Call of Juarez: Gunslinger Review

The other day, I was in the mood for a straightforward first-person shooter that didn’t take itself too seriously. Yeah, I know, that’s a pretty specific itch, and yet Call of Juarez: Gunslinger managed to scratch it. I wouldn’t call this a great game overall, though. While I don’t mind linear levels in a shooter, the levels in Gunslinger are a little too narrow and claustrophobic. Enemies also blend in with the background, making it hard to see who’s shooting at you. It doesn’t help that enemies start shooting from really far away, and most of your weapons are close-range. I know a sniper rifle isn’t realistic for the time period, but damn, I really needed to be able to snipe at times.

Another aspect of the game that drove me nuts were the standoffs that bookended every level. In theory, a standoff is a great idea, but the controls for these sections are terrible. I just started shooting first and taking the “dishonorable kill” penalty so I wouldn’t have to think about them too much. Frankly, I wanted a game with mindless shooting, and you do get plenty of that in the normal stretches of each level. Gunfights are fast-paced and satisfying and (barring the standoffs) don’t bog you down with gimmicky missions. The gameplay couldn’t be any more straightforward: run through town (or a forest) and shoot everything that moves. It’s perfect for what it is.

The best thing about Call of Juarez, though, is the way its narrative is framed. The whole game is narrated by a drunk bounty hunter regaling his adventures in tracking down famous Wild West outlaws. Not only is it funny to hear him constantly say “sumbitch” but his story will periodically change halfway through, thus affecting the level. He might say, “Oh, actually, we came in from the south,” and then the level will restart with you entering town from a different location. Or his audience will challenge him on something like the number of bandits he was up against, and then in the game they’ll suddenly disappear. It’s a neat idea that adds a little more oomph to an otherwise standard arcade-style shooter.

Reviewer

Clark
I love gaming so much, I wrote a book about it.

Published by

Clark

I love gaming so much, I wrote a book about it.