Call Of Juarez
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''Call of Juarez'' is a
first-person shooter A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game genre, video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a First person (video games), first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through t ...
video game series created by Paweł Selinger in 2006. Released primarily on
Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
,
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
, and
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...
, there are four games in the series; ''
Call of Juarez ''Call of Juarez'' is a first-person shooter video game series created by Paweł Selinger in 2006. Released primarily on Microsoft Windows, Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, there are four games in the series; ''Call of Juarez (video game), ...
'' (2006), '' Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood'' (2009), '' Call of Juarez: The Cartel'' (2011), and '' Call of Juarez: Gunslinger'' (2013).
Techland Techland S.A. is a Polish video game developer and publisher founded in 1991 by Paweł Marchewka. It developed '' Call of Juarez'' (2006) and its prequel '' Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood'' (2009), as well as '' Dead Island'' (2011) and the '' Dy ...
has developed all four games, and as of 2018, owns the publishing rights. From 2006 to 2018,
Ubisoft Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Anno'', '' Assassin's Creed'', ' ...
held the publishing rights. The original game takes place in
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
and
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
in 1884 and tells the story of Reverend Ray McCall as he hunts down his nephew Billy, who has been wrongly accused of murdering his parents. ''Bound in Blood'' is a prequel to the first game and takes place in
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
,
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
,
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
, and Mexico from 1864 to 1866. It tells the story of how Ray and his brother Thomas went from being soldiers in the
Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...
to dangerous outlaws. ''The Cartel'' relocates the series from a
Wild West The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...
''milieu'' to 2011
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
and Mexico and depicts an interagency task force investigating a powerful Mexican
drug cartel A drug cartel is a criminal organization composed of independent drug lords who collude with each other in order to improve their profits and dominate the illegal drug trade. Drug cartels form with the purpose of controlling the supply of the i ...
. This decision proved unpopular amongst fans, however, and ''Gunslinger'' returned to the West. Taking place from 1880 to 1910, and spread across Arizona,
Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
,
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
,
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
,
Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...
,
New Mexico Territory The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of '' Nuevo México'' becomi ...
,
Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...
, and Mexico, it tells the story of
bounty hunter A bounty hunter is a private agent working for a bail bondsman who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as a bail enforcement agent or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated ...
Silas Greaves and his encounters with many of the legends of the Wild West, including
Billy the Kid Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), alias William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid, was an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who was linked to nine murders: four for which he was solely res ...
,
Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, Bank robbery, bank and Train robbery, train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the "Little Dixie (Missouri), Little Dixie" area of M ...
,
Butch Cassidy Robert LeRoy Parker (April 13, 1866 – November 7, 1908), better known as Butch Cassidy, was an American train robbery, train and bank robbery, bank robber and the leader of a gang of criminal outlaws known as the "Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, ...
, the
Sundance Kid Harry Alonzo Longabaugh (1867 – November 7, 1908), better known as the Sundance Kid, was an outlaw and member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch in the American Old West. He likely met Butch Cassidy (real name Robert LeRoy Parker) during a hunti ...
, and the
Dalton Gang The Dalton Gang was a group of outlaws in the American Old West during 1890–1892. It was also known as The Dalton Brothers because three of its members were brothers. The gang specialized in bank and train robberies. During an attempted doub ...
. From a
gameplay Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game. The term applies to both video games and Tabletop game, tabletop games. Gameplay is the connection between the player and the game, the player's overcoming of challenges, and t ...
perspective, all four games are first-person shooters, and feature several common
game mechanics In tabletop games and video games, game mechanics define how a game works for players. Game mechanics are the rules or ludemes that govern and guide player actions, as well as the game's response to them. A rule is an instruction on how to play, whi ...
, such as "Concentration mode" (a slow motion technique which is slightly different from game to game) and
duelling A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matched weapons. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and later the small sword), but beginning in t ...
(in ''Bound in Blood'' and ''Gunslinger'', duelling switches the game to a third-person perspective). The first three games in the series offer different
player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional Character (arts), character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters tha ...
s. For ''Gunslinger'', there is only one player character, but the game does feature
experience point An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experien ...
-based skill trees which allow the player to customise their fighting style as they progress. Critically, reactions to the games have been mixed, ranging from general praise for ''Bound in Blood'' and ''Gunslinger'' to generally unfavorable reviews for ''The Cartel''. In terms of sales, the original game did not sell well in North America, moving only 137,000 units across both PC and Xbox 360. However, its European sales were considerably better, with Techland crediting the game as putting them "on the map". ''Bound in Blood'' sold better, moving 900,000 units across all systems in its first four months of release. ''Gunslinger'' also sold well, and was Ubisoft's second best-selling digital-only game of 2013.


