Call of Juarez: Gunslinger
Overview -
The Call of Juarez franchise has had its share of failure, particularly 2011's horrific Call of Juarez: The Cartel. I was a huge fan of the original Call of Juarez, particularly the campaign's focus on Reverend Ray McCall's gun-slinging past. Looking to redeem the series, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger adopts the arcade shooter route and focuses on a strong, entertaining single player campaign to win back fans. In addition, the game is significantly cheaper than other games in the series starting at just $15.
Video Review
While you can tell the budget for this game was small due to the static drawn images for cutscenes, it still doesn't diminish the quality of the story. I also loved the graphical transitions when someone at the table called Silas on his creative storytelling and the entire world morphs into another version of the story.
Regarding the in-game graphics engine, it definitely looks like the narrator's version of the old west, be it more on the cartoonish, cel-shaded side. However, there are plenty of clipping and hit detection issues in the game. That being said, the developers did a great job of creating wide, expansive levels that didn't seem as linear as they were designed. In many cases, there are multiple paths to get to the same location.
Audio Review
The voiceovers really do drive the cutscenes along as the as the overall story. It's probably the best aspect of the narrative. The music is also excellent, very typical of a spaghetti western. However, sound effects start to blend together after a while, especially the similarities between all the revolvers.
At just $15, the MSRP of the game is already fairly low. To get through the nine-level single player campaign, you are looking at 5 to 8 hours depending on your difficulty level. It's definitely a fun, entertaining romp while it lasts, even if the ending to the story is somewhat predictable if you have seen any classic western movie. By the way, keep an eye out for Steam and Amazon sales on Call of Juarez: Gunslinger. You can usually pick it up for 40 to 50 percent off which only adds to the tremendous value of the game.