[Review] Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood

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[size=medium]Originality: (9/10)[/size]

Bound in Blood is a Western themed first-person shooter video game set in 1864. Developed by Techland and published by Ubisoft, it is a prequel to Call of Juarez that debuted in 2006 on PC. According to its creators Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood was aimed to make the player's experience as the "best West ever created". The game derives from spaghetti-western genre: gunslingers, outlaws, duels, prison breaks, bank robberies, stagecoach chases and conflicts with Native Americans, similar to another western game, Gun. It features two characters, brothers Ray and Thomas. The game plot is set in the American Civil War period and presents the adventures of two brothers across different parts of North America.

[size=medium]Single Player Playing: (8.5/10)[/size]

Before most missions, the player can choose between one of the two brothers, but sometimes only one is available. Though the game's Story Mode is fairly short, each brother has a different effect on the missions: often the player will run into split paths for either brother to take, or certain key points where one brother needs to do particular things while the other does something else. For example, Thomas can lasso on top buildings for a vantage point to cover Ray while he attacks/dynamites certain areas. One brother's story mode will be quite different from the other's. At first the game just moves from mission to mission but once the game opens, between certain missions there will be an open Free World where the player can take side-missions as a bounty hunter or hired gun, respectively for either attack or defence, and other kinds of side-missions. In each mission and each Free World there will be a trader who will sell the player certain weapons available at different qualities. In each Free World area there is a small town, a trader and out in the wilderness the player can find ruined buildings, farms, camps and bandits that can be occupying these. Bandits will also hide at certain road points to ambush people, attacking people on the roads and robbing caravans. It is up to the player whether or not to save the people getting attacked. Throughout the Free Worlds and in the mission areas there will be "Secret Content" most commonly found in chests that will unlock artwork or memories that can be viewed from the menu. Chests may also contain money, dynamite or ammo.
At the end of most missions the player will have a "Showdown" with the leader of the group the player is fighting. In Bounty Hunter missions the player needs to first defeat the leader in a gunfight before he will challenge the player to a final Showdown. During the Showdown the playercharacter will circle the opponent with his hand hovering over his gun waiting for the "bell" to ring before he draws. The player needs to try and keep his characters hand as close to the gun as possible by moving the analog/mouse in towards the gun, if moved too close too fast the character will suddenly close his hand then wave his index finger towards the screen as if he was saying "No, no.", this will also reset the distance between his hand and the gun. The player also need to keep the opponent lined up with the shot by moving in the opposite direction as he moves. The center of the shot will be just off the center of the screen on the right hand side. As soon as the bell rings the player has a very short period of time to pull the analog/mouse in towards the gun then take the shot when the cross hair lines up with his body/head. If the first shot is missed or drawn late the opponent will shoot the player character. As the player progresses in the game Showdowns get harder, opponents will circle more to throw the player's shot and draw faster.

[size=medium]Multi player Playing: (8/10) [/size]

The multiplayer is all competitive and can accommodate up to 12 players (both online or hosted locally) in five different modes across eight maps. There's some depth thanks to the many character classes available, each with its own particular strengths, weaknesses, and gear. The miner, for example, starts with a shotgun and explosives, while the native has only a bow but has greater speed. You can switch classes midway through matches, which adds a light layer of strategy to the game as you decide which class is the most advantageous at any given time (you can briefly switch to the sniper, for instance, to get rid of some pesky campers). Most of these classes are initially locked, and you'll have to earn money through participating in ranked matches in order to buy them. The modes include standard Deathmatch and team-based VIP modes, and all of the games we played ran smoothly and lag-free. The most fun mode is Wild West Legends, which requires a team to complete a set of objectives across a map. Most of these involve blowing stuff up, and it's the opposing team's job to stop that from happening. There are eight scenarios mimicking famous real-life events (such as the gunfight at the O.K. Corral), and these matches can be enjoyable affairs where coordination with teammates is vital. Multiplayer, in fact, is quite strong across the board in Bound in Blood because of its varied modes, and provided that a strong community pops up, it should significantly extend the game's appeal outside of the solo campaign. (Score: 8/10)

[size=medium]Length of Gameplay: (6/10) [/size]

It is one fact and negativity of this game complained by most of gamers. The game ends with a very short gameplay time. But this negativity of the game did not affect game's rating. I personally think in spite of a short gameplay time it covers the needs that a gamer wants in a game. My gameplay time was around 8 hrs to complete the game because I am weak in FPS games.

[size=medium]Likes:[/size]

  • It has got the Authentic Western feel that most of the gamer wanted after seeing the Trailer.
  • Exciting shoot-outs and gun duels is really awesome.
  • I think it has got the best story of any game I have ever played.
  • With story, gameplay and graphics the game has become a perfect choice for a gamer.

[size=medium]Dislikes:[/size]

  • The gameplay time to finish the single player mode is too short.
  • It is criticised for gameplay for the lack of variety in tasks.

[size=large]Overall Score: [/size]

Reviews for the game were generally positive. The game has a rating of 8/10.
[size=xx-large]8.0[/size]
 
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