Call of Juarez: Gunslinger

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is a Western-themed first-person shooter video game, the fourth in the Call of Juarez series. Announced at PAX 2012, it was released on May 22, 2013, via PlayStation Network, Steam and Xbox Live Arcade.[4] Unlike its predecessor Call of Juarez: The Cartel, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger returns to the traditional Old West setting and features three unique game modes (story, arcade and duel) while the setting is the life story of a bounty hunter named Silas Greaves.[5]

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger
Developer(s)Techland
Publisher(s)
  • Ubisoft (2013–2018)
  • Techland (2018–present)
SeriesCall of Juarez
EngineChrome Engine 5[1]
Platform(s)PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch
Release
  • NA: May 14, 2013 (PSN)
  • WW: May 22, 2013[2]
  • AU: May 23, 2013 (Windows)
  • WW: December 10, 2019 (Nintendo Switch)[3]
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

On March 30, 2018 the game (along with The Cartel) was briefly removed from Steam, Xbox Live, and PlayStation Network citing a publishing dispute with Ubisoft.[6][7] The game returned to those storefronts in April 2018 with developer Techland as the sole publisher.[8][9] A Nintendo Switch version was released on December 10, 2019. The game received mostly positive reviews with critics praising the excellent storytelling twist, fast-paced and arcade-style gunplay, and voice acting, while criticizing the long load time and occasional crash, predictable ending and the shallow boss battles.

Gameplay

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is a linear first-person shooter game. Like the previous Call of Juarez games, the game consists of completing objectives to progress through the game. Staple gameplay elements of the series such as bullet-time and gunslinger duels make a return. A novel element is the occasional ability to dodge bullets via a quick time event.

The player can earn experience points and level up their skills, specializing in either dual pistols, shotguns, or rifles. The game allows the player to carry their accumulated skills over to replays, so they can eventually fully master all categories.

Scattered throughout the game are collectible secret items called "Nuggets of Truth", which recount the historical truths behind Silas' tales.

The story levels take place in the imagination of one of the bar patrons as Silas Greaves, an unreliable narrator, relates his travels. As his audience challenges the lies and inconsistencies in his tales, Silas revises his story, which results in abrupt changes to game environment (such as the sudden appearance and disappearance of an Apache army).

Aside from the Story mode, there is an Arcade mode wherein the player can fight off waves of enemies and a Duel mode where they can have a series of classic gun-slinger showdowns.

Plot

In 1910, a legendary old bounty hunter named Silas Greaves enters a saloon in Abilene, Kansas and regales the patrons with tales of his adventures in exchange for free drinks. The patrons, Steve, Jack, and a teenager named Dwight, awe-struck at first, grow increasingly incredulous and irritated the more they listen to his ludicrous stories, in which he takes credit for the killings of numerous legendary outlaws including Butch Cassidy and Newman Haynes Clanton. At the end, just as the patrons are about to become fully enraged by Silas' over the top accounts of his travels, he reveals that Ben, the bartender, is in fact Roscoe "Bob" Bryant, one of the three bandits that murdered Silas' brothers and set him on the path of a bounty hunter. The player is then given a choice whether to challenge Bob to a duel, thus fulfilling Silas' vendetta at long last, or letting him go, in which case Silas finally lets go of the hate and anger that has been driving him for years.

The ending reveals that Dwight is indeed Dwight Eisenhower on his way to West Point. If the player chooses the "redemption" option and forgives Bob for his actions, Silas reveals he had been deliberately exaggerating his tales to confirm his suspicions, with details Ben would know only if he were Roscoe. Silas then asks Dwight what he plans to do with his life, and upon hearing that he's becoming a soldier, Silas says: "Well, you do it right then, son. Don't tear down the world out of anger and spite like I did. You build it up. You do something decent with your life. You hear me?" to which Dwight says, "Sir, yes sir" and sets out to become the 34th President of the United States, and if the player chooses the "revenge" option, Silas duels with Bob, with Silas emerging as the victor. Everyone present at the bar becomes cautious to Silas, with Dwight being highly disturbed.

Reception

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger received positive reviews. Review aggregation website Metacritic gave the PC version 79/100,[10] the Xbox 360 version 76/100,[12] and the PlayStation 3 version 75/100.[11] Colin Moriarty from IGN gave the game 7.5/10, praising the excellent storytelling twist, fast-paced and arcade-style gunplay, and voice acting, while criticizing the long load time and occasional crash.[20] Mark Watson from GameSpot awarded the game an 8/10. He also praised the satisfying and accurate shooting mechanics and the well-designed levels, while criticizing the predictable ending of the story and shallow boss battles.[17] Jim Sterling from Destructoid was surprised by how polished the game is, stating that the game has many fewer bugs and glitches than other games by Techland like Dead Island and Call of Juarez: The Cartel, and considered the game as the best entry in the series. He awarded the game an 8.5/10.[13] Lorenzo Veloria from GamesRadar give the game a 3.5/5 as he thought that the game succeeded in creating a score-based shooter with an interesting, constantly morphing environment and charming narration, but failed to design charming and exciting boss battles.[18] Edge gave the game a 7/10, and praised the leveling system, abilities and weapons featured in the game, as well as the highly replayable levels. They also described the game as a terrific genre piece.[14]

References

  1. Walker, Richard (September 10, 2012). "Call of Juarez: The Gunslinger First Look Preview – Way Out West". xbox360achievements. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  2. Allen, Jonas (April 24, 2013). "Ubisoft Announces Call of Juarez Gunslinger Release Date". DailyGame. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
  3. https://twitter.com/coj_gunslinger/status/1187444171403124736?s=21
  4. Griffin, Ben (April 24, 2013). "Hands-on with Call of Juarez: Gunslinger: The game that is 5% Clint Eastwood, 95% Rambo". computerandvideogames.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
  5. Harman, Stace (April 22, 2013). "Saddle Up, Partner: Call of Juarez Returns to Old West with Gunslinger". IGN. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
  6. Boudreau, Ian (March 31, 2018). "Call of Juarez Gunslinger delisted from Steam". PCGamesN. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  7. Vazquez, Suriel (March 31, 2018). "Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger Delisted From Some Major Online Storefronts". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on November 2, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  8. Greenbaum, Aaron (April 13, 2018). "Don't Panic, Call of Juarez Gunslinger Isn't Gone; It Just Changed Publishers". Twinfinite. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  9. Roemer, Dan (April 30, 2018). "The Call of Juarez series has a new publisher through Techland". Destructoid. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  10. "Call of Juarez: Gunslinger for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
  11. "Call of Juarez: Gunslinger for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
  12. "Call of Juarez: Gunslinger for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
  13. Jim Sterling (May 23, 2013). "Review: Call of Juarez: Gunslinger". Destructoid. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  14. "Call of Juarez: Gunslinger review". Edge Online. June 28, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
  15. Simon Parkin (May 21, 2013). "Call of Juarez: Gunslinger review". Eurogamer. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  16. Dan Ryckert (May 22, 2013). "Call of Juarez: Gunslinger review". Game Informer. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  17. Mark Walton (May 23, 2013). "Call of Juarez: Gunslinger review". GameSpot. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  18. Lorenzo Veloria from (May 23, 2013). "Call of Juarez: Gunslinger review". GamesRadar. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  19. "Call of Juarez: Gunslinger review". GameTrailers. May 24, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  20. Colin Moriarty (May 23, 2013). "Call of Juarez: Gunslinger review". IGN. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  21. Richard Cobbett (May 7, 2013). "Call of Juarez: Gunslinger review". PCGamer. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
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