Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood Review (PS3, Xbox 360) By Sayed Islam Published: 07/13/09 PrintEmail
Just two years ago in 2007, the original Call of Juarez failed to make a significant imprint in between the sea of brilliant first person shooters (ala Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Halo 3, and BioShock). On paper, the cowboy western premise was itching for a game. With the release of Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, this should have been the game that was offered a couple of years ago. The storyline revolves around the two protagonists known as Ray McCall and Thomas McCall. Furthermore, this prequel explores the events that led up to the first Call of Juarez. Formerly working as soldiers for the army, both brothers’ transformation from ethical to unethical is the central theme. Their insatiable appetite to hunt invaluable treasure is what consumes them. The plot is an engrossing story about two cowboys full of backstabbing and vengeance, yet the unlikable William character is a bit too much of a diversion from the rapport between Ray and Thomas.
The gameplay boils down into two phases: first person shooter combat and quick draw battles. There are fifteen chapters that span across Wild West gunfights on foot and horseback. Moreover, there are the aforementioned quick draw duel mini-games. The duels are nothing more than keeping your enemy in front of you and pressing the right analog stick at the correct time. For those gamers who are interested in earning some additional money, there are the mundane optional side missions that entail you becoming a hired gun. Although there is cover system, it felt incongruous because all of the adversaries can be easily defeated without taking cover. Also, the cover schematic was something that was an afterthought and nowhere near on the same level as the cover scheme in Killzone 2. There are a grand total of two playable characters which are Ray and Thomas. Albeit Thomas takes a much more methodical and meticulous approach, Ray is all about over exaggerated violence. Thomas can utilize a rope (lasso) to reach new heights, snipe foes from afar with a sniper rifle, and equip a bow. Ray can duel wield weapons, throw dynamite, and equip a gatling gun. If you accrue countless kills in succession, a bullet time mode becomes accessible. In essence, you can target enemies easier while in slow motion. The multiplayer involves working together alongside your teammates in a traditional cops versus robbers mode (or in the case of this game outlaws versus lawmen). Multiplayer scores are calculated via the use of a bounty mechanic, and the players with high kills counts will net extra points. For example, a player that has four kills will have a higher bounty than a player with merely one kill. There are thirteen upgradeable archetypes to choose from which include gunslinger, miner, rifleman, sniper, native, scout, trapper, gunsmith, hombre, spy, officer, duelist, and veteran. The latter eight have to be unlocked by earning more money. The robust multiplayer will also keep many people immersed, and it somewhat compensates for the rather succinct single player experience.
About the visuals, the horse animations and character expressions are laughable at best. Undoubtedly, hitting an opponent with a chair will make you burst out in laughter. All of the characters models who are wearing cowboy hats appear as if their hats were stitched on their heads instead of being on top of their heads. However, the one saving grace is the fact that the graphics are a drastic improvement over the original Call of Juarez.
As far as the audio department is concerned, there is just one quibble: William. His voice is like nails on a chalkboard. Excluding that trivial objection, the voice actors portraying both Ray and Thomas McCall are astonishing. Additionally, the music very much supplements the old wild western overtone sufficiently.
Overall, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood captures a divergent western cowboy mystique that is seldom seen in the glut of first person shooters.
Art direction 7 About the visuals, the horse animations and character expressions are laughable at best. Undoubtedly, hitting an opponent with a chair will make you burst out in laughter. All of the characters models who are wearing cowboy hats appear as if their hats were stitched on their heads instead of being on top of their heads. However, the one saving grace is the fact that the graphics are a drastic improvement over the original Call of Juarez. Audio 9 As far as the audio department is concerned, there is just one quibble: William. His voice is like nails on a chalkboard. Excluding that trivial objection, the voice actors portraying both Ray and Thomas McCall are astonishing. Additionally, the music very much supplements the old wild western overtone sufficiently. Gameplay 8 Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood captures a divergent western cowboy mystique that is seldom seen in the glut of first person shooters. Presentation 8 The plot is an engrossing story about two cowboys full of backstabbing and vengeance, yet the unlikable William character is a bit too much of a diversion from the rapport between Ray and Thomas. Replay value 8 With the ability to play as either Ray or Thomas, it definitely gives you a reason to play through certain missions over again. The robust multiplayer will also keep many people immersed, and it somewhat compensates for the rather succinct single player experience. Final verdict 8 out of 10
Just two years ago in 2007, the original Call of Juarez failed to make a significant imprint in between the sea of brilliant first person shooters (ala Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Halo 3, and BioShock). On paper, the cowboy western premise was itching for a game. With the release of Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, this should have been the game that was offered a couple of years ago. The storyline revolves around the two protagonists known as Ray McCall and Thomas McCall. Furthermore, this prequel explores the events that led up to the first Call of Juarez. Formerly working as soldiers for the army, both brothers’ transformation from ethical to unethical is the central theme. Their insatiable appetite to hunt invaluable treasure is what consumes them. The plot is an engrossing story about two cowboys full of backstabbing and vengeance, yet the unlikable William character is a bit too much of a diversion from the rapport between Ray and Thomas. 
