Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood

Will you heed the Call?

Traditionally, all great Westerns are sweeping epics, taking in breathtaking vistas and overarching dramatic themes of revenge, greed and lust. Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood has a good crack at replicating the heavyweight drama of a cinematic period piece, but falls somewhat short with the knockabout buddy banter between the brothers McCall and their religious, morally virtuous sibling Reverend William, who provides the narration, revealing his misgivings concerning their questionable actions.

Embarking upon a quest for the cursed Aztec Gold of Juarez, the narrative begins with the brothers engaged on the side of the Confederacy during the American Civil War. This opening act doubles as the game's tutorial, playing out on the battlefield as you weave your way through trenches dispatching Yankee troops along the way, which neatly introduces you to the various gameplay mechanics.

Bound in Blood's foremost gimmick is the Red Dead Revolver style 'Concentration' mode, making its return from the first game in a much-improved form. Each brother's Concentration function is different, so as Ray you simply use the right analogue stick to paint your targets in red crosshairs while as Thomas, you focus on individual enemies, flicking the right stick as you would the hammer of a six-shooter.

Upon entering Concentration mode, time slows down giving you ample time to pick out your targets, automatically slaying them when the red bar at the top of the screen elapses and time returns to normal. Co-operative Concentration moments crop up intermittently, usually involving you and your sibling flanking either side of a doorway, ready to storm the inside and blast everyone in sight in a flurry of quick fire bullets. Taking down the enemies before your brother earns rewards, so these instances require a great deal of actual concentration on your part, not least because lining up the floaty, wayward crosshairs can be an incredibly demanding task.

Fundamentally, Bound in Blood is solid in every conceivable department, with a tight responsive control system lifted almost entirely from Call of Duty - mapping zoomed aim to the left trigger for instance - favouring a more measured pace than you'd normally expect from an FPS. Numerous set pieces keep things fresh and exciting despite this slower approach with you launching cannon fire at a paddle steamer one minute, and squatting as you quietly wait in a cornfield with a throwing knife, ready to cut a Union soldier's throat the next.

Most chapters open with you selecting one of the brothers and each possess their own individual weapon set and abilities for you to master. Where Ray is tough, aggressive and an expert with sticks of dynamite (which can be dual wielded with your pistol), Thomas is more considered and accurate carrying more discrete weapons such as throwing knives or a bow and arrow. He also has the use of a lasso, which he can use at certain junctures to snag hooks and branches allowing you to climb up to otherwise inaccessible areas.

Routes through levels alternate depending on which brother you play as during each chapter, encouraging repeated play, but it's the fantastic multiplayer that'll ultimately keep you coming back for more. Consisting of several modes, including standard deathmatch, it's the objective based Wild West Legends game type that proves the most compulsive, offering up bank jobs, safe cracking and horse theft. What's not to like?

Play enough multiplayer and you'll eventually unlock rewards such as gold weapons - the mark of a dedicated player. You'll be compelled to put in the hours too, experimenting with the numerous unique character classes like the Hombre and his dual sawn-off shotguns (our personal favourite) or the silent bow and arrow of the Native (a lot more skill required).

Single-player represents a good few hours of bang for your buck though, charting a journey from the theatre of war, to the brother's eventual desertion and return home before heading to Mexico on a search for the eponymous Juarez gold. Sadly, the story is rendered slightly ineffective by the wooden digital actors that while brilliantly voice acted, have cast-iron grimaces etched into their faces, which can sometimes undermine the gravity of otherwise tense situations.

Still, the game certainly has its moments, like a rain soaked showdown in the streets or a fraught shootout on top of a speeding wagon. Other set pieces don't quite hit the mark, such as a bizarre ride upon horseback that has you galloping along with both hands on your weapon, able to rotate 360 degrees. Surely you'd fall off, riding along no handed like that? Add to this a lack of connection between you and your steed and the horse riding is rendered pretty laughable.

Still, the one-on-one showdowns that test your reflexes in reacting to the toll of a bell, using the right analogue stick to control your twitching arm, create a decent amount of tension when your timing is right. Reaching for your holstered pistol soon grates however as the mounting tension drains with each repeated attempt. And the precious seconds you're given to grab your gun, bring up your aim and pull the trigger lead to many frustrating retries, quickly transforming what should be a taut showdown into an exasperating impediment to your progress. Raising your gun up at speed means that it's invariably a shot to the leg or crotch that wins out every time.

Nevertheless, the period weapons on offer make gunplay a joy, particularly as there are so many of them to discover or purchase from the gunsmith. Ranging from rusty pistols to shiny, silver six-shooters and hefty rifles that go off with a kick, every weapon has its own strengths and weaknesses, but you'll strive to nab yourself the prime examples of each. All are uncharacteristically reliable too, so a rusty gun will still fire every time, but a clean, gleaming pistol will blow a varmint away with greater power than its decaying, oxidised counterpart.

Despite its few issues - including some pretty severe tearing - Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood manages to be a thoroughly well executed and polished prequel that pushes all the right buttons. A dynamic cover system makes shootouts enjoyably tactical and the action remains quick and consistent throughout. What's more, it's a massive improvement over the comparatively rough first game, especially where the visuals are concerned. Gorgeous, grand yet inaccessible vistas stretching far into the distance may have us pining for the freedom of the forthcoming Red Dead Redemption, but Bound in Blood will more than satisfy your yearnings for a Western-flavoured yarn and as such is a more than deserving candidate for your gold doubloons.

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By Richard Walker