Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood [PS3] "Fun Story, Awful Animation"

"See Ray, His Name Was 50 Cent, But Then He Shortened It To Just Fitty." The western look has been quite chic with the hipster community recent embrace of awful mustaches and flannel-jean wear. It was of no surprise that the first foray into the video game western, in this current gaming generation, was a perfect mimic of the hipster community. The original Call Of Juarez was an Xbox exclusive that had a lot of great ideas, but beyond the surface was pretty mediocre and not that pretty to look at. Techland, the developer of Call of Juarez: Bound In Blood, succeeds were the original game failed -- creating an interesting story in a first-person shooter. The Playstation 3 version of Bound In Blood is the most visually deficient, but not enough to detract from the enjoyable adventure of Ray and Thomas.

 

With dry heat beaming down on a seemingly abandoned, late 19th century town in Atlanta. The look of Techland's masterpiece set a stage uncommon for the current stockpile of first-person shooters. The recent wealth of space-marine and World War II inspired games have mysteriously elevated and cheapened the genre simultaneously. Hearing sounds of hawks caw overhead followed by a large, shadowy wing blocks the sun's rays long enough for me to see my white-turned-red reticule graze the hat of a hiding gunslinger. If I shoot with my rusty rifle the rest of his bounty hunting jackals will surely gun me and my polygonal brother down. I find cover. "Damn it! I shot his hat off!", I shout. The gun fight begins.

"This Is Our Log Cabin, You're Not Invited"

The player has the opportunity to select Thomas or Ray McCall. The third brother, William, functions as the in-game narrator and priest who is fighting a losing battle in keeping his brothers honest and from killing each other. Thomas and Ray are fighting for the South in the American Civil War, but leave their warring company after hearing their homestead was invaded by Yankees. The gruff voice of older brother Ray indicates he is the fighter of the family. Ray's quick gun and love of dynamite is balanced by his Lothario of a brother, Thomas. Thomas' rifle work is useful long-distances and his lasso will grant you access to high-ground -- perfect for shooting off more than just hats. The story of the McCall Brothers is traveled territory for many western buffs. Two quick-tempered brothers, who fall for the same woman, have to decide if the treachery of others trumps their brotherly hatred.

Like In Many FPS Adventure Games, Exploding Barrels Are Plentiful In Bound In Blood. They Are Also Clearly Labeled.

Their are little touches like shooting chickens and cows [you heartless scalawag] and the many bottles of whiskey you can find in deserted bars that give the similar looking towns personality. The voice acting is some of the best I have ever heard. Thanks to people like Reno 911's Carlos Alazroqui for lending their voice talent, Bound In Blood's sometimes obvious plot turns are at least delivered with vigor.

The PS3 version has a number of graphical bugs, there are times when there is no action on screen, but the environment is lush enough to force slow down the frame rate. Thomas' concentration mode is almost a fight with the controls to take out multiple enemies in slow-motion. Though the multiplayer is fun [if you can find a large enough group to play with] out of all the various classes -- which are all the enemies you faced in single-player -- the sniper class is a touch too powerful.

Protip: Make Sure Your Hand Is Just Close Enough To Your Gun To Eventually Shoot Guys Like This In The Crotchal Region

Originally, I was going to complain about the games' objective always ending in a showdown where your character has to perfectly time pulling out your revolver and shooting the enemy. The controls for the showdown should be tweaked, but there is still a level of satisfaction even after dying several times. Getting a headshot in showdowns is the equivalent of splitting an atom, so be prepared to shoot a lot of crotches. The biggest knock against this otherwise amazing experience was the cut-scene animation. Because the voice acting is above-average and this intricately crafted world is a visual treat, having a long scene with Thomas and Ray's mouths out of sync and apparently filled with peanut butter pulled me out of the experience. Lifeless eyes and robotic movements are expected during in-game activity, but expose the lack of polish when exhibited in long cinematic doses.

 

Bound In Blood has just as many issues as the very brothers it stars. Given the amount of extra content ranging from authentic digitized photographs around the time of the American Civil War to the many trophies to unlock; Techland has a game they can be proud of. Gamers who are fans of westerns should give this sequel a chance, just realize you're playing The Quick and The Dead and not The Outlaw Josey Wales.

I Give Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood...

I Wonder If Cormano Likes Beefsteak With his Milk.

The "A Friendly Smile From Cormano Wild Of The Sunset Riders" Award