Last year at GC I had the chance to talk to some of the Techland guys and was a bit disappointed that they weren't focused on releasing games anymore. We were kind of expecting Warhound and Dead Island to be released as soon as possible, projects based of course on their well known Chrome Engine.
But instead, the focus of the Polish software company shifted a bit, and they invested everything into the development of their new Chrome Engine 4, a more powerful game development tool, alongside with enhancing its editor capabilities.
We were shown impressive stuff, like building roads, mountains and vegetation, basically an entire game level in less than five minutes. All pretty in pink, but I couldn't help but feel a void for those anticipated titles that were now left on indefinite hold.
So flash forward to summer 2009, when things seem to brighten up, as Techland and Ubisoft finally release the first Chrome Engine 4 based title, the second installment of Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood.
Thus, there are still high hopes for Chrome 2, Dead Island and Warhound, but let's get back to the title we are reviewing today for a moment.
The action in Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood takes place several years before its predecessor, making this title an interesting prequel for the shape of things to come. If you're not familiar with the game surroundings and backstory, you should probably know it is a western, with the plotline and complexity to rival a great cinematic production, and similar to golden titles like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly starring Clint Eastwood.
The story is told through William McCall, the youngest of the three McCall brothers, and a non playable character. He is a Reverend, a man of God, and he tries with all his power to guide his stray brothers back to the true way. The beginning clip sees him in the back and Ray, the elder brother is pointing a gun at Thomas, the middle one. They are of course fighting for Marisa, a woman who made them both madly in love with her.
In an effort to find a solution and to calm down spirits, Reverend William thinks back on how this whole thing happened.
Back when the Civil War was raging, Ray and Thomas were both fighting against the Union. Against superior officer objections, Ray takes the initiative and rushes to help his brother push back the Union attack. Together they manage the impossible, repelling the attack. But when the new general's order to gather around Atlanta comes, the McCalls decide it's best to desert their army and go back to defend their family instead.
They succeed in saving their brother William, but find out sadly that their mother didn't make it. With the promise to rebuild everything, they leave town as they are being hunted down for treason by Colonel Barnsby.
Even a few years after the Civil War ended, the Colonel never gave up on southern principles, and certainly never forgot his family died in Atlanta. With every chance he gets, he will not hesitate and relentlessly tries to kill you.
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When the McCall brothers find out about the hidden treasure of Juarez, they can't resist in trying to pursue the legend. But so does a local bandit, Colonel Barnsby who dreams of using the money to rebuild his army, and Indian tribes who consider it sacred and guard it with their lives. Add to that the fight for Marisa, and you are beginning to see the whole picture.
Gameplay wise, almost every level, with a few exceptions, can be played with either Thomas or Ray. Both have some extra strengths to aid you in your journeys, but they both can get the job done in the end just as good. Ray for example is a bit tougher, and can carry dynamite or even a Gatling gun. On the other hand, Thomas is more agile, can climb to various higher places, and can lasso pretty much everything... that is scripted to be lassoed.
Even though every bandit drops his rusty gun and some bullets, you can also visit various shops found in the game world in order to buy better guns. There is a variety of weapons you can use, from shotguns, deadly from short range as expected, to classic weapons, handguns, fast pistols or more accurate ones, and more. Thomas can even make use of a deadly bow that, once purchased, will one-shot enemies at long range.
Of course, you will need money, good ol' dollar bills. Gather them by either completing side missions, picking up wanted posters and collecting the appropriate reward, or just pass over dead bodies to get their money.
Guns are rated with stars, with three stars being the highest rating and thus the better weapon.
Most missions will end up in gun duels with bosses, which will test your patience, reflexes and coordination. For these events, mouse sensitivity seems to be turned down real low, and you have to wait for the right time to draw the gun and pull the trigger. Continue facing your enemy and don't let him go out of your visual range, and when the shootout time is near, position your hand close to the pistol by dragging the mouse left. To draw the gun you really don't need to click, just make a swift left mouse move, and then click to pull the trigger when you are aiming towards the bad guy.
Comparing to shootouts, the rest of the game is kind of anti-climactic, because killing the rest of 1001 bandits is decently easy. Just remember to use cover a lot and time your reloads. This is why some players will be frustrated and unable to finish duels sometimes. All the advice I can give you is: rest more, sleep more, eat more, and try again tomorrow.
While the story in Call of Juarez is fairly linear, the whole world seems more like an open sandbox, and some side missions help to better set up that feel. That being said, you can choose to wander at any time on the back of a horse, and explore the area. There's no rush to complete the game. One can always find time to admire the lush forest flora and fauna or run like the wind on the back of a horse in the desert, because Chrome Engine 4 is a really pleasant visual experience.
There is another thing to be said about Bound in Blood. A pleasant surprise is the quality of voice acting. When Ray talked for the first time I couldn't help to notice the wonderful voice of Marc Alaimo, my favorite Cardassian Gul from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. But I don't want to undermine the rest of the cast, everyone did a fantastic job in bringing their characters to life, and the large amount of dialogue lines and meaningful story make a this second Call of Juarez the high quality game we've all wanted.
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Conclusion
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood's surprising summer release isn't just a show off for the newly completed Chorme Engine 4 from Techland. It's a complete, pleasant game, with a rich story line, great physics and graphics, sounds, voice and music. A western of cinematic proportions with in an open world, complete with multiplayer, released on all the major platforms at once. I can hardly wait for the next Techland title now...
Gameplay: 86
Even though this game is only a first person shooter at heart, one cannot deny the fun of horse riding, pistol shooting, bank robbing, treasure hunting, Wild Wild West. Well, maybe not bank robbing, though that would have been a nice idea. The story also explains events a bit in the first Call of Juarez, so if you're a fan you won't be disappointed.
Graphics: 87
The new engine really does a wonderful job visually, especially with plants, grass and trees. But characters, physics and explosions don't look too shabby either.
Multiplayer: 87
Multiplayer can be great fun with its Lawmen vs Outlaws play modes amongst others. Maps are varied so you won't get bored of the game too easily.
Sound: 89
Marc Alaimo as Gul Dukat Ray McCall, Zach Hanks as Thomas McCall, Giselle Anthony as Marisa, and others make this game a movie-like experience, and a combined western and dynamic modern rock soundtrack add to the enjoyable experience.
Hardware: 88
The game runs great with everything maxed out which is pretty amazing really. Only complain I can think of is they could have added more video options so that you can set details even higher if your machine is powerful enough.