User reviews

When I found out a new Call of Juarez game was coming out, my memory started playing tricks on me: I couldn't remember any of the previous entries in the franchise. I was pretty sure I had played them, but I had no recollection of what those experiences looked like, what they were about or how it felt. Whether because of the story, some innovative approach to gameplay or a unique idea, some games are memorable. Ubisoft's Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, much like its predecessors, is not. It's not a bad game by any means, but, when all is said and done, it's a pretty simplistic and forgettable FPS.

The game opens up with Silas Greaves, our apparently renowned protagonist, walking into a bar and being bribed with alcohol by some strangers to tell a few stories about his adventures during his younger days. As the veteran bounty hunter recounts his journey, the player gets to reenact the narrative as the actual gameplay. This is a nice touch in terms of presentation since it enables some pleasant gimmicks, such as objects or enemies being altered as a listener challenges the veracity of what Silas is saying or new paths opening up when the raconteur recalls the finer details in his tale. In true Western fashion, the story is some nonsense about revenge or somesuch but it's solid enough to serve as an excuse to shoot baddies. Notably, the plot revolves around famous personalities of the Wild West, like Billy the Kid and Butch Cassidy, so if you're a cowboy buff, there's some added value there.

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is much more visually appealing than its predecessors, not only in hard graphics but in the general style and vibe as well. It's sort of a more grown-up, less cartoon-ish take on Dishonored's or Borderlands 2's art style. Bosses trigger badass cutscenes before you fight them and almost everything that you can look at is done in a very pleasant, stylistic way that stays consistent throughout the whole thing. Detail-wise, maxed out sliders feel a tad lacking but the game still looks good and runs great.

Regardless of the fancy packaging, when you strip everything off, you're left with a good ol' first person shooter. The level loads, you shoot your way through the bad guys till you reach the boss, you kill Mr. Boss, rinse and repeat. Simple doesn't equal bad, but a story-driven, level-structured FPS feels pretty bland nowadays. Sure, there are some action sequences, skill points, duels, quick time events and slo-mo goodness that break things up a bit and even provide some semblance of customization, but all that is icing on the cake.

The cake itself? Not that tasty. There's nothing specifically wrong in any areas, but everything is just kind of bland. The story is okay, the setting is not particularly original, the voice acting is nice, the AI is meh, the actual combat mechanics are incredibly standard, level design isn't anything to write home about, there aren't a whole lot of contextual actions you can execute other than busting the occasional door, et-damn-cetera. Everything is 'okay' and that's why I'll probably forget all about this game when Call of Juarez: The Ballad of Mad Dog McLeod or whatever comes out and, just as I did this time, I'll go: "Hmm.. I think I played the last one, but I don't really remember what it was about."

Unsurprisingly for the genre, the game is somewhat short, probably around 10 hours for the first time. There's also an arcade mode where you just shoot bad guys and a duel mode where it's all about the showdowns. They're both okay but if you're going to make a story-driven FPS, why not invest the resources into making the actual main story longer and better instead of secondary modes that some people won't even bother with?

All in all, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is a polished, stylized and decently humorous FPS featuring a bunch of cool moments thrown in for good measure. You can have fun playing it through, but it just lacks the substance to be a memorable hit.

Over the top gunplay is well combined with the addictive and satisfying killstreaks. The overall experience is unbothered by its old graphics as the gameplay is that good to make up for it. Story is simple and fun because the whole game is being narrated by the main character with a southern accent. A lot of the game's characteristics remind me of Borderlands, but this one is much better.

As for the cons, the wild west duels are extremely annoying, and the difficulty of the game is measured by the quantity of enemies. It's a good thing they aren't bullet sponges.

Revenge. And bounty hunting. Getting in the way of each other. Picking one and sticking with it, even if it were the latter, similar to Thief: The Dark Project and do world-building with, like this, relatively little plot, would have been preferable. Both do allow you to meet, and usually go up against, if not always kill or even win against, tons of infamous people. Name-dropping, mostly, albeit some get to do their thing, such as a bank robbery or blowing up train tracks, which you try to stop.

