Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is the story of Ray, Thomas, and
William, who desert the Confederate army, seek ancient Aztec gold, and
clash over a woman. They travel from lush southern fields and
plantations to arid southwestern plains, creating a subtle, but
effective variety of scenery. And what scenery it is - the game's
settings are frequently stunning, showcasing wide open vistas, thick
evergreen forests, and detailed (if sparsely populated) towns.
The story is another strong point in this western epic - the
brothers' banter is witty, and the actors deliver many a believable
southern "sum'bitch" line. Every character has their own clear
motivations, something that's not typically defined in your average
shooter. Bound in Blood also has one of the most satisfying endings in
recent memory, providing just enough satisfying closure. The story's
one flaw is Ray and Thomas' family feud over Marisa - why both of them
are willing to die for her is never really made quite clear. Only a few
scenes after her entrance, the brothers are proudly professing their
love to her without a second thought. A little more attention to this
point would have made the later scenes a better pay off, but what's
there isn't terrible.
As for the shooty parts, It's all very familiar, pull the left
trigger to auto-snap to enemies, swap out two weapons and a heavy
weapon, grenades, a cover system, blah blah. What the game does get
right is the feeling of using old west weapons - everything from the
recoil to the reload animations constantly reminds you that you're not
using the same old 9mm or sub-machine gun. An upgrade system in the
game gives a nice sense of progression, and there's a variety of
pistols and other weapons, from the quick two-shot "ladies pistol" to
the 12 shot "volcano gun". You can ride horses as well, but you may as
well be running about 3 feet above the ground for how similar it feels
to regular movement.
It would be criminal not to mention the brilliant showdowns, where
the camera shifts to a low angle behind your holster. You'll use the
left stick to keep your opponent in sight, and the right stick to move
your ever wandering right hand as close as possible to your holster.
Suddenly, a bell will sound and you use the right stick to grab the
pistol, and hope to shoot first. It's a tense, creative way to
re-create this staple of western stories, and I loved it every time.
The entire game allows you to choose playing as Ray or Thomas at
the beginning of each chapter. Thomas is the slower, more methodical
killer with the ability to zoom, use a bow and throwing knives, along
with a rope for climbing. Ray gets to use dynamite and dual pistols,
along with a "stop time and aim" move that isn't nearly as fun as
flicking the right analog stick to fan your pistol's trigger with
Thomas. The obvious co-op option is unfortunately missing - what the
game does have is a competent class-based multiplayer mode that will
likely be completely forgotten within a month of this writing. That's
not to pass judgment on the game, but even it's thrilling cops 'n
robbers bank heist mode won't keep the online masses from drifting back
to their Halos and Call of Duties.
I hesitate only slightly in saying that Call of Juarez: Bound in
Blood provides the best example of a western game yet available. The
game feels very lean and well edited, with very few slow points. The
memorable story and setting along with a very pronounced western
feeling make it easy to gloss over some very well-worn design
decisions. This is a summer blockbuster in all the best ways, in a
setting and genre that's about as bone dry as the deserts the game
portrays.