Games

* ''
Call of Juarez ''Call of Juarez'' is a first-person shooter video game series created by Paweł Selinger in 2006. Released primarily on Microsoft Windows, Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, there are four games in the series; ''Call of Juarez (video game), ...
'' was developed by
Techland Techland S.A. is a Polish video game developer and publisher founded in 1991 by Paweł Marchewka. It developed '' Call of Juarez'' (2006) and its prequel '' Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood'' (2009), as well as '' Dead Island'' (2011) and the '' Dy ...
and published in Europe for
Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
by
Focus Home Interactive Focus Entertainment (formerly Focus Home Interactive) is a French video game publisher based in Paris. It is a subsidiary of PulluP Entertainment Group. Founded in 1996, Focus has published and distributed original titles such as ''Sherlock Holm ...
in September 2006, in Australia by
Auran Development N3V Games (formerly Auran Development and later n3vrf41l Publishing) is an Australian video game developer and publisher based in Helensvale, Queensland, Australia. Auran is now operated as a holding company, with operations and development ce ...
in October 2006, and in North America by
Ubisoft Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Anno'', '' Assassin's Creed'', ' ...
in June 2007. It was ported to the
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...
by Techland in June 2007, published worldwide by Ubisoft. It was released on
GOG.com GOG.com (formerly Good Old Games) is a digital distribution platform for video games and films. It is operated by GOG sp. z o.o., a wholly owned subsidiary of CD Projekt, based in Warsaw, Poland. GOG.com delivers DRM-free video games through i ...
in November 2018. * '' Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood'', a prequel to the original game, was developed by Techland for Windows,
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
, and Xbox 360. It was published by Ubisoft in North America in June 2009 and in Australia and Europe in July. In November 2018, it was added to Microsoft's
backward compatibility In telecommunications and computing, backward compatibility (or backwards compatibility) is a property of an operating system, software, real-world product, or technology that allows for interoperability with an older legacy system, or with Input ...
program, making the game playable on the
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...
and
Xbox Series X/S The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are the fourth generation of consoles in the Xbox series, succeeding the previous generation's Xbox One. Released on November 10, 2020, the higher-end Xbox Series X and lower-end Xbox Series S are part o ...
. It was released on GOG.com in September 2019. * '' Call of Juarez: The Cartel'' was developed by Techland for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It was originally published by Ubisoft for PlayStation and Xbox in June 2011 and for Windows in September. In March 2018, ''The Cartel'' and ''Gunslinger'' were removed from
Steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
, the
PlayStation Store PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital distribution service for users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via PlayStation Network. The store offers a range of downloadable content both ...
, and
Xbox Live The Xbox network, formerly known and commonly referred to as Xbox Live, is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Gaming for the Xbox brand. It was first made available to the origina ...
. Two weeks later, Ubisoft explained that the reason for the removal was "per the terms of agreement, ''Call of Juarez: The Cartel'' and ''Call of Juarez: Gunslinger'' licensing/publishing rights have reverted back to Techland, while others remain active with Ubisoft. This is why a few titles have recently been removed." ''Gunslinger'' returned to all three platforms on April 30, and Techland promised that information on ''The Cartel''s return would be provided "at a later date", but no such information was ever released, and the game remains unavailable on Steam, the PlayStation Store, and
GOG.com GOG.com (formerly Good Old Games) is a digital distribution platform for video games and films. It is operated by GOG sp. z o.o., a wholly owned subsidiary of CD Projekt, based in Warsaw, Poland. GOG.com delivers DRM-free video games through i ...
. In November 2018, it was added to Microsoft's backward compatibility program, making the game playable on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. * '' Call of Juarez: Gunslinger'' was developed by Techland for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It was originally published by Ubisoft in May 2013 via Steam,
UPlay Ubisoft Connect (formerly Ubisoft Game Launcher and later Uplay) is a service for digital distribution, digital rights management, multiplayer and communication developed by Massive Entertainment to provide an experience similar to the achievem ...
, the PlayStation Store, and
Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade (or XBLA) was a video game Digital distribution in video games, digital distribution service that was available for the Xbox (console), Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles. It focused on smaller downloadable games from both major publisher ...
. In March 2018, ''The Cartel'' and ''Gunslinger'' were removed from all digital stores. Two weeks later, Ubisoft explained that the reason for the removal was "per the terms of agreement, ''Call of Juarez: The Cartel'' and ''Call of Juarez: Gunslinger'' licensing/publishing rights have reverted back to Techland, while others remain active with Ubisoft. This is why a few titles have recently been removed." ''Gunslinger'' returned to all three platforms on April 30, with Techland stating, "as Techland Publishing moves forward as a leading publisher, we are delighted to welcome ''Call of Juarez: Gunslinger'' to our publishing division." In December 2019, the game was ported to the
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
.


Gameplay overview


Player characters

All four ''Call of Juarez'' games are
first-person shooter A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game genre, video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a First person (video games), first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through t ...
s. In the original game, the player controls alternating protagonists
level Level or levels may refer to: Engineering *Level (optical instrument), a device used to measure true horizontal or relative heights * Spirit level or bubble level, an instrument designed to indicate whether a surface is horizontal or vertical *C ...
-by-level - Billy 'Candle' and Ray McCall, each of whom has a different style of
gameplay Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game. The term applies to both video games and Tabletop game, tabletop games. Gameplay is the connection between the player and the game, the player's overcoming of challenges, and t ...
. Billy's levels are partially
stealth Stealth may refer to: Military *Stealth technology, technology used to conceal ships, aircraft, and missiles **Stealth aircraft, aircraft which use stealth technology ** Stealth ground vehicle, ground vehicles which use stealth technology ** Ste ...
-based, whereas Ray's are more traditional
shoot 'em up Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs) are a Video game genre, subgenre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain typ ...
s. In ''
Bound in Blood Bound or bounds may refer to: Mathematics * Bound variable * Upper and lower bounds, observed limits of mathematical functions Physics * Bound state, a particle that has a tendency to remain localized in one or more regions of space Geography *B ...
'', the player controls one of two protagonists - Ray McCall or his brother Thomas. Like in the first game, the two characters have different gameplay styles, but unlike in the first game, most levels offer the choice of which character to play as. The character which the player does not choose is controlled by the AI for the duration of the level. In '' The Cartel'', the player controls one of three protagonists - Det. Ben McCall (
LAPD The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...
), Agent Kim Evans (
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
), or Agent Eddie Guerra (DEA). The two characters whom the player does not choose are controlled either by the AI or by human player(s) in co-op mode. Whichever player the character picks at the start of the game, they must play through the whole game with that character. Playing as specific characters often results in different
cutscene A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward the ...
s and in-game dialogue. In ''
Gunslinger Gunfighters, also called gunslingers () or in the late 19th and early 20th century gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in shootouts. Today, the term "gunslin ...
'', there is only one
player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional Character (arts), character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters tha ...
available - the
bounty hunter A bounty hunter is a private agent working for a bail bondsman who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as a bail enforcement agent or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated ...
Silas Greaves. In the original game, the main difference between Ray and Billy is that Ray is stronger and slower, and can take considerably more damage than Billy. On the other hand, Billy can sneak up on enemies and perform silent kills. Billy can also use two weapons that Ray cannot - a bow and a whip. When he uses the bow, the game automatically goes into slow motion for a set period of time. The whip is weak as a weapon, and is mainly used to aid Billy when climbing. Unique to Ray is his ability to rapid-fire a single pistol ( fanning) and his ability to wield and quote from a Bible. In ''Bound in Blood'', the biggest difference between Ray and Thomas is that Thomas can aim farther than Ray, but Ray is faster with pistols, which he can
dual wield Dual wielding or Macedonian shooting is the technique of using two weapons, one in each hand, for training or combat. It is not a common combat practice. Although historical records of dual wielding in war are limited, there are numerous weapon-b ...
, and is quicker when aiming at nearby enemies. Ray can use two weapons that Thomas cannot – a dismountable
gatling gun The Gatling gun is a rapid-firing multiple-barrel firearm invented in 1861 by Richard Jordan Gatling of North Carolina. It is an early machine gun and a forerunner of the modern electric motor-driven rotary cannon. The Gatling gun's operatio ...
and throwable dynamite. Thomas can use three weapons that Ray cannot – a lasso, a bow, and throwing knives. When Thomas uses the bow, the player has the option of going into slow motion for more precise aiming, or firing in normal speed. In ''The Cartel'', the difference between the three characters pertains to their weaponry. McCall gets a damage bonus when using handguns and heavy machine guns, whilst his speciality skill is rapid reloading of handguns. Evans gets a damage bonus when using rifles and sniper rifles, whilst her speciality skill is enhanced focus when zoomed in. Guerra gets a damage bonus when using light machine guns and shotguns, whilst his speciality skill is the ability to
dual wield Dual wielding or Macedonian shooting is the technique of using two weapons, one in each hand, for training or combat. It is not a common combat practice. Although historical records of dual wielding in war are limited, there are numerous weapon-b ...
SMGs. In ''Gunslinger'', although there is only one player character, the game features an upgrade system which allows the player to customise Silas's fighting style. Every kill in the game is rewarded with
experience point An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experien ...
s, and the player can increase their haul by achieving combos; multiple kills in quick succession which increase the combo score by one for each kill. These experience points allow the player to level up their skills via three skill trees; Gunslinger (focuses on pistols), Ranger (rifles), and Trapper (shotguns). After beating the game, the player can start a
New Game+ New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
, carrying over their unlocked skills, which allows them to continue unlocking upgrades.


