Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood [PS3]

Two years ago, Techland and Ubisoft released Call of Juarez, a first person shooter set in the Wild West that focused on revenge and a search for a mythical cursed treasure. The thing that really stood out with the game was a memorable anti-hero in the form of Reverend Ray, a brimstone and hellfire preacher who wielded the bible and a six shooter with equal ease in battle. Clearly, there was much more to his personal story than gold and retribution. To capitalize on this, TechLand and Ubisoft reteamed for Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, an origin story of Reverend Ray, his brothers and their quest for gold. More action packed than the first game, Bound in Blood is a solid title that's held back by technical issues and some repetitive gameplay sequences.

Bound in Blood is a rather complex tale that once again raises the specter of revenge and cursed treasure, amongst a backdrop of the western frontier; I'll try to summarize the story without providing any spoilers of any kind. Players are introduced to Ray and Thomas McCall, two brothers in the Confederate army that desert their posts to save their family home from Union soldiers. Seeing the destruction of their land and swearing that they'll rebuild their property one day, the McCalls head west to seek fortune and glory. However, going AWOL infuriates their former commander, who declares that he'll hunt them down to the ends of the earth for their abandonment of the Confederate cause. Fleeing both the Confederate troops on their heels and various lawmen from some of their illegal activities throughout the country, the McCalls eventually connect with the Mexican bandit leader Juan and his concubine Marisa, who has information regarding the treasure of Cortez. The McCalls will also have to deal with the Apache, whose connection with the gold could potentially threaten the entire West.

It may sound convoluted, but the story is told rather well and all ties together in the end, providing a solid background for the events of the prior Call of Juarez game. Much of this is thanks to William, the youngest McCall, who narrates the story in between each chapter and fills the player in on the actions of his two siblings. Like the previous title, you'll play as either Ray or Thomas, and you'll have the option to choose which brother you'd like to play as for most of the game. As far as fighting is concerned, the two McCalls have completely different gunslinging styles. As the eldest brother, Ray is the tank of the duo, absorbing much more damage before falling in combat thanks to the piece of armor that he wears. He's also packs a heavier punch than his younger brother with shotguns in the midst of battle and the dynamite that he uses to blast through obstacles. Thanks to his strength, Ray can also pick up heavy items or smash through doors. Thomas, on the other hand, is a stealthier character as well, and can use knives, bows and arrows to eliminate his enemies. Thomas is also much more agile than Ray, and can easily climb structures or use a lasso to get to higher ground to pick off enemies. He's also a better shot, so he can use more precise aiming with rifles to eliminate targets.

For the most part, the selection of the brother is more of a player style choice; there are a few segments where the choice of character will open up a different pathway for you to take or will give you weapons that will be easier to use in some combat situations, but you won't need to be concerned about needing to select a particular McCall to get through one area or another. For example, you won't have to worry about selecting Ray and not be able to climb over certain obstacles, as Thomas will frequently climb a section and give you a hand to bypass the barrier. Similarly, as Thomas, the use of your lasso is frequently used as a way to help out or get to an area where you can help your brother gain access to new locations. It could've been a bit easier to use, if only because every now and then when you're trying to swing from the rope to a new location, it feels as though the game doesn't take the effects of motion or weight into account.

However, if you were expecting a lot of platforming elements within the game, you're going to be somewhat disappointed – the primary focus of the title is on fast paced battle sequences between the McCalls and a large number of enemies. In fact, each opponent that you gun down provides you with either ammunition for your guns, different weapons that you can pick up to replace your own firearms, or cash that can be pocketed to buy supplies and a more powerful arsenal. Even more important is that every enemy you kill adds to your concentration meter, which will allow Thomas and Ray to trigger a bullet time-like effect to quickly dispatch their targets. Each one feels rather in keeping with the style of the brothers, as you'll find Ray painting multiple targets and unleashing a hail of gunfire, while Thomas will perform a quick shot of anyone that's within his line of sight. Thomas' also requires faster reflexes, as you'll need to move the right analog stick (or the mouse) to cock the hammer and fire the weapon for each shot. While you can store these powerful moments, you only have a minute to trigger the ability before you lose it and have to start collecting kills all over again. This limitation is a wise decision because it doesn't allow characters to run rampant through the game, shredding enemies with stored concentration attacks.