Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood
Ubi-Soft/Techland
Xbox 360/PS3/PC
(This review is rated TL for Tediously Long)
There’s something about the mythology of the Wild West that’s always fascinated me. It could be the stylish wide brimmed hats and dusty cloaks, or perhaps the beautifully striking wide open scenery. It could be the tense and often brutal gun-play, with clunky six shooters and noisy bolt rifles. Perhaps it’s just because the Wild West represents a time completely different to ours. We now live in a time where wide brim is old hat, weaponry is charmless and capable of destroying an entire species in one shot, and excitement comes in the form of a steel tinned DVD.
My enjoyment of the Wild West might also be because it was actually a brutally grim and unglamerous time, as expertly depictied by HBO’S Deadwood. Much has been said of how the Zombie genre appeals to those with a dislike of modern society and it’s values, perhaps the same can be said of the western and it’s gritty anti-social brutality, and haunting lonely imagery.
It’s never been fully exploited by the games industry. It’s unlikely that the lack of interest falls at the feet of the developers however, but at that of the causal gamer, as appealed to the old west as they are genital warts. This means that when a Wild West themed game does rear its head, it’s generally hailed by critics as a distinctly fresh and bold change of pace to the hundreds of futuristic or war based shooters such as the uninspired inspired Halo 3.
2006’s Call Of Juarez was one of these titles, a unique shooter that embraced the west and it’s cliches, yet was as ropey as…. well…a rope. Filled with awkward stealth sections, infuriating platforming and glitchy inconstant graphics, Call Of Juarez still remained enjoyable and memorable. It’s embracing of the western genre and its odd quirks (A game in which God can literally be your weapon, as bible quotes confuse your enemies into a trance) made it enjoyable for all its flaws.
It was a huge shock to see the announcement of a sequel to such a cult game. Fortunately however, developers Techland have delivered a sequel that manages to mostly rid itself of its predecessors problems, resulting in a hugely enjoyable, visually impressive and refreshingly old fashioned FPS. Call Of Juarez : Bound in blood isn’t going to win any awards, nor will it catch on with the casual gamer, but there’s never a dull moment in its brief but action packed campaign.
The story is light, but ticks all the boxes you’d expect from a loving tribute to the spaghetti western, the first level even goes so far as to completely mimic the blowing of the bridge from the Good The Bad and the Ugly. Elsewhere there’s no shortage of epic gunfights, horseback escapes, buried treasure and rootin’ tootin’ varmits.
A prequel to the orginal, the game follows brothers Ray and Thomas. After hearing that thier family might be in danger, the pair become Civil War deserters, understandably upsetting their sinister goateed general. Things become more troublesome when the brothers meet Marisa, leading the pair to think with their cocks, and squabble like children. The game then becomes a race between pretty much everyone, to see who can claim the mythical buried treasure of Juarez. The story isn’t incredibly immersive or particulary well written, but it’s an enjoyable checklist of what makes the spaghetti western such an enjoyably overblown embodiment of wild west mythology.
Another ace up its sleeve, is the option to play as either Ray or Thomas, lending the game a subtle change between levels, and more importantly, strong replay value. Ray, simply likes to cause as much destruction as possible, able to wield two guns at once, or chuck dynamite around like confetti. Thomas on the other hand is a silent killer. A dab hand with rifles, a satisfyingly gory slow-mo bow and knives. Thomas also carries a lasso, which allows him to reach high sniping positions.
The game cleverly adapts to each character, for example one level might ask you to go in all guns blazing as Ray, while if playing as Thomas, you’ll take a higher path, to pick off enemies from up high. Somewhat confusingly, the game doesn’t allow for co-op play *, despite being perfect for it. It’s a minor quibble however, as there’s plenty of fun to be had switching between brothers in the single player campaign.
Gameplay is a distinctly oldskool affair, there’s few puzzles to be found here , it’s all about the shootouts, and all the more enjoyable for it. It helps that the gun-play is satisfying and well balanced, with the clunky weapons behaving realistically, with the action feeling weighty and brutal. A cover system is slightly more dubious, but for the most part it works well, allowing you to satisfyingly peek out behind crates and rocks, picking off foes with ease.
Sometimes you’ll find yourself facing off against an opponent in a one on one shootout. Moving your gun hand with the left stick and your character with the right, the shootouts are tense and satisfyingly challenging in the later sections of the game. Another feature, again improved from the original game, are the slow motion concentration modes, that can be triggered after a certain amount of kills. The concentration modes are enjoyably slick and stylish, but more importantly, rather useful. Often you’ll find yourself relying on concentration mode, in between large shootouts, or low health.
Graphically the game isn’t immediately stunning compared to some other titles on the 360, and suffers from some hitches such as odd shadows or heavy lighting. However, when you find yourself looking out across a huge open plane on horse back, or wandering through a dusty ghost town, the game looks simply beautiful. The voice acting is extremely cheesy and dialogue follows suit; you’ll either find it grating, or humorously charming.
There’s 15 chapters here, lasting between 25-40 minutes each, with some offering a couple of limited, yet welcome side missions. While the game can easily be finished in a couple of days, or even one to the hardened gamer, there is strong replay value here, with 80 + secrets hidden in the levels, and some enjoyably silly achievements (Kentucky Fried Rooster sees you blowing up 5 chickens with dynamite).
The multplayer element is surprisingly solid, offering a class system, as well as a unique bounty system in which players become a more valuable target subject to their skill. The game features all the usual game types such as death-match, but the highlight here is Wild West Legends. Here a team of outlaws have to commit wild heists and flee town, while the lawmen are tasked with taking down the criminals. With the right players, It’s a blast. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the game and the competition from more popular shooters, its unlikely that the community here will continue to prosper, although the announcement of two multiplayer add on packs, will help prolong it.
Despite a lack of spit and polish, Call Of Juarez : Bound In Blood is a blast from start to finish. It’s likely doomed to become 2009’s Bargain Bin game. That’s a shame, as in this day and age, Call Of Juarez’s modesty and old fashioned gameplay are ironically a breath of fresh air. It comes highly recommended for those with a love of the genre, or those looking for a somewhat unique game play experience. For all others, the short campaign, simple weaponry and frayed edges will likely frustrate and dissapoint, but no worries, there will be another overblown Sci-Fi or World War shooter around the corner.
* The supermarket chain co-op should release a multiplayer game, the marketing would sell itself.
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