In a game about war, blood, guns and obsession, it’s the few quiet moments that really stick. I recall the downtime in a small outpost outside the remains of a wild shootout, where I took a stroll down a dusty path suffocating in the dry heat of the setting sun. After admiring the amazing portrait of mountain and canyon, I stocked up on a few supplies and bought a new six shooter, which proved immensely satisfying as I unloaded a test round into the endless sky.
It was time to move on, use that gun to mow down whatever wave of cowboys and indians were waiting to get in the way of finding the treasure of Juarez: This is a first-person shooter first, a tail of brothers out for revenge and a new lease on a life lost to the Civil War second. The rearing of storytelling and game mechanics as one are a big ambition here that will annoy some purist gamers—the game halts constantly and sometimes abruptly to dwell on a cut scene—and delight others looking for the idea of a game as movie. It is the theme of Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood that ultimately gives it potent bight. If you find the mood and setting of the Western richly appealing, then here you go: Bound in Blood is a visual stunner, establishing spectacular spaces inspired by the time that are as fun to move through as they are to admire. It’s been a long time since a game delighted me this much with the call of its setting.
I emphasize the invaluable pull of the game’s world, because the shooting gallery that takes place inside it is anywhere from average to above average and will break down to the more discriminating gamer looking for top-tier gameplay. The action is at its best in closer quarters, getting especially rough around the edges in the more expansive moments that show the kinks in the AI. The strength is in the construct of the levels and the architectural engagement that position the enemies for more of a pop-up mode of firefights. Pulled from the enjoyment of the setting, the ornate guns are a blast to use, with speedy discharges of a quick-shooter a highlight as you couple the satisfaction of the kill with a succession of blink-of-an-eye head shots. While mostly a straight-ahead shooting affair that sticks to the FPS template, the thematic elements open up some clever breaks in the all-out war moments with one-on-one showdowns, asking you to position your character in the face of your enemy and wait for a bell toll before drawing a weapon. It serves the narrative nicely, and as a straight gameplay device is satisfying and reflexive.
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