oh, cool. I never knew about that. Thanks.
It always bugs me a bit that all ST handgun-like phasers are “Type 2”, regardless of which design. I get what they’re doing, it’s just confusing. There are more than one TOS Type 2 designs, and obv. TOS Type 2 are radically different from TNG Type 2, of which there were several variations. The toxonomist in me wishes they’d been given at least sub-types; as it is, they’re categorized by (in-universe) date of introduction. But the shows and props department were sort of all over with them, making tweaks between seasons, so it can be rough to talk about without having memory-alpha up in a window.
Since I haven’t seen it mentioned yet, the M56 Smartgun from Aliens is pretty awesome.
The steadycam gun!
Zat’nik’tel from Stargate SG:1.
First shot stuns. Second shot kills. Third shot disintegrates.
I am going to have to agree with Michael Shanks from the orher comment here, it looks like a penis.
I mean, it raising itself up before it can fire is a cool effect, but the design it self it not a favourite, and I love SG1
That reminds me of the thing in Destiny where you punch an enemy and they disappear.
The iconic and tastefully restrained design of the Blade Runner handgun https://www.imfdb.org/wiki/(Blade_Runner)_-_LAPD_2019_Blaster
I don’t know if anime counts, but the Psycho-Pass “Dominator” is a really cool science fiction concept in itself.
Especially when it changes between the three modes (non-lethal, lethal and destroy-decompose)
Someone needs to go through and add inline images to each of these
You’re someone!
The Callahan Full-bore Autolock “Vera”
It has extreme sentimental value
A couple that come to mind:
Boltguns, and esspecially the bolt rifle from Warhammer 40k - specifically because its so massive and brutalist in design to look intimidating.
Ar-2 from Half-Life 2, for the more grounded yet still entirely sci-fi look.
Finally, the Shard Gun from Xcom 2
Let’s be friends