Concentration modes

All four games feature some kind of slow-motion attack, aka "Concentration mode". In the original game, the player can activate concentration mode when playing as Ray. During combat, when he draws either handgun, concentration mode is automatically activated, and the game goes into slow motion, with two targeting
reticle A reticle or reticule, also known as a graticule or crosshair, is a pattern of fine lines or markings built into the eyepiece of an optical device such as a telescopic sight, spotting scope, theodolite, optical microscope or the electronic v ...
s appearing on either side of the screen, each moving towards the centre. The player cannot control the movement of either reticle, nor can they move the character during concentration mode, but they can control the positioning of the screen, allowing them to manoeuvre Ray's stance to shoot when the reticles pass over an enemy. In ''Bound in Blood'', there are three types of concentration modes, which are available once the player has filled their concentration meter by killing enemies. In Ray's mode, once slow motion begins, Ray is free to rotate 360 degrees from a fixed position. If the crosshairs pass over an enemy, that enemy will be "tagged". Once the time is up, Ray automatically fires at all tagged enemies with near-perfect accuracy. In Thomas's concentration mode, the crosshairs automatically move from visible enemy to visible enemy, pausing on each one momentarily. As the crosshairs move, the player must hold down the fire button, and when the crosshairs pause, the player must pull back on the analog stick or mouse to fire at the target. The third type of concentration mode is dual concentration, which happens automatically at certain points of the game, always at doorways. Ray and Thomas simultaneously burst into the room, and the game goes into slow motion, operating in the same manner as Ray's concentration mode from the first game. ''The Cartel'' features two types of concentration modes. Irrespective of the character, players charge their concentration metre by killing enemies, and once the meter is full, they can activate concentration mode at any time. When they do, time slows down dramatically, but the player can still pivot, shoot, and reload at near-normal speed. In co-op play, when one player triggers their concentration mode, it also triggers for all other human players. The second type of concentration mode is dual concentration, which happens automatically at certain points in the game, always at doorways. The player character and one of the AI characters (or two player characters in co-op mode) simultaneously burst into the room, and the game goes into slow motion for several seconds. In ''Gunslinger'' there are multiple types of concentration modes. The standard mode is charged by killing enemies, and once activated, the game goes into slow motion and all enemies are automatically highlighted in red. Other forms of concentration mode include falls, door breaches,
Quick Time Event In video games, a quick time event (QTE) is a method of context-sensitive gameplay in which the player performs actions on the control device shortly after the appearance of an on-screen instruction/prompt. It allows for limited control of the ...
s (QTEs), and "Sense of Death". Falls and door breaches work the same way as normal concentration mode, except they automatically happen at certain locations irrespective of whether the player's concentration meter is charged. QTEs also happen automatically. Silas will automatically target an enemy and the player is required to press a specific button to shoot and kill that enemy. If done correctly, the reticle will automatically jump to the next enemy, and so on. For Sense of Death, as the player avoids
game over "Game over" is a message in video games which informs the player that their play session has ended, usually because the player has reached a loss condition. It also sometimes appears at the successful completion of a session, especially in ga ...
, they fill their Sense of Death meter. When this meter is full, it will automatically activate when Silas is one shot away from death. When that shot is taken, the game will go into slow motion and the player can dodge left or right to try to avoid the fatal bullet.


Duelling

In the original game's
duels A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matched weapons. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and later the small sword), but beginning in ...
, the player must wait for a countdown, at which point the enemy will reach for their weapon. Only then can Ray draw his own gun and fire. To draw Ray's gun, the player must move the mouse/analog stick downwards and then snap it upwards, at which point a reticule appears on screen which can be controlled as normal. Character movement during duels is limited to leaning left and right. In ''Bound in Blood'', duels switch the game to third-person, with the player needing to keep the character's hand as close to his gun as possible without touching it. At the same time, the player needs to keep the opponent lined up in the centre of the screen. When the time comes to draw, a bell rings, and the player must draw, aim, and fire as quickly as possible. In ''Gunslinger'', duels also switch the game to third-person. The player must keep the constantly moving target over the enemy to increase their focus, and the higher the focus percentage, the smaller the gauge gets and the more precise the shot will be when taken. At the same time, the player must keep Silas's hand as close to his gun as possible to increase their speed, and the higher the speed percentage, the quicker the gun will be drawn. The player has two options in every duel - they can draw before their opponent and get a lower-scoring dishonourable kill or wait until the opponent has drawn and get a higher-scoring honourable kill.


