14 DAY TRIAL // 
The Call of Juarez series from Techland has seen some major ups and downs throughout its history, as it started off rather well, with the original and the Bound in Blood iteration, which were set in the Wild West, but then moved to the present day, with the lackluster The Cartel.
Now, the studio is back with Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, a new Wild West first-person shooter that promises a return to the franchise's glory, as well as an adventure filled with firefights, duels, and some of the most infamous bandits of that era.
Can Gunslinger shoot its way to glory or should the franchise ride off into the sunset? Let's find out.
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger puts players in the shoes of Silas Greaves, a famous bounty hunter who took down or at least interacted with some of the most infamous bandits of the Wild West.
The story is told as a series of flashbacks, with Greaves actually recounting his adventures to a group of people in a Western bar. The whole experience is reminiscent of Bastion, as Greaves doesn't always tell the right story and his narration changes depending on the actions of the player, like if he sneaks around or goes in guns-blazing.
Greaves' adventures have taken him throughout the Western frontier and even into Mexico, as he faced off with all sorts of illustrious legends like Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, or Jesse James, not to mention other gangs and lawless bandits.
In terms of gameplay, Gunslinger lives up to its name and features many impressive firefights in which players can wield various weapons, from revolvers to rifles or shotguns.
The game borrows a few things from Bulletstorm, as it rewards players with various amounts of XP depending on how they take out enemies and whether they string together kill combos, with things like headshots helping players speed through levels. Each progression gives them a skill point that can be spent in one of three categories centered on the three weapon types: pistols, rifles, or shotguns. These categories have all sorts of available skills that can drastically affect the gameplay, from the ability to dual wield revolvers or shotguns, to slowing down time when aiming through the sights.
As players keep shooting foes, they'll fill up two different gauges. One is called Concentration and effectively stops time while marking enemies in red, thereby making it much easier to get out of tricky situations. The other is practically a dodge system that triggers when a deadly bullet is coming straight towards you, allowing you to cheat death and keep on fighting.
The whole shooter gameplay has a great arcade style reminiscent of classics like Painkiller, as you need to constantly keep moving and shooting in order to maintain or increase the combo.
In order to make the experience even more simple, Techland has implemented two other gameplay modes besides the actual story, in the form of Arcade, that basically challenges players to go through completed levels in order to score the fastest time or combo, and the Duels, which offers different standoffs.
As any Western shooter, the duel system in Gunslinger is quite detailed, as players need to stay focused on their enemy, keep their hand near their weapons holster, and decide if they want to draw first, thereby getting a dishonorable kill, or wait for their opponent to draw first and get an honorable rating. The system is a bit tricky, so players will have to endure a few trial and error shootouts before getting the hang of it.
In terms of visuals, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger isn't that pretty and there are quite a few glitches concerning textures or graphics effects. Even so, its cartoonish style is pretty decent and the experience is filled with color.
Sound-wise, the game is also decent, with the soundtrack bearing all the classic Western tunes, while the characters sound reasonably rugged, chief among which being Greaves. Some of the enemy taunts and reactions repeat themselves a bit too much, so you'll definitely get annoyed during longer play sessions.
Conclusion
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is a fun first-person shooter that delivers a great arcade gameplay experience, even if its visuals aren't of that high quality. Its level progression system is quite diversified and, while some moments can be a bit annoying, like the gattling gun boss fight, it's more than worth its low asking price.
