Call of Juarez: Gunslinger Review

Boss battles are at the opposite end of the satisfaction scale, and the worst Gunslinger has to offer. Bosses can absorb two dozen bullets to the face before dying. One cantankerous boss needed nine sticks of dynamite before slumping over his Gatling gun. Another scurried back and forth on an elevated platform and hurled dynamite. Not only do you need to shoot the dynamite from the air, but you need to shoot him and his lackeys. Boss arenas often contain convenient boulders that help you avoid repeated attacks on your person. Bosses are frustrating due to cheap deaths, constrained arenas or unavoidable attacks. You cannot defeat bosses by being quicker or more accurate, you must duck for cover, reload and chip away at their ridiculous health. Boss battles are ingrained into arcade games, but they do not belong alongside the refined shooting component in Gunslinger.

Curly Bill, boss of the sawmill, has a face that could withstand a pneumatic drill

Arcade mode, separate from the story, compresses the shooting through familiar levels. Small portions of story levels are repacked with outlaws and explosives. Your goal is to get the most points by chaining kills and finishing quickly. Enemies are placed at regular intervals, so it is entirely possible to generate one continuous combination of kills from start to finish. Although enemies spawn in similar places, timing and AI routines will result in different outcomes. These three to five minute jolts of action are addicting as you push for combo perfection. Should you perish, you need to restart the whole sequence again. Screen disruption became grating during this mode. Excessive dirt, blood and artificial bullet holes masked some kills. These screen obstructions, symptomatic of modern shooters, should have been removed along with the archaic boss battles. Even with some visual hindrances, the drive for perfection will have you repeating arcade levels many times.

Gunslinger may not get everything right, but the vital components of an excellent shooter are here. The narration produces some memorable story sequences that could have been pushed further. Boss battles are like eating cowboy spurs; tough, unappetising and likely to cause serious internal damage. Luckily the gun duels and slow-motion effects wash away the bad taste. Once the combat hits its stride, either through the Arcade mode or story segments, there is much satisfaction from gunning down outlaws and dodging bullets. The campaign could have included more frenzied action and increased environmental interaction, but the focus on shooting must be appreciated. Gunslinger twists the franchise just enough and the smooth action makes it one of the best shooters in recent times.