Customer Reviews

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I was a big fan of the original "Call of Juarez" in spite of the fact that it was quite a linear game. Well its sequel is even more linear, much faster-paced, more action-packed, and the stealth missions are gone. These may be good things for most game-players, but I for one miss the more laid-back gameplay of the original.

Some missions give you a choice as to which brother you want to play, which will affect your playing style and weapons. The mechanics of the weapons are similar the first game, however this time, if you want to use the lasso, you've got to twirl your mouse, which works just fine. There are automatic save-points, but the quick-save and quick-load and normal manual saves are present as well.

Yeah, it's not the same game game as the original. In some respects it's better, and in some ways worse. Visually it's awesome. As in the last game, you really feel like you're right there in the wild southwest (aside from the first two Civil War missions, which made me feel like I was playing another History Channel Civil War game). Voicework is once again excellent, and the guy who played Reverend Ray in the original game is back and doing another fine job. Music also excellent, fitting the mood perfectly. In fact, the overall atmosphere is so exactly perfect, it's almost uncanny.

There are secrets and loot to find in every mission, however if you "complete" your objective before you find it all, your brother will go wandering onward without you, and you will instantly die if he gets too far away. There is a bit of leeway, but in my mind, this was totally unnecessary and needlessly aggravating.

As an "experience", Bound In Blood is utterly captivating and very exciting.
But as a "game", I have to dock it a little because of it's relentless linearity, and "insta-fail" possibilities.

It's a very, very fun game, but it could have been legendary if they'd just done 3 things: Put the stealth missions back in (except without the insta-fail mechanic the last game used), make the player less tied to the brother, and allow some freedom for exploration. It's an absolutly gorgeous world they've created. I just wish they'd have allowed me to play it at my own pace.

Just completed this Western first-person-shooter in about 10-12 hours of play on easy setting. There aren't very many "cowboy" shooters for the pc but nonetheless I consider this the best yet of the 5-6 I've "played."

This isn't intended as an "after action report/review". Here are some brief comments about the experience:

Pros:
-Worked flawlessly on my Windows XP high end computer with 3.00 ghz dual-core processor, 4gb ram, Geforce Nvidia 280 video card, and Sound Blaster XFI.
-Very good graphics, setting, voice-acting (exceptional), music, and weapon sound effects. In many ways almost like watching a Western movie but with the interactive aspect.
-Nice intriguing storyline (a bit abrupt at the end, however).
-Very beautifully rendered Senorita, Marissa. She's worth saving and appropriating away from evil Juan.
-Choice to play as Ray (better with revolvers, dynamite, shotguns, gatling gun and physically stronger) or Tom (more agile and better with rifles, bow/arrow, knives, and ropes).
-Great variety of settings and scenery.
-Horse mounting and riding worked flawlessly. Nice horse sounds, too. Droppings not included.
-Villains well done and EVIL. They need killin.
-My son indicated that once he installed the game (on his Vista 64bit machine) no game disc was required for play. I always had the disc in when playing so I can't say this will always be the case. Also, although a key code is on the back of the manual we were never asked to provide it. Maybe it's for online game play. Don't know if there is any DRM with this game.

Cons:
-For some reason I couldn't get it to play (locked-up) past the first cut-scene on my Windows Vista (32bit) machine despite closing all other programs and spplying several tweaks. I wanted to utilize Direct X-10 for supposed graphic improvements. Maybe it didn't like my Nvidia Geforce 285 high-end video card. Didn't figure it out.
-Lever action rifles and revolvers not realistic for the Civil War period. The shooting/weapon use for these sections in the game was a bit "clunky" to my liking with unresponsiveness and lack of effect.

Neutrals:
-May need higher-end computer to play well.
-Lots of swearing in dialogue. May not want younger children around while playing. You decide.
-Some religious Bible thumping and Christian talk.
-Bow and arrow and knife throwing more accurate and lethal than one might desire.
-The 6-7 quick-draw duels with villains is quite challenging to master. It took me numerous tries with 4 of the outlaws to put them down. You may do better. It requires accurate timing, fast response/reflexes, and precise trigger pull to succeed. I became frustrated with this at times. Don't give up. If at first you don't succeed....FAIL, FAIL again.
-Quite linear in story and play but it flows quite nicely from one setting to another. Some may not like this and prefer a "sandbox" approach where you can go anywhere and do anything.

Summary:
I don't believe this game intended to be a thoroughly realistic depiction of the Old West. However, I recommend the title highly for the FLAVOR of the Old West it provides with its entertaining, fun, and intriguing storyline and gun-play. It succeeds quite well in providing sufficient enjoyment and play and a change of pace from WW2 and modern warfare. The Wild West has been neglected for far too long and just maybe the success of this title will spawn more offerings in the future.

I didn't complete the first Call of Juarez (gave to girlfriend some time ago) and will now get it back and play it to completion. Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is actually the prequel to the first and its story explains why Ray comes onto the scene as a pistol toting Bible thumper in the original

I'm really not sure why there aren't more western themed video games, because the setting works very well with the medium. Case in point: Call of Juarez, a ridiculously fun (and disappointingly short) thrill ride through a mythical old west.

