Product Reviews

Call of Juarez is the first first-person shooter set in the Wild West that we've seen in a long time. It has high ambitions; you play as both Billy, on the run after being falsely linked with the death of his parents, and the preacher Ray, who's chasing Billy down. Throughout the game, you see each level from both perspectives as you come closer to finding out the truth.

While the storyline works reasonably enough, the gameplay struggles. The starting missions, in which you play as Billy, are incredibly dull and force you to spend the entire time sneaking

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around. Stealth missions are the worst part of any first-person game, so it's a shame that so much of Call of Juarez is devoted to it.

The game picks up a little the first time you get to play as Ray, a gun maniac who's intent on killing every bandit and lowlife who happens to get in his way. There are some neat touches, such as the Matrix-style slow motion you can invoke to pick off your enemies quickly. However, even the shooting parts of the game are full of flaws. For starters, it's virtually impossible to tell where you're being shot from as your enemies blend in with the background. In order to progress, you'll have to hit the save key regularly.

Movement is also a big problem. Climbing is a big part of the game, but the platforms are designed so it's ridiculously easy to fall off them. There are also too many obstacles that kill you instantly, making it frustrating to play at times.

The graphics are lush and detailed, but you'll need a hefty PC and graphics card to run them smoothly. Beneath the frustration is a slick-looking and fun game, but Call of Juarez needs to be a bit more forgiving to be more fun.