Full Review

3 July 2007 - With World War Two stories running dry and alien infestations getting rather matter of fact, Ubisoft has turned to the classic Western for its latest First Person Shooter - Call of Juarez.

The new port for the Xbox 360 game brings the 2006 PC title to the next-gen console with unfortunately no new features or elements. Multiplayer is taken care of via Xbox Live, while the console does its best to create mind-blowing vistas of the America's 125 years ago.

The game follows and sees you play two characters from very different backgrounds, which from a storyline point of view is rather confusing.

On the one hand you play Billy, prime suspect in the murder of his own parents and on the run, on the other; Reverend Ray, the man who's hunting him down.

When it comes to gameplay, Billy gives you stealth levels with little or no ammo and your times is mainly having to avoid town's folk shooting you dead on the spot. The Reverend Ray, rather than just being a preacher man, is actually an ex-gunslinger and so it's all guns blazing and preaching from the bible when it's his levels.

The different styles do allow you to take a break, so to speak, from the very different levels, however First Person Shooter fans will be wishing for more of the reverend's levels rather than Billy's.

Both are with their pro's and con's with Billy's levels and character the harder to get into from a storyline point of view.

Special moves include a concentration mode for the reverend which slows everything down so you can get a more precise shot off and the ability to confuse your victim with a reading from the bible.

VERDICT
Bringing the Western theme to the First Person Shooter is a nice touch and there are some great features that really give you a sense that the developers have wanted to make it as real as possible.

That said, the game isn't without its faults, the Billy elements will frustrate those looking for all out gun action, while playing stealth Tom Clancy style first person isn't as easy as you think.

Good fun with enough to entertain you for the next couple of weeks, however The Unforgiven this isn't.