‘Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger’ Review Roundup

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger was released May 22 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Here’s what the critics said about it.

If anything, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger could have suffered from bad release timing, but thankfully Xbox One was the equivalent of an awkward silence. We came, we saw, we didn’t care. Therefore, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger could be that surprise release that makes us forget what the Xbox One wasn’t.

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is a Western-themed first-person shooter about the life of Silas Greaves, a slinger of the glorious guns. It includes bullet-time abilities and several game modes to keep you quick on the draw and ready for your next kill. New to the series is the inclusion of skill points that allow you to upgrade your skills and survivability. Techland’s newest title breathes fresh air into the dusty and sun-baked genre of Old West games.

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger brings an element of humor to the plate, but not too much. It starts out with a bar scene where Silas Greaves tells the patron to shut up and let him tell the story. The use of a dime novel as a framing device is glorious because it leads to Silas breaking the fourth wall a few times, and the Western movie parody panels that pop up when new characters or items are introduced always get a chuckle.

As Silas Greaves tells his story, we are treated to flashbacks, which is where the gameplay comes in. The linear gameplay style has you tracking down and tackling Wild West legends like Billy the Kid, Butch Cassidy, Jesse James, and more.

Unlike most shooters these days, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger seems to add some realistic physics to the gunplay. Each and every bullet fired from your trusty six-shooter rings out with a booming blast that echoes around the valleys of the Old West and slams into villainous cowboys with a thoroughly satisfying splat. It doesn’t feel like you’re waving a plastic gun that somehow devastates everyone you aim it at.

You wouldn’t expect a game in 2013 about Old West gunfights to be that interesting, but Techland managed to pull it off in this downloadable outing.

What do you think of Call of Juarez: Gunslinger?