Multiplayer

The original game's PC
multiplayer A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
mode features "
Deathmatch Deathmatch commonly refers to: * A particularly brutal type of hardcore wrestling * Deathmatch (video games), a free-for-all video game mode Death Match may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media *'' Tom Clancy's Net Force Explorers: D ...
", "Skirmish" (team deathmatch), "Robbery" (the team designated as "Outlaws" must find the hidden gold and return it to an "escape zone" without being caught by the team designated as "Lawmen"), and "Gold Rush" (gold is spread over the map; at the end of a specified time, the player who has collected the most gold wins). The Xbox 360 version also features " Capture the Bag", "Wanted" (one player is randomly designated as the "wanted" player, and other players can only score points by killing this particular player. Once the wanted player is killed, the player who killed them becomes the wanted player. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins), and "Famous Events" (game scenarios based on real-life events, such as the
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral The gunfight at the O.K. Corral pitted lawmen against members of a loosely organized group of cattle rustlers and horse thieves called the Cowboys on October 26, 1881. While lasting less than a minute, the gunfight has been the subject of ...
, the Wilcox Train Robbery, and the Coffeyville Bank Robbery). ''Bound in Blood''s multiplayer mode features "Shootout" (deathmatch), "Posse" (team deathmatch), "Wanted", "Manhunt" (team "wanted" game in which one player is randomly designated as the wanted player. If they survive sixty seconds, their team scores a point. If they are killed, the player who killed them becomes the wanted player. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins), and "Wild West Legends" (game scenarios based on real-life events, such as the
Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgi ...
, the Coffeyville Bank Robbery, the
Frisco Shootout The Frisco shootout was an Old West gunfight that began on December 1, 1884, involving lawman Elfego Baca. The shootout happened in Reserve, New Mexico, and stemmed from Baca's arrest of a cowboy, Charlie McCarty, who had been shooting into the ...
, the Skeleton Canyon shootout, and the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. ''The Cartel''s multiplayer mode features two types of multiplayer; cooperative and competitive. Cooperative gameplay allows up to three players to team up to complete campaign missions. Competitive mode is traditional player v. player with two gametypes available - "Objective Based" and "Team Deathmatch". Both gametypes use a "cop v. criminal" system, where one team is the cops and the other is the criminals. In objective-based gameplay, players set out to either engage in criminal activity or prevent the other team from doing so, with a series of objectives to be completed or prevented.


Development


''Call of Juarez''

