The McCall brothers, in Call Of Juarez - Bound In Blood, will take you on a Wild Wild West ride.
This epic Western adventure - a prequel to the original Call Of Juarez game - takes place during the American Civil war.
You play Ray and Thomas McCall who begin the game as Confederate soldiers but eventually degenerate to become bandits.
Tagging along is reluctant youngest brother, William, a preacher who continually prays for their souls.
Each brother has his own set of abilities. The brawnier Ray can kick doors open, wield dual revolvers and use dynamite. The nimbler Thomas can use the lasso to access high places and is as adept with the bow and arrow as he is with rifles.
As the story goes, both brothers have differing views on all and sundry but their similar taste in women drives them apart.
Like great Westerns, the bulk of the action is frenzied shooting.
Apart from the usual revolvers, rifles and shotguns, the occasional weapons of mass destruction are cannons and Gatling guns.
True to the spirit of the Wild Wild West, you ride horses and drive stagecoaches across vast lands. In various towns, optional side missions offer a chance to earn extra dough for buying weapons and ammo.
As no Western is complete without good old-fashioned duels, this game pits you against villain honchos in one-on-one duels where the fastest draw wins.
Chalk up sufficient kills and you will unleash the Concentration mode. This freezes the action and Ray can pre-select targets while Thomas can shoot everything in sight. A cooperative Concentration mode will have you controlling the aiming crosshairs of both brothers for doubly deadly execution. Visually, Bound In Blood brings out the best of the West.
See the heat shimmering in the horizon above the desert peppered with giant cactuses and dry boulders. Even the way the light changes when you emerge from the shade and your eyes adjusting to different distances while aiming is amazingly realistic. Voices heavy with a Southern drawl add to the realism.
In its fast-paced action, the game does away with the hassle of health management. When you are hit, simply duck behind cover and your health will fully recover in seconds.
The single-player campaign totals 15 chapters but its dual characters as well as its online multiplayer modes extend its replayability.
Crude language and violence earned it a rating as a game for those aged 16 and above. If you enjoy epic Western adventures, Bound In Blood is definitely worth a shot.
Cheatsheet
When duelling, try to keep Ray or Thomas' hand as close as possible to the gun holster.
Do not get too close though, or you will find him moving his hand away, hindering the speed of draw.
Activate the Concentration mode when most of your enemies are visible and within range to maximise its efficiency as this mode hits hidden enemies.
Save up cash to purchase weapons that allow for faster reloads - many of the missions favour speed over the ability to do damage.
Always stay behind cover. With no health boosters, you can stay alive longer this way.
If you keep failing a particular mission, try using the other brother instead. As a guide, Ray's blazing dual revolvers and dynamite can deal death in double quick time for groups of enemies at close range.
For missions with enemy snipers located far away or at high points, use Thomas as he can pick them off accurately with a rifle.
Yap Hui Bin is a trigger-happy freelance writer
This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life.
