Author Topic: [Video Game] Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood  (Read 2715 times)

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Offline setrataeso

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[Video Game] Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
« on: September 08, 2009, 11:38:11 AM »
Name: Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Techland
Genre: 1st-Person Shooter

It's a shame westerns are so underrepresented in games; quite unlike their film counterparts which there are a plentiful amount of. In recent years, only the Gun series and the Red Dead series have made an impact on the industry. Of course it was only a matter of time before some developer realized the potential of this genre, and thus Call of Juarez was born.

Call of Juarez was released in 2007 for PC and Xbox 360 and met with a positive reception. It told the story of Billy Candle, a drifter and Ray McCall, a reverend. The game followed a Call of Duty-esque method of story telling, wherein the two characters' stories intertwine and gameplay shifts between both characters during different levels. Bound in Blood is the prequel to Call of Juarez. It tells the story of Ray McCall before he turned to the Lord, and his two brothers Thomas and William. In this story, Ray is as far from a reverend's way as he can get, and though Thomas is just as much a reckless gunslinger as Ray, Thomas stays on the decent end of most fights. Gameplay shifts between Ray and Thomas just like in the first game. William is the youngest brother and is not player-controlled. William is the religious, safe one of the family and also narrates the game's cutscenes. But enough yappin'. Let's see how this game fairs...

Graphics
Technically, the game doesn't blow out your eyes with awesomeness, neither does it look horrible. The game never looks less than average, but it does have moments that really blow you out of your seat. The character models are not all they can be. The two main characters clearly had more work done on the facial details than the other models. Most characters you encounter along the way will have a glossier look to their eyes, and the animation is a little jerky. This is all made for by the outstanding vistas. Every environment you encounter from ranches, to deserts, to Apache waterfalls are all crafted with a beautiful artistic eye. There were several moments in the game that, despite how intense the action was, were too stunning to pass by too quickly. I actually found myself stopping at certain points in the game just to look at the scenery. Despite the iffy-ness of some of the characters, I can't bring myself to mark the game down, graphically, when the vistas are so good looking.
1/1

Audio
The game really earns its M rating here. Just about every other word out of Ray or Thomas's mouth is them cursing at something or someone (often each other). Which brings me to one of the best points of the game: Ray and Thomas. I can't think of the last time I have seen such well rounded characters. Ray is the gruff, crotchety older brother and Thomas is the witty yet quiet younger brother. Both squabble non-stop during gameplay and both are voiced by actors who really bring the characters to life. Actually all of the characters, big and small, are voiced wonderfully and during the more emotional scenes of the game, bring out depth and complexity of the story better than I had expected. Couple this with a terrific score, and loud and impressive sound effects and you have a winning formula there.
1/1

AI
Because Bound in Blood is set in western times, you will of course see enemies and allies from that era. You start fighting in Civil War times fighting as the South, shooting those who fight for the North. The setting switches to a more straight-forward Western, with you fighting cowboys and scoundrels. During the final chapters of the game, Ray, Thomas, William, and those who accompany them take their adventures into hostile Apache territory. The variety of enemies is refreshing, and each one makes a comeback later in the game, so you never feel worn out of a particular kind. Another neat addition is the boss fights. At the end of most levels, you do a standoff with a foe. View switches to behind-the-ass camera and the standoff is won by keeping your hand close to the holster and sidestepping to keep your enemy in view. Be the quickest to fire when the bell rings, and you come out the victor. While easy at first, they soon become very hard, and you need to have light-speed reflexes in order to win. The main issue is the actual artificial intelligence. The enemies are all very stupid. They will all take cover and fire shots at you and your brothers, but they would just as easily stand out in the open and forget that you are even there. So while the game can occasionally get tough, it’s rarely because of the skill of the enemies
0.5/1

Variety

It’s likely that many people are getting tired of first-person shooters. I know I have difficulty showing my excitement when a new one is released, but Bound in Blood still has some unique qualities to it. Like most shooters of this era, it takes the player to all sorts of different locations, sets them up in on-foot and vehicle sequences, and fits them with a variety of weapons. Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood follows this formula, but it feels like there’s nothing to complain about with it. The vehicle sequences are fast-paced and really cool, the weapons are all classic pistols and rifles and feel great when their used, and the locations are all spectacular. In modes, there’s the single player mode and multiplayer. Single player consists of the story mode, and a few arcade-like distractions. Multiplayer is not the strongest one around for a shooter, but it’s still fun. Considering the lack of western shooters, the multiplayer is surprisingly robust, and a major improvement on the somewhat broken online modes in the first Call of Juarez.
1/1