''Call of Juarez'' originated in 2004 and was intended as a fast-paced
arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated video, pinball, electro-mechanical, redemption, etc., game ** Arcade video game, a coin-operated video game ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade video game's hardware ** Arcad ...
-style
first-person shooter A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game genre, video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a First person (video games), first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through t ...
. However, within the first few months of
development Development or developing may refer to: Arts *Development (music), the process by which thematic material is reshaped * Photographic development *Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting * Development hell, when a proje ...
,
Techland Techland S.A. is a Polish video game developer and publisher founded in 1991 by Paweł Marchewka. It developed '' Call of Juarez'' (2006) and its prequel '' Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood'' (2009), as well as '' Dead Island'' (2011) and the '' Dy ...
changed the core
gameplay Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game. The term applies to both video games and Tabletop game, tabletop games. Gameplay is the connection between the player and the game, the player's overcoming of challenges, and t ...
; according to producer Paweł Zawodny, The
designers A designer is a person who plans the form or structure of something before it is made, by preparing drawings or plans. In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, products, processes, laws, games, graphics, services, or exper ...
were especially keen to make a specifically
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
-themed first-person shooter, as they felt the FPS genre had become overly dominated by
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
games. In relation to the game's
graphics Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of the data, as in design and manufa ...
, ''Call of Juarez'' used the third iteration of Techland's in-house
game engine A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games which generally includes relevant libraries and support programs such as a level editor. The "engine" terminology is akin to the term " software engine" u ...
, the
Chrome Engine Techland S.A. is a Polish video game developer and video game publisher, publisher founded in 1991 by Paweł Marchewka. It developed ''Call of Juarez (video game), Call of Juarez'' (2006) and its prequel ''Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood'' (2009), ...
. For Chrome Engine 3, Techland had been working with
nVidia Nvidia Corporation ( ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and incorporated in Delaware. Founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang (president and CEO), Chris Malachowsky, and Curti ...
to incorporate
Shader Model 3.0 The High-Level Shader Language or High-Level Shading Language (HLSL) is a proprietary shading language developed by Microsoft for the Direct3D 9 API to augment the shader assembly language, and went on to become the required shading language ...
, and this version of the engine allowed for
per-pixel lighting In computer graphics, per-pixel lighting refers to any technique for lighting an image or scene that calculates illumination for each pixel on a rendered image. This is in contrast to other popular methods of lighting such as vertex lighting, whi ...
and rendering techniques such as
normal mapping In 3D computer graphics, normal mapping, or Dot3 bump mapping, is a texture mapping technique used for faking the lighting of bumps and dents – an implementation of bump mapping. It is used to add details without using more polygonal modeling, ...
,
Phong shading In 3D computer graphics, Phong shading, Phong interpolation, or normal-vector interpolation shading is an interpolation technique for surface shading invented by computer graphics pioneer Bui Tuong Phong. Phong shading interpolates surface no ...
, Blinn lighting, virtual displacement mapping,
shadow mapping Shadow mapping or shadowing projection is a process by which shadows are added to 3D computer graphics. This concept was introduced by Lance Williams in 1978, in a paper entitled "Casting curved shadows on curved surfaces." Since then, it has b ...
, HDR environment mapping, and post-processing effects such as enhanced
depth of field The depth of field (DOF) is the distance between the nearest and the farthest objects that are in acceptably sharp focus (optics), focus in an image captured with a camera. See also the closely related depth of focus. Factors affecting depth ...
, light blooms,
refraction In physics, refraction is the redirection of a wave as it passes from one transmission medium, medium to another. The redirection can be caused by the wave's change in speed or by a change in the medium. Refraction of light is the most commo ...
and heat distortion. The engine also facilitated wind effects, alterations to object properties when interacting with liquids, Shader Model 3.0-based simulation and
animation Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...
of vegetation, fumes and smoke, and changes in daytime and the position of global lighting. The game's script was written by Haris Orkin and Paweł Selinger (who also served as the game's
lead designer Game design is the process of creating and shaping the mechanics, systems, rules, and gameplay of a game. Game design processes apply to board games, card games, dice games, casino games, role-playing games, sports, war games, or simulation game ...
and lead artist). Selinger came up with the basic plot outline and characters, and Orkin wrote the dialogue and story specifics. He and Selinger cite
John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...
's ''
The Searchers ''The Searchers'' is a 1956 American epic Western film directed by John Ford and written by Frank S. Nugent, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May. It is set during the Texas–Indian wars, and stars John Wayne as a middle-aged Civil War v ...
'' (1956),
Henry Hathaway Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Western (genre), Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven f ...
's ''
Nevada Smith ''Nevada Smith'' is a 1966 American Western film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Steve McQueen, Karl Malden, Brian Keith, Arthur Kennedy and Suzanne Pleshette. The film was made by Solar Productions in association with and released by ...
'' (1966), and
Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...
's ''
Pale Rider ''Pale Rider'' is a 1985 American Western film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood, who also stars in the lead role. The title is a reference to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, as the pale horse's ghost rider (Eastwood) represents D ...
'' (1985) and ''
Unforgiven ''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American revisionist Western film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood from a screenplay by David Webb Peoples. It stars Eastwood as William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job years after ...
'' (1992) as influencing the tone of the game, with the character of Ray partially inspired by Will Munny (Clint Eastwood) in ''Unforgiven''. The character also drew inspiration from the
Saint of Killers The Saint of Killers is a fictional Character (arts), character who appears in the comic book series ''Preacher (comics), Preacher'', published by Vertigo (DC Comics), Vertigo Comics in 1995. Writer Garth Ennis created the Saint of Killers wit ...
character from
Garth Ennis Garth Ennis (born 16 January 1970) is a Northern Irish-American comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series ''Preacher'' with artist Steve Dillon, his nine-year run on Marvel Comics' ''Punisher'' franchise, and '' The Boys'' with artist Dar ...
's ''Preacher'' series (1995–2000), and Ennis's ''
Just a Pilgrim ''Just a Pilgrim'' is a five-issue comic book limited series written by Garth Ennis, with art by Carlos Ezquerra, and published by Black Bull, the short-lived comics publishing division of Wizard Entertainment, in 2001. It was followed by a 4 is ...
'' (2001). Visually, Ray was based on
Carl McCoy Carl Douglas McCoy (born 15 January 1963) is a British singer who is the frontman for the gothic rock band Fields of the Nephilim. Biography McCoy frequently uses mystical and occult references in his lyrics. Samples of Aleister Crowley's v ...
, lead singer of
Fields of the Nephilim Fields of the Nephilim are an English gothic rock band formed in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, in 1984. The band's name refers to a biblical race of angel-human hybrids known as the Nephilim. Career Early years (1984–1991) The band's debut 1 ...
. The
Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
version of the game was released in Europe in September 2006 and Australia in October 2006. The North American version was not released until June 2007, having been delayed so as to be released alongside the
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...
port. Techland used this time to make some changes to the game; unlike the European version, the North American version was optimised for
DirectX 10 Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with "Direct" ...
, one of the first PC games to feature such optimisation. Shortly after the North American release, Techland released a DirectX 10 enhancement patch for all versions of the game, adding such elements as geometry shaders, dynamic shadows,
high dynamic range High dynamic range (HDR), also known as wide dynamic range, extended dynamic range, or expanded dynamic range, is a signal with a higher dynamic range than usual. The term is often used in discussing the dynamic ranges of images, videos, audio o ...
lighting, and
parallax occlusion mapping Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight and is measured by the angle or half-angle of inclination between those two lines. Due to foreshortening, nearby objec ...
. The Xbox 360 version was released worldwide in June 2007. Comparing this version to the original PC version prior to the DirectX 10 patch, Zawodny said there would be a considerable graphical improvement; "we squeezed as much as possible from the Xbox 360's vertex and
pixel shaders In computer graphics, a shader is a computer program that calculates the appropriate levels of light, darkness, and color during the rendering of a 3D scene—a process known as ''shading''. Shaders have evolved to perform a variety of spec ...
. There's high dynamic range lighting, hardware
anti-aliasing Anti-aliasing may refer to any of a number of techniques to combat the problems of aliasing in a sampled signal such as a digital image or digital audio recording. Specific topics in anti-aliasing include: * Anti-aliasing filter, a filter used b ...
,
bump mapping Bump mapping is a texture mapping technique in computer graphics for simulating bumps and wrinkles on the surface of an object. This is achieved by perturbing the surface normals of the object and using the perturbed normal during lighting calcul ...
on almost everything, relief mapping on many objects, and
subsurface scattering Subsurface scattering (SSS), also known as subsurface light transport (SSLT), is a mechanism of light transport in which light that penetrates the surface of a translucent object is scattering, scattered by interacting with the Material (comput ...
, just to mention a few technical terms". He also revealed the Xbox version would feature three new single-player missions with their own self-contained story, a duel mode whereby the player can duel with enemies from the campaign, and additional multiplayer modes and maps. Additionally, Techland rebuilt some of Billy's levels (including the game's opening level), cutting back on the stealth elements and incorporating more action-focused chase scenes.


