Review | Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
At two stages through the story you will be given a chance to explore an open-world section of the game. Usually starting at a local weapon store, you can take up jobs to help the locals in the area. Whether protecting their farm from bandits, finding stolen cattle or killing a known criminal, these present a welcome detour from the story by allowing you earn more gold and buy better weaponry. These stages are enjoyable because of the freedom provided, but unfortunately they leave you wanting more. If the designers felt it possible to create such levels, was it not possible to add more of them, or even base the whole game around this open-world setting?
Each level is played out as one of the brothers. Thomas is faster and can use a lasso to reach high spots, and can also wield a bow and arrow. Ray is stronger, can kick doors down to access short cuts and can use a portable Gatling gun. The story is no different for either brother, but the levels do branch off slightly depending on which you use. Another major difference between the two is their ability in concentration mode. This is a power-up, if you will, which is charged by killing enemies and filling six slots in a six shooter bar.
For Thomas, once you activate concentration mode, everything will move in slow-motion and your aim will lock on automatically to any enemy in your line of sight. All you need to do is fan the right stick to shoot each bullet. Ray, on the other hand, also goes into slow motion, but allows you to move your crosshairs over up to twelve enemies; then, with another press of the concentration mode button, he will draw two six shooters and dispatch of his foes without your help. These moments in the action are great fun and give you a feeling of being in the greatest Western scenes of the big Movies. But there are moments that are more distracting than helpful – the co-op sections are the culprits here.
In these co-op moments, you will approach a door and get ready to enter. As you and your brother burst into the room, the slow motion kicks in and you have to guide two moving crosshairs over enemies and hit the triggers to shoot. While highly original at the start of the game, after the fifteenth time you feel it would be quicker to just run in and dispose of the bad guys by yourself. Still, if you look past this repetitive issue, the gunplay here is superb. Each weapon feels clunky and old, with great recoils and power to each shot you make.
//The good, the bad or the ugly
There are so many good things about Bound in Blood that it’s a shame the one downside is a fairly big one. For a game designed with two main characters, one that includes co-op sections and has branching level paths for each brother, why is there no multiplayer co-operative mode here? With co-op being a main flavour in gaming presently, it’s a crying shame that you can’t enjoy this with a friend. With such an original story that features friendly banter between members of the cast, all the while you’re playing you’re thinking about moments that would be fun with a second person, and could create similar banter in the real world.
Regardless, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is undeniably an excellent game. Yes, it has its problems, but they don’t detract from the overall scheme of things. With authenticity, a great story and enjoyable shooting mechanics, this is a definite hit for the Western genre.
7/10
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