Unearthing an Old Gem in ‘Call of Juarez: Gunslinger’

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, the 2013 oldie-but-goldie, relaunched for Nintendo Switch in 2019 (Techland).

By C.A. Ramirez

Before The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and long after William Munny turned a saloon of tin horns into a fine red paste, there was Call of Juarez: Gunslinger.

Developer: Techland

Publisher: Techland, Ubisoft

Video courtesy of Techland Games (Nintendo Switch launch trailer).

With nearly 12 thousand reviews of an “overwhelmingly positive” rating on Steam, fans of the Wild West would be doing themselves a disservice to not include this video game in their library, and here’s why. Charlie Prince, the character played by Ben Foster in 2008’s 310 to Yuma is … not in this game, but this is the only Western FPS I have ever played where I can shoot like him and feel stellar doing it.

There aren’t enough Western FPS games out there, and I am not sure why. You could argue that Red Dead Redemption 2 can be played in first-person, but what kind of sick, deranged, cold shower-having lunatic would prefer that point of view over the gloriously third-person cinematic perfectly executed by the folks at Rockstar?

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger puts you in the boots of bounty hunter Silas Greaves, who is on a path of revenge. There is a story mode, and it delivers some great historical notes and context regarding Wild West legends and myths. Too much fun can be had with this mode alone, and it is worth playing to see it through. Though, I would argue, this Wild West masterpiece truly shines with its arcade mode, allowing you to dive head first into maps that stress one thing and one thing only: kill ’em all.

Black Bart, eloquent poet and whimsical bandit, featured as one of the 54 “Nuggets of Truth” collectible.

Arcade mode throws out the story fluff and sets up each level as a speed run. where you need to make it from one side of the map to the other while frantically trying to utilize the lessons of your youth; duck, dive, dip, and dodge — okay, there is no dodge, but there is “bullet time”, and it is absolutely gorgeous.

Video is courtesy of 4kaction (YouTube).

With three main play-styles, there is plenty of action for even the most seasoned gamer. The “Cold Blooded Ranger” has a rifle and single six-shooter and caters to the mid-long play style and maps while the “Daring Gunslinger” gives you a pair of Schofield’s and sticks of dynamite. Yes, you can throw a lit stick of dynamite into the air and detonate it with a well-placed shot, and, yes, it is awesome. Last, but not least, we have the “Grizzled Trapper”, armed with a double barrel shotgun, single six shooter, and sticks of dynamite.

Each class can be upgraded with different perks that are earned by completing the maps with faster times and chained combos (i.e., non-stop killing). This can lead to incredible perks, like a shotgun that automatically reloads while using your bullet time feature, or being able to reload while sprinting.

These perks are class specific, meaning that the Ranger class can sense when an enemy has shot a lethal bullet towards you. Time will then slow down automatically, allowing you an opportunity to avoid getting shot by moving out of its way. 4kaction's YouTube montage above shows off a few examples of the Ranger’s awesome perk. Perks increase the replay value of Call of Juarez: Gunslinger and take the game to a whole new level.

Video is courtesy of Chuck Nicklaus (YouTube).

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger has moments that go toe-to-toe with some of the best action sequences film and television have to offer. When you really get a knack for the gameplay mechanics, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger sings a tune sweeter than even the most mellifluous San Saba songbird.

This article originally appeared on Medium.com (3/29/2021).