''Bound in Blood''

Although the first game did not sell well in North America, its European sales were much better, and a second game, ''Bound in Blood'', was announced in January 2009 for PC,
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
, and Xbox 360. The developers had taken on board the most common criticisms of the first game (mainly concerning the platforming and
stealth Stealth may refer to: Military *Stealth technology, technology used to conceal ships, aircraft, and missiles **Stealth aircraft, aircraft which use stealth technology ** Stealth ground vehicle, ground vehicles which use stealth technology ** Ste ...
sections), whilst enhancing the
mechanics Mechanics () is the area of physics concerned with the relationships between force, matter, and motion among Physical object, physical objects. Forces applied to objects may result in Displacement (vector), displacements, which are changes of ...
of the original that received the most praise, namely Ray's gameplay. Using Chrome Engine 4, the game would feature considerable graphical improvements over the original, with lead product manager Paweł Kopiński stating, "we've managed to achieve increased performance allowing for even more
polygons In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon' ...
on screen and advanced special effects. Unlike Chrome Engine 3, Chrome Engine 4 used deferred rendering, which allowed for more advanced lighting and post-processing effects. It was also the first iteration of the engine with "true multi-platform support." Discussing inspirations for the game, Kopiński stated, "it can't be simply categorized as either a
Spaghetti Western The spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's filmmaking style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...
or a realistic Western. It's a blend of the best elements from both." According to co-writer Haris Orkin, "it's probably closer now to a Spaghetti Western than a classic
John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...
western ..I guess I would call it a
post-modern Postmodernism encompasses a variety of artistic, cultural, and philosophical movements that claim to mark a break from modernism Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experi ...
western along the lines of ''
Unforgiven ''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American revisionist Western film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood from a screenplay by David Webb Peoples. It stars Eastwood as William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job years after ...
'' or ''
The Wild Bunch ''The Wild Bunch'' is a 1969 American epic revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O'Brien, Ben Johnson and Warren Oates. The plot concerns an aging outlaw gang ...
''." Specific influences included
Sergio Leone Sergio Leone ( ; ; 3 January 1929 – 30 April 1989) was an Italian filmmaker, credited as the pioneer of the spaghetti Western genre. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema. Leone's film-making style ...
's ''
Dollars Trilogy The ''Dollars Trilogy'' (), also known as the ''Man with No Name Trilogy'' (), is an Italian film series consisting of three spaghetti western films directed by Sergio Leone. The films are titled '' A Fistful of Dollars'' (1964), '' For a Few ...
'' and ''
Once Upon a Time in the West ''Once Upon a Time in the West'' ( is a 1968 epic spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone, who co-wrote it with Sergio Donati, based on a story by Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci and Leone. It stars Henry Fonda, playing against t ...
'' (1968),
James Mangold James Allen Mangold (born December 16, 1963) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Noted for his versatility in tackling a range of genres, Mangold made his debut as a film director with ''Heavy (film), Heavy'' (1995), and gai ...
's '' 3:10 to Yuma'' (2007), and
Ed Harris Edward Allen Harris (born November 28, 1950) is an American actor and filmmaker. His performances in '' Apollo 13'' (1995), '' The Truman Show'' (1998), '' Pollock'' (2000), and '' The Hours'' (2002) earned him critical acclaim and Academy Awa ...
's ''
Appaloosa The Appaloosa is an American horse breed best known for its colorful spotted coat pattern. There is a wide range of body types within the breed, stemming from the influence of multiple breeds of horses throughout its history. Each horse's co ...
'' (2008). The team also drew inspiration from real life, with Orkin stating, "many of the actual outlaws of the time were former
confederate soldiers The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...
;
Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, Bank robbery, bank and Train robbery, train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the "Little Dixie (Missouri), Little Dixie" area of M ...
and his brothers, the Youngers.
Archie Clement Archie Clement (January 1, 1846 – December 13, 1866), also known as "Little Arch" or "Little Archie", was an American pro- Confederate guerrilla leader during the American Civil War, known for his brutality towards Union soldiers and pro-Uni ...
. So the McCalls were based somewhat on those actual outlaws." When dealing with this period of history, Orkin and Techland approached it with serious intentions, striving to be as historically accurate as possible and deal with some of the real issues of the day, irrespective of whether such issues remain controversial today. Orkin states, "we talk about the white suppression of Native Americans, specifically the
Apache The Apache ( ) are several Southern Athabaskan language-speaking peoples of the Southwestern United States, Southwest, the Southern Plains and Northern Mexico. They are linguistically related to the Navajo. They migrated from the Athabascan ho ...
, and how that fueled their anger ..we deal with issues like racism, slavery, and the oppression of Native Americans and Mexicans in south Texas. Once you go into those worlds and create a story around them, to skirt those truths or pretend they don't exist does them a disservice."


''The Cartel''