This whole thing is you, Silas Greaves(Cygan, charming), recounting highlights from his career to a handful of listeners in a saloon that you do get to visit, an opportunity they waste. That allows jumping around the US and in time. Along the way, they'll challenge your account. So you adjust to fit. Enemies and paths will come and go. They occasionally overdo it. And I can understand those who dislike this, well, gimmick. If you do, this is not for you. Or hearing them talk in general, which there could have been an option to turn off since most of it doesn't affect anything. Personally, I'm glad we're getting different approaches, as long as the ideas and execution are, at least, good, and here, they are. Not bad, and not ugly. I'll get to those.

This is essentially a shooting gallery. And Where's Waldo, since they blend in with the background, something I can't recall seeing elsewhere, even in retro stuff. Everything is an excuse for the bullets to fly in all directions. At least it's not really racist... the Latinos and Natives are treated the same as the Whites. Not better, either... after all, you *are* trying to snuff out each other, you're not doing reparations. They may charge at you, throw dynamite as grenades(you can, as well, and hit and blow it mid-air) and carry it on belts that scream "aim for me", hold up a wooden shield(feels like it was designed for another setting in time and place) and sometimes peaks out from behind it, or wear armor. That's how similar they are.

What you're using to deliver the lead matters. And ultimately, you only have revolvers(fast and weak, ranged and power, and the middle-ground), shotguns(short and regular. Good luck using them, what with being fought by their spread and frequent reloading) and rifles(one of the two being sawn-off). For all the limitations of the where and when, it still feels as lacking in variety as it is. I'm not asking to be able to pick up the Tomahawk, or the bow and arrow that they could have had. Just something. You can dual-wield the first four mentioned, using either the same one, or two separate, triggers. Ammo conservation is an obvious strength of the latter: if you run out in one, the other might have some left.

The upgrades don't alter much, other than stats. Compared to developer Techland's Dead Island, which is definitely overall worse than this, it's simple. There, they change how you play. Examples include boomeranging what you toss, crushing skulls of downed foes, the Rage attacks, customizing extra damage for weapons. It has special enemies that force you to adjust how you play when dealing with them. Varied ones in general. The fun of freely chopping off limbs instead of merely proceeding in a straightforward manner. I'm not saying all of these could be in this, or should be, still, the contrast is stark. The three are: speed, close range, and distance. Each has two skill trees, and can unlock two "Legendary"(read: improved version) firearm.

Completing this once unlocks level selector, the hardest of the 3 difficulties, with no HUD, and New Game +: Play again with all your stats carried over. It apparently gets tougher, as well. This is challenging on easiest. I personally got everything I wanted the first time through. I don't see myself returning to this. It took me four and a half hours, another two for the Arcade ones, each once. For the current asking price of about 15, bucks or Euros, that's basically fine.

Even if you're not doing Duel Mode, you will have to master the quickdraw to complete this. You know, where it's vital that you avoid being hit by this one person, when you take plenty any other time. It's awkward all the way. Hold a shrinking circle over the possibly-probably-not-though-moving-either-side to focus, and it'll zoom in on him. Eh, not too bad? Wait. For some reason, it moves slowly, barely, and going too far happens a lot. Position your hand over the holster. Or don't. Not sure it matters. This whole bit needs to be repeated each time you do, and you will, die. No idea why, you can't do it more than one way. Finally, at 80% or so, you can go for it. If you're fine with doing it dishonourably. Otherwise, wait for him to, first. Be polite about it. Then, you dodge to either side if he gets one off, which decidedly doesn't fit the period and location. At least the bullet-time mimics the reflexes. You, obnoxiously, adjust the reticule to get a mortal wound on them. And voila.

I haven't played the first three in the franchise... it's not quite a series anymore, not much continuity. In research, I did find that they had a lot this doesn't, and thus, is missed. Stealth. Two characters that offered abilities the other didn't. You might switch between them one level to the next. Or choose which. Maybe they go together, one of them controlled by AI. Riding horses and doing drive-by's as it were. Multiplayer, with modes beyond the bare minimum. Of course, at least this is considered to be superior to the dreadful third one. Not sure why the cover mechanic is gone. It left a gaping hole. It should be there.

I recommend this to the biggest fans of spaghetti Westerns. 5/10