Call of Juarez: Gunslinger

So I got a new game...  Call of Juarez: Gunslinger



This one isn't my typical genre.  This looks like an old West shoot-em-up.  I do like First Person Shooters, but usually I tend to go for the futuristic settings instead of the more realistic.  I have no idea if I'm going to like this one or not, but I picked this one up as part of a bundle, and I've decided to load it up and see how she flies.

Time for me to go shootin' up some varmints. Be back soon with my thoughts.

Yeee-haw, y'all.  This was more fun than I reckoned it would be.

It's a solid game.  Lots of action & Wild West nostalgia.  Plenty of shooting.  Tumbleweeds.

The story is told as a series of flashbacks from the perspective of a Bounty Hunter named Silas.  He apparently had run-ins with some of the more colorful names in history, and each 'chapter' of the game plays out in relation to these characters.  I played the first chapter, in which I assisted Billy The Kid when he was pinned down in Stinking Springs.  He and I barely made it out alive, but ended up in jail.

 
The game looks great, just like a comic book, in my opinion.  The graphics are so ornate, that sometimes it's hard to tell where an enemy is when they're hiding behind cover.


Most of the time, the game plays like a shooting gallery.  You crouch behind your cover, and they hide behind theirs.  You then spend the game trading shots at each other, hoping to take them out before they hit you.  It's well done, if you like that sort of thing.

 
Similar to some other first person shooting games, this one includes a slow-motion 'bullet-time' powerup that can be used when you want to catch your breath or take out multiple targets in a hurry. 'Concentration' builds up over time, and can be turned on when you want to use it.  A nice feature of 'Concentration' is that while under the influence of Concentration, everything becomes shaded in black and white, except for your enemies, which are highlighted in red.  I found it useful for times when I just couldn't tell exactly where my opponents were hiding.  A quick burst of Concentration, and not only could I immediately see the bad guys, but they were standing still and vulnerable.

It's easy to spot the bad guys with a little Concentration
At the end of most chapters of the game, you meet up with someone who apparently needs dueling.  You face each other down, waiting for the other to draw...  Meanwhile you're trying to keep your 'focus' on the target; a targeting reticle slowly drifts around the opponent, which the player must keep on target.  Finally, in an honest duel, the player waits for the other gunslinger to draw, at which point you quickly reach for your own gun, and if your focus was still on target, and you were quick enough, you live to see another chapter.

Draw!
Overtop of the gameplay is a great vocal narration track that changes depending on the gameplay.  "I finally made it to the back of the farmhouse",  or "Finally, the stables were in sight", or, after I accidentally shot a chicken: "I figured that after the fight, we could fry us up some chickens.".  Very colorful and moves the plot along nicely.

There are also xp skill trees with several different paths to consider.  There's a short and long ranged option, plus a jack-of-all-trades option to choose from.  I chose the long-range option, which gave perks like more aiming time when using long rifles.

I love skill trees
The game features many secrets to be found and collected.  "Nuggets of Truth" items are scattered throughout the game in the form of old-West baseball-card type collectibles.  I found one that gave the bio and background of the sheriff that took down Billy the Kid.  I have no idea how much truth were in these "Nuggets", but they were interesting to read.

Billy the Kid's 'card'

What I liked:  The collectibles are a great idea.  They make you wonder how much of the storyline is based in truth, and how much is fiction.  The graphics are great, there's a style there and they really made it work.  The voice acting is humorous and well done.  This all ties together to make a great atmosphere.  The gameplay is fun and fast paced. 

What I didn't like:  Sometimes I felt like I couldn't tell what I was shooting at, and I felt like I had no control over the situation.  Others, it felt like the only thing stopping me from getting headshot after headshot was my own ability to move the mouse.  I didn't like the variation.  I think the environment had a lot to do with this.  The enemies are usually wearing dark brown or black, and they hide in the shadows a lot, and blend in quite well.  This makes it hard to tell if you're shooting at anything or not.


This one really surprised me.  I wasn't expecting to like this one much, but it was fun.  I think I'd play this one some more.

Thanks for reading.

Labels: , , ,