''Bound in Blood'' sold considerably better than the original game (over 1 million units) and ''The Cartel'' was announced in February 2011. For the first time in the series, the game would be set in the modern day, with Ubisoft's director of marketing, Adam Novickas, stating, "the game will bring the best elements of the Wild West into modern times." This relocation, however, was met with skepticism. After a non-playable demo was shown at PAX in March, ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
''s Martin Robinson wrote, "it looks like ''Call of Juarez'' has ditched its one point of distinction, exposing an insipid shooter that's lost a fistful of charm in the process." Similarly, ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
''s Jane Douglas wrote, "as unlikely decisions go, setting a Wild West franchise's third installment in 21st-century Los Angeles and Mexico ranks on par with a
disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
-era ''
Prince of Persia ''Prince of Persia'' is a video game franchise created by Jordan Mechner. It is centered around a series of action-adventure games focused on various incarnations of the eponymous Prince, set in ancient and medieval Persia. The first two ga ...
'' reboot." Techland's project coordinator, Błażej Krakowiak, explained the relocation; "we moved the franchise to a modern setting because we felt the Wild West values and experience are universal." When asked by ''GameSpot'' what he would say to fans who weren't happy with the change, he said, "you should trust us. This is a great western game." Ubisoft further explained, The game was built using Chrome Engine 5, and according to the developers, several individual levels, such as one set in a packed nightclub, feature more
assets In financial accounting, an asset is any resource owned or controlled by a business or an economic entity. It is anything (tangible or intangible) that can be used to produce positive economic value. Assets represent value of ownership that can b ...
than the entirety of ''Bound in Blood''. The engine allowed for advanced
screen space ambient occlusion Screen space ambient occlusion (SSAO) is a computer graphics technique for efficiently approximating the ambient occlusion effect in real time. It was developed by Vladimir Kajalin while working at Crytek and was used for the first time in 2007 by ...
, custom
anti-aliasing Anti-aliasing may refer to any of a number of techniques to combat the problems of aliasing in a sampled signal such as a digital image or digital audio recording. Specific topics in anti-aliasing include: * Anti-aliasing filter, a filter used b ...
, and
texture filtering In computer graphics, texture filtering or texture smoothing is the method used to determine the texture color for a Texture mapping, texture mapped pixel, using the colors of nearby Texel (graphics), texels (ie. pixels of the texture). Filtering ...
, with
anisotropic filtering In 3D computer graphics, anisotropic filtering (AF) is a technique that improves the appearance of Texture filtering, textures, especially on surfaces viewed at sharp Viewing angle, angles. It helps make textures look sharper and more detailed ...
allowing for smoother transitions between
mipmap In computer graphics, a mipmap (''mip'' being an acronym of the Latin phrase ''multum in parvo'', meaning "much in little") is a pre-calculated, optimized sequence of images, each of which has an image resolution which is a factor of two small ...
levels. The engine can also handle complex and dynamic light shafts and features advanced A-buffering.


''Gunslinger''

After ''The Cartel'' flopped both financially and critically, Ubisoft sent an email through
UPlay Ubisoft Connect (formerly Ubisoft Game Launcher and later Uplay) is a service for digital distribution, digital rights management, multiplayer and communication developed by Massive Entertainment to provide an experience similar to the achievem ...
to registered owners of the game, asking them which ''Call of Juarez'' game was their favourite and how would they rate ''The Cartel'' itself. The email also included a series of gameplay set-pieces, asking players which they'd most like to see in an "as yet unannounced" game. ''Gunslinger'' was announced in September 2012, with Ubisoft emphasising that the game would feature legendary Wild West figures such as
Billy the Kid Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), alias William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid, was an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who was linked to nine murders: four for which he was solely res ...
,
Pat Garrett Patrick Floyd Jarvis Garrett (June 5, 1850February 29, 1908) was an American Old West lawman, bartender and U.S. Customs, customs agent known for killing Billy the Kid. He was the Sheriffs in the United States, sheriff of Lincoln County, New Me ...
,
Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman in the American West, including Dodge City, Kansas, Dodge City, Wichita, Kansas, Wichita, and Tombstone, Arizona, Tombstone. Earp was involved in the gunfight ...
,
Butch Cassidy Robert LeRoy Parker (April 13, 1866 – November 7, 1908), better known as Butch Cassidy, was an American train robbery, train and bank robbery, bank robber and the leader of a gang of criminal outlaws known as the "Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, ...
, and
Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, Bank robbery, bank and Train robbery, train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the "Little Dixie (Missouri), Little Dixie" area of M ...
, and that for the first time in the series, an
experience point An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experien ...
-based skill progression system would be utilised. Addressing why the team had returned to the Wild West after setting ''The Cartel'' in the modern-day, Krakowiak stated, "we did so for a number of reasons, but basically because of what we've heard from fans and the fact that we're ready to believe that this is where the series belongs." At PAX 2013, Ubisoft brand manager Aymeric Evennou echoed Krakowiak; "this is where the brand belongs. We tried something else, but now we're fully dedicated to please the fans." Indeed, Techland knew another subpar game would kill the franchise, with design expert Xavier Penin, who also contributed to the script, stating, "we were on a mission to save the ''Call of Juarez'' brand, literally." In terms of the game's narrative, which is self-consciously a mixture of fact and fiction, the team tried to narrow down what makes this period of history so specific, and "what we came up was the stories, the legends, the mixture between myth and truth. So we really focused on the storytelling and narration." The outline of the story was conceived by producer Krzysztof Nosek and writer Rafał W. Orkan, who brought it to Haris Orkin, without characters or specific story elements in place. Wanting the actual narration to be as important as the narrative, they told Orkin that the storyline needed to be structured like ''
Bastion A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the ...
'', whereby things in the game world would change in front of the players' eyes, based upon what was being said in the narration. Orkin loved the idea, as it paralleled how the legends of the West were formed in the first place - myths and exaggeration overtook fact and reality, and so the question of truth versus embellishment became a major part of the story; "we decided our narrator would be unreliable and that the world would change as the story changed. I thought that perfectly mimicked how the history of the West was written in the first place." Orkin was particularly inspired by
John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...
's ''
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance ''The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'' () is a 1962 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and James Stewart. The screenplay by James Warner Bellah and Willis Goldbeck was adapted from a 1953 short story written by ...
'' (1962) and
Arthur Penn Arthur Hiller Penn (September 27, 1922 – September 28, 2010) was an American filmmaker, theatre director, and producer. He was a three-time Academy Award nominee for Academy Award for Best Director, Best Director, and a Tony Awards, Tony Awa ...
's ''
Little Big Man Little Big Man ( Lakota: Wičháša Tȟáŋkala), or Charging Bear, was an Oglala Lakota, or Oglala Sioux, who was a fearless and respected warrior who fought under, and was distant cousin to, Crazy Horse ("His-Horse-Is-Crazy"). He opposed the ...
'' (1970), both of which deal with myths overtaking reality in the public consciousness. A quote from ''Liberty Valance'', "when the legend becomes fact, print the legend", became a central idea in Orkin's script.