PROS
--Excellent story: There are so many games out there that treat stories as optional, and it's nice to see one that's put a lot of effort into creating a compelling narrative. The voice work is fantastic, and the cutscenes are well directed and well written. Not that the story isn't both ridiculous and filled with cliches: it is. But it somehow it manages to pull everything off just the same. There's a certain grimness to the final levels that's rare in video games, and an emotional depth to the main characters, even if they do come across as caricatures sometimes. It worked for me.
--Great shooting: Not only does this game feature *three* types of bullet time, it also makes shooting at a regular pace very fun as well. The weapons (ranging from pistols to rifles to knives to shotguns and more) are all very satisfying to shoot, and the death animations are nicely done. There's also an automatic cover system that comes in handy. Healing is Call of Duty style, so you don't have to worry about annoying health packs.
--Two characters: Most levels let you choose between the two protagonists, Thomas and Ray, and the choice will have an impact on how you play the game. Ray can dual wield pistols, use dynamite, and soak up more damage. Thomas can snipe more accurately, use knives for silent kills, and use his lasso to reach high areas. Adding to the replayability of the game, you'll also play different sections of each level depending on which brother you choose.
--Great environments: The old west has never looked this good. Besides the gorgeous scenery, though, the environments lend themselves well to combat: railings and barrels are shattered and tossed around the environment by gunfire, and the numerous oil lamps lying around mean that you can set much of the scenery on fire as well (either by shooting them or throwing them). The one disappointment: bodies can't be moved or interacted with after death.

CONS
--Short: It took me seven hours and fifteen minutes to beat the game; much less than your average shooter. While there is some argument to be made for playing the game twice, it's still a disappointingly brief experience.
--Open world isn't so open: The game does experiment with open world sections in some cases, but these sequences pretty much only let you do a few optional missions. Granted, said missions are a lot of fun, but it would have been nice to see a Western that gave you more choices as to where to go and what to do there.

In the end, the length prevents me from recommending paying full price for Call of Juarez. But if you can find a copy for $20 or so, it's a fantastic romp through a world all too often neglected by video games.

I really wanted to like this game. So much about it is so great: the controls, the voices, the graphics, even the story is well done. But this game is SO linear it really took away from the fun-factor for me. You are constantly being told to "do this", "do that". Maybe I want to escape from a different exit. Maybe I want to take shelter behind a different box. This linear aspect really took away from the speed of the game, as well. Shoot three enemies, wait for your next prompt, shoot two more enemies, wait for a prompt, cut-scene, etc.

If you are a looking for a good-looking well-playing western shooter and you don't mind a terribly linear game experience, I would suggest this. It was no fun for me, however.

My favorite games are first-person-shooters, but I'm getting a little weary of the fact that 90% of them seem to be about blasting aliens, or blasting Nazis.

Why are there so few decent shooters on other themes, such as westerns, 1920's gangster wars, the civil war, or WW1?

The Call of Duty and Medal of Honor games have been great, but I find it hard to get immersed in the story when I I have spent more time playing WW2 games than anyone actually spent in WW2.

Call of Juarez definitely fills this gap- it is a well produced, visually impressive, and very fun first-person-shooter in a theme that is not completely played out.

The truth is, killing Yankees and killing desperados is much fresher and funner than killing Nazis or Space Aliens.

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is a rare game set in the Wild West. As with the original Call of Juarez, the western settings can be breathtaking. The original had several glitches and frustrating parts - especially with regards to platforming. Luckily the sequel has very little jumping and platforming puzzles. Instead, it has a slightly touchy and frustrating "shootout" mode.

The setting of the Wild West is very welcome and rare. There are just not many games that compete with Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood. To say that this game is the best "western" game on the market is kind-of ridiculous since it really is the ONLY western game on the market. But it does its job quite well. The graphics are a solid 7/10. Nothing really cutting edge here, but the graphics are good and the framerates remain solid even on high settings.

The story is quite a change-up from the typical shooters out there. It is a welcome change of pace. The characters are fairly well fleshed out and the story is straight forward and able to be followed easily. The cut scenes add to the storyline and the relatively short loading times are supplemented with useful narration

The game play and action sequences are quite good. The regenerating health system is fairly well implemented and never becomes too problematic. The only area which can be a pain are the shootouts. I'm not sure about the console versions, but on PC the player really needs to know the strategy of doing shootouts or it becomes very frustrating. There is really no help or information about how to do them, so at first it's not uncommon to be stuck on a shootout and have to do it over and over again. I actually had to look online to find some tips.

Once you know the technique, the shootouts are not that hard. It's important to keep your opponent near the center and just to the right of your character. That means you will need to side step the opposite direction of the way your opponent is moving. You will also need to listen or count the shootout so you know when the "bell" will ring. It's usually around the 15-20 second mark. The key is to keep your shooting hand VERY close to the gun right before the bell sounds. The fingers on your shooting hand should be wiggling - itching to snatch the gun. Once the bell rings, the player will need to quickly move the mouse down and to the left and then back up again. No need to push any mouse buttons. The gun will automatically be snatched. Then there is a second or two of patience needed. The auto aiming system takes over and the target circle rises up and will eventually slide over the opponent (if he's centered on the screen in front of you) and turn red. As soon as it turns red, the player needs to push the shoot button. Most likely the player will shoot the opponent in the crotch - which is a fitting way for the opponent to die.

