Two Faces of the Wild West

Published June 18, 2007

There is a romance to the Wild West, an ever-present danger, the thrill of adventure. The click of spurs on a dusty road and the thick haze of gunpowder smoke after a duel at high noon are both familiar and exhilarating to even casual movie fans, so it is quite a shock that the Western has never really dominated as a videogame genre.

The tools of the trade.

The rarity of an excellent Western is no bad thing though. Because when one does come along, we can savor and appreciate its exotic locales, unique mechanics, and gritty tales of revenge and loyalty.

Call of Juarez™ for Xbox 360™ delivers all you could expect from a classic Western. Visit seedy brothels, fan the hammer in smoke-filled gunfights, creep through the darkened desert to avoid pursuit, confront bandits and villains in pistol duels, and ride across the prairie on a stolen steed. That's just a few of the things you can do.

If you equip and use his Bible, Ray will recite passages and riddle his enemies with guilt, momentarily stunning them.

The Reverend and the Kid
Call of Juarez differs from other games in its unique dual-character approach. First up is young Billy. He recently returned from a fruitless quest to uncover the Lost Juarez Gold, only to find his mother and stepfather murdered. Written in blood on the barn door next to their massacred bodies is the message "Call of Juarez."

While Billy staggers about the gruesome scene, the stern Reverend Ray McCall—brother to Billy's murdered stepfather—appears on the scene and spots Billy standing over the dead bodies. The Reverend makes a snap judgment believing Billy is guilty of the crime, and thus the adventure begins.

You start as Billy, fleeing for freedom and the opportunity to clear your name for half the game, and then you will play the Bible toting, gun-bearing Reverend Ray McCall in his dogged pursuit of Billy for the other half.

Two Faces, Two Styles
You're unlikely to find two more disparate characters than the young, innocent Billy and the aged, brutal and battle-worn Reverend, but it's not just personality and motive that separates the two characters in Call of Juarez. They play entirely differently from one another as well.

What's a shooter without a turret gun?

Billy is the stealthier of the two and chooses to pass by enemies unnoticed when he can. When he does have to stand his ground or fight his way out of a sticky situation, Billy is more likely to strike from the shadows with a bow and arrow than go toe-to-toe with a pistol or rifle. Billy also makes use of his trusty whip during his adventures, which comes in handy when swinging over chasms.

Reverend Ray McCall on the other hand chooses a more forthright approach. The Reverend has retained the skills of his gun-slinging youth, and is all too willing to unleash his wrath on anyone foolish enough to stand in his way.

For example, Ray can enter "Concentration Mode" when dual-wielding pistols. This slows down time as two targeting icons (one for each gun) slowly travel across the screen, allowing the Reverend to pop off up to twelve precision shots before the icons merge together. Of course, Ray is also a man of the cloth, and if you equip and use his Bible, Ray will recite passages and riddle his enemies with guilt, momentarily stunning them.

The Reverend is also involved in the various "duels" throughout Call of Juarez, which involves a quick-draw and aiming mechanic all its own. As you complete each duel, they are unlocked and can then be replayed from the main menu.

True to the West
For all its unique storytelling and dual-character gameplay, Call of Juarez stays true to classic cinematic Western themes. From the gunfighter duels with the Reverend to galloping and shooting on horseback with either character, thwarting a train robbery, hurtling on rails in a mine cart, tossing dynamite, and sneaking out the back window of a brothel, there are knowing nods aplenty to the hallowed genre.

Don't hit the girl.

The Online Frontier
Beyond the stellar single-player campaign, there lurks a series of surprisingly in-depth multiplayer modes. No matter which online mode you play, you can choose among several character classes: gunslinger, miner, rifleman and sniper. All of these characters have different weapon load-outs to create a more strategic approach to multiplayer combat.

Game modes include classic and team deathmatch, but also team-based goal-oriented games like Robbery which requires a team of Outlaws to steal the gold protected by a team of Lawmen. There's the classic Capture the Flag (here it's a Bag), and even a Famous Events mode which recreates classic events straight out of Wild West lore.

Call of Juarez is an unexpected surprise. This is an engaging, well-designed shooter that's an equally compelling Western, and for that it has the relieved thanks of an army of genre fans happy to enjoy both the game and the story.

Article by Ryan Treit