Reception

The ''Call of Juarez'' games have received reviews ranging from very positive to very negative. The original game received mixed reviews. Most critics praised Ray's levels and the general shooting mechanics but found Billy's levels significantly inferior, especially the platforming sections and the implementation of the whip. Many critics were impressed with how the game recreated an authentic Western tone, and
Marc Alaimo Marc Alaimo is an American actor known for his villainous roles. He is best known for his role as recurring villain Gul Dukat in the TV series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''. Early and personal life Alaimo was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He ...
's
voice acting Voice acting is the art of performing a character or providing information to an audience with one's voice. Performers are often called voice actors/actresses in addition to other names. Examples of voice work include animated, off-stage, off-sc ...
as Ray was generally lauded. ''
Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 alongside parent company Gamer Network. In 2008, it started in the formerly eponymous trade fair EGX (Eurogamer Expo until 2013) organised by its parent company. Fr ...
''s
Kieron Gillen Kieron Michael Gillen (; born 30 September 1975) is a British comic book writer and former video game and music journalist. In comics, Gillen is known for his creator-owned series such as '' Once & Future'' (2019–2022), '' Die'' (2018–202 ...
called the PC version "as good a cowboy shooter as I've played", whilst Tom Bramwell felt the Xbox 360 version "has given new life to an area of the FPS genre where tons of developers have given up". ''PALGN''s Mark Morrow called the PC version a "remarkably enjoyable game." ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
''s Alex Navarro called it "a well-made genre exercise." ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
''s Dan Adams was more critical, arguing that "solid basic shooting mechanics aren't enough to make a passable game good." ''
Official Xbox Magazine ''Official Xbox Magazine'' (''OXM'') was a British monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released at E3 2001, with another preview issue in November 2001. The maga ...
''s Cameron Lewis felt that "there's nothing to distinguish it from the rest of the shooter crowd." ''Bound in Blood'' received generally favorable reviews. Most critics found it substantially better than the original, with many praising the plot, the shooting mechanics, and the voice acting. Criticism tended to focus on poor enemy AI, repetitive
level design In video games, a level (also referred to as a map, mission, stage, course, or round in some older games) is any space available to the player during the course of completion of an objective. Video game levels generally have progressively incre ...
, and, the lack of any kind of co-op. '' CVG''s Richard Cobbett called it "an outstanding FPS." ''GameSpot''s Randolph Ramsay found it to be "tense, riveting, and superb-looking" and "an almost cinematic experience." ''PALGN''s Michael Kontoudis called it "the best videogame Western ever made." On the other hand, ''Eurogamer''s Oli Walsh argued, "it's far too unvaried a shooting gallery to earn an unhesitating recommendation." ''Official Xbox Magazine''s Taylor Cocke called it "fairly well-done but somewhat basic." ''
GameSpy GameSpy was an American provider of online multiplayer and matchmaking middleware for video games founded in 1999 by Mark Surfas. After the release of a multiplayer server browser for Quake, QSpy, Surfas licensed the software under the GameS ...
''s Eric Neigher argued that "there's nothing's particularly outstanding or original here." ''The Cartel'' received negative reviews. Common criticisms included poorly implanted mechanics, a cliched storyline, underdeveloped characters, inconsistent audio, error-filled subtitles, tone-deaf racial and gender stereotypes, and poor graphics. In particular, the game's glitches and lack of technical polish received a lot of negative attention. ''
Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'' is an American monthly Video game journalism, video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and video game console, game consoles. It debuted in August 1991, when the video game reta ...
''s Dan Ryckert called it "generic at best, broken at worst." ''IGN''s Anthony Gallegos argued, "it's not the worst shooter I've played, but it's got all the problems of a budget title and few redeeming qualities." ''Official Xbox Magazine''s Andrew Hayward found it demonstrated "a lack of care and an inattention to detail." ''
PC Gamer ''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games m ...
''s Tom Senior called it "a steaming turd", "bland, repetitive, and dull," and "brainless, generic and devoid of personality." ''
Destructoid ''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017 and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022. Histor ...
''s
James Stephanie Sterling James Stephanie Sterling, also known as Commander Sterling and formerly known as Jim Sterling, is a British freelance video game journalist, critic, pundit, YouTuber, and professional wrestler. Before becoming independent in September 2014, s ...
wrote that the game is "a sloppy serving from people who should know better, and ought to be ashamed of themselves." ''Gunslinger'' received positive reviews. Critics praised the storytelling, the fast-paced arcade-style shooting, and the voice acting. Criticisms focused on a predictable ''denouement'' and shallow boss battles. ''Destructoid''s James Stephanie Sterling called it "the best ''Call of Juarez'' game, nda damn fine and worthy shooter in its own right." ''GameSpot''s Mark Watson called it a "remarkable shooter", "a breath of fresh air," and "tight and controlled." ''IGN''s Colin Moriarty argued that "it has a lot of charm." ''
GamesRadar+ ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', '' Edge'' and '' Compute ...
''s Lorenzo Veloria felt that for "those who want a solid Western shooter with exhilarating mechanics, you'll want to give this game a try."


Sales

The original game did not sell well in North America, moving only 137,000 units across both PC and Xbox 360. Its European sales were considerably better, with Techland crediting the game as putting them on the map as a globally recognised developer. ''Bound in Blood'' was a commercial success. In its first four days of North American release, it sold 24,000 units on the Xbox 360 and 20,000 units on the PlayStation 3. In the United Kingdom, it entered the charts at #6, rising the following month to #4. By the end of September, the game had sold 900,000 units across all systems, making it one of Ubisoft's best selling titles for the first half of the
fiscal year A fiscal year (also known as a financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. La ...
. ''Gunslinger'' was the third best-selling PSN title in May 2013, coming behind '' Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon'' and ''
Terraria ''Terraria'' ( ) is a 2011 action-adventure sandbox game developed by Re-Logic and published by 505 Games. The game features exploration, combat, crafting, building, and mining inside a procedurally generated 2D computer graphics, 2D world. ...
''. In July, Ubisoft released its first quarterly financial report, in which they revealed that digital downloads were up 27% from the same time period the previous year. They cited the strong sales of ''Blood Dragon'' and ''Gunslinger''.


References


External links

* () {{DEFAULTSORT:Call of Juarez Call of Juarez First-person shooters Techland games Ubisoft franchises Video game franchises Video game franchises introduced in 2006 Video games developed in Poland Western (genre) video games