Once the player gets the shootouts down, the game is quite enjoyable. Graphics are a solid 7.5/10. Audio is also a 7.5/10. Story and characterization is a good 8.5/10. Playability is a 8/10. Replayability is also quite high at a 8.5/10. Overall, I give this game a 8.2/10.

There are not many games with a Western storyline and none that I know of that matches the fun that I had with this one and it's older counterpart. This basically a shooter with many extras such as using the lasso to climb and swing from trees, etc. You can also play the game twice to play the other brother to get the different angle on the game. I am into games like Fear, Call of Duty, Godfather, etc. and found this game to be a great diversion from just shooting up the enemy.

This game is pretty awesome. I'm glad that there are game designers out there that have focused on making a great western FPS. There must be 30 world war 2 FPS games, it's nice to see something fresh. I feel like this game is an improvement over the first COJ. I felt like the first game was an oddity and didn't quite know what it wanted to be. It was pretty good and made a niche in a brand new market but this game makes it a legitimate franchise as well as possibly a genre.

The game looks amazing. Attention to detail was payed to all of the settings in this game. Duels, shootouts, stage coaches all that western "Stuff" is in this game and done well. I took off the one star because I felt the game could have been longer and deeper. I finished it relatively quickly. It didn't feel like it lived up to it's own potential. So the cons I'm going to talk about are more of a personal gaming opinion and not a problem with the overall game play. I've read some of the other reviews and some people like some aspects that I would consider cons so just keep in mind that these are personal preferences and that you should decide which type of game you prefer.

My first problem is with the different game play per character. On most levels you get to decide which character to play and in the rest of the levels it picks for you. Ok well the problem is that they each have independent skills. They did something similar to this in the first game but each level was tailored to the character you HAD to play, in this one you have to play the level and decide how to use the strengths and weaknesses of the character you choose. For example, in the levels where both brothers are active, if you play as Thomas you have to climb obstacles and wait for Ray and help him up. If you're Ray you have to wait for Thomas to climb the obstacles and GET helped up. There are more differences. Thomas can use the lasso as well as the bow and arrow, Ray is a better pistoleer etc. Ok....I see where they are going with this but these days games can be a little more dynamic. I'll use Oblivion as my example as most people are probably familiar with that title. There are multiple skills in that game but you don't have to change to another character to use them. Many games use some sort of skill building and it felt like this game was missing that.

To further that point, you do pick up leveled weapons throughout the game. There are several types of pistols and rifles and shot guns and each type has better grades. That's great right? Then why can't I use them for each character. I fight my way through a level and pick up better weapons only to play the next level and be forced by the game to use the other character that DOESN'T have better weapons. So I found myself picking the same character every time the game let me choose simply because I had invested more in that character. I suppose that this could be called re-playability but I really don't want to play all the same levels over again with a different character.

The game is very linear, some people like this but I felt like it could have broken away a bit and still held on to it's positive linear aspects. Even later in the game you get a bit of that sandbox feel. Towards the last few levels, before you start your mission you can walk into a store to purchase new weapons and ammo and while you are there you can take a look at the wanted posters and take missions and freely leave and explore the terrain. When you are roaming you even run into bandits and criminals capturing wagons and things of this nature.

Why it happens ONLY in the last third of the game I have no idea but it felt like this was where the focus of the game should have been. You get a wanted poster, get on your horse, ride to an enemy hideout, guns blazing, have a duel, win the reward money. From there it would be a short step to including banks to be robbed, gangs or posses to be joined, stage coaches to be stopped. I know that seems ambitious but the fact remains that on three or four occasions you DO ENTER the sandbox mode. And if you've played the multi-player you know that they do have the capacity for bank robberies and player bounties.

In fairness I want to reiterate that this is a great game and these are personal wishes. The game is well scripted and the controls are great (you gotta love the duel pistols). There are visible improvements from the first COJ. Since no one else is doing the Western FPS genre it's hard to expect as much progress from one sequel but they pulled it off nicely. I hope they make a third one and expand even further on what could become a great series.

I personally like this game and the genre and too bad there is not more of this sort of thing, the Western platform going on, it had some good moments and the cut scenes where a little trying at times but overall not a bad deal these days....the quick draw sequence can get to ya but hang in there pardna cuz you can get 'em...it WILL take a few tries and be sure to keep your opponent just off your right knee and those hands just hovering over that hog leg....

I am currently playing this game and, so far its just what I wanted in a Western shooter. The graphics rock, and the weaponry is suberb. The game does a good job with starting off with the Civil War, then eventually, turning towards the American West. One problem though, is a slight inaccuracy with the Civil War rifles. Instead of carbines and muskets, all the soldiers carry lever-action repeaters. But it doesn't really matter though cuz the McCalls are badass and so is this game!