Value
Call of Juarez will last you 6-8 hours on the normal difficulty. This isn’t very much, but there is still the incentive to go back and play as the other brother, plus get your hands on secret collectibles. Multiplayer will grab a few hours out of your time, but depending on how much of an online gamer you are, it may not draw your attention for long. I found that, although the game was short, it was worth playing again simply for the awesomeness of the experience. Still, it’s undeniable that some people may not find the lasting appeal of it too great.
0.5/1

Innovation
The main gameplay is going to be very familiar to those who played the first Call of Juarez or even those who are first-person shooter fans. The new features will come in the form of the Western influence on the game. Because of the lack of Westerns on the market, Call of Juarez already has its own niche that will go undisturbed until  Red Dead Redemption is released. Bound in Blood differs from its predecessor in a few gameplay improvements. The aforementioned standoff boss fights are new to the series. Another addition is the open-world aspect that is featured a bit in the game. Between certain missions, you have the option to go off and pursue certain jobs. Some are bounty hunter missions, others are as a hired gun. These sequences don’t pop up often, but it’s a good start to the inevitable 3rd instalment in the series. While the actual gameplay upgrades are not overly astounding, the fact the Call of Juarez is able to stand out on it’s own in a sea of first-person shooters is quite a feat.
1/1

Presentation
The story in Bound in Blood is mature and well-written. The tale of three brothers on the hunt for gold to rebuild their old home is heart-warming and yet it remains interesting all the way through. The narration by William gives his character the leverage he wouldn’t otherwise get while Ray and Thomas are off having fun. The western vibe in all the menus and interface is another little touch that gives the game more personality. Overall, the work done into giving the game a great western feel is excellent and the story remains one of my favourites in gaming so far.
1/1

Difficulty
As mentioned before, the AI is not going to pose problems for those who are familiar with first-person shooters. On normal difficulty, the main difficulty came from the standoff boss fights and me just being overly reckless. If you play smart and take cover when you need to, you shouldn’t find much in the game that would be frustrating. Bound in Blood supports easy, normal and hard modes, so switching to hard may be the solution for those who know their way around a virtual trigger.
1/1

Gameplay
Most of the gameplay features have been mentioned already, but I’ll give another rundown of how the game functions. The first-person shooter controls are all featured here, so it’s quite easy to get into. The gameplay is divided between Ray and Thomas. Ray is less agile, but he can dual wield pistols and throw dynamite. Thomas can use lassos to climb buildings and is more effective using long-ranged rifles. I preferred Thomas, but Ray may suit those who prefer close-quarters combat. There are numerous vehicle sequences as well, taking place on buggies, horses, and boats. Bound in Blood also features a teamwork mechanic where, in certain points in the game, Ray and Thomas can team up to take out entire rooms full of people. These often light up otherwise repetitive missions. Often times the missions will end up boiling down to Ray and Thomas go and blow something up, or deal with the head honcho of the rebels. Despite the repetitiveness of some missions, the gameplay itself is rock solid, and there is enough going on to distract from the otherwise stale mission objectives.
1/1

Fun
Here’s what was good:
- intense sequences from start to finish
- one the most well-written and narrated stories
- beautiful backdrops
- terrific sound design

Here’s what was bad:
- short game
- weak AI
- multiplayer still has way to go

I did have a lot of fun with Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood. Maybe it’s because I had been craving a different FPS for a while, but Bound in Blood itched a scratch that I didn’t even know existed. I’m happy to say I am a fan of the Western genre now.
1/1

Call of Juarez came at the right time for a lot of reasons. It was released in the summer, when the gaming well often dries up. It was released in a time before the big games of the fall and winter come out and has a chance to stand out. It also was released when the Western has almost been forgotten about. It’s been two years since the last real Western game came out: Call of Juarez. Now that Red Dead Redemption is on its way, I feel confident that the Western is coming back. As it stands Bound in Blood is my favourite Western game so far. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fresh shooter that may stray a little from the pack.

9/10
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Setra, I think that is the best statement I have read on this forum.  Very well said.