The Wild West has always been an intriguing time in history. Outlaws blurred the lines of what was morally right and wrong, lawmen upheld their sense of justice against unimaginable odds, saloon brawls, dusty roads, and, of course, laying everything on the line at high noon. The West was great, and Hollywood has given us more than enough reasons to repeatedly fall in love with the wild frontier of years gone by time and time again. In the world of video games, there have been a few who captured the feel of a good John Wayne or Clint Eastwood movie, but none will compare when Techland releases their western epic in the states this June. Arriving on both the PC and Xbox 360, we can expect to ride into the sunset with guns blazing.

The story behind Call of Juarez begins with a legend, the legend of the Lost Gold of Juarez. That legend has been passed down for generations. It was said to be the ransom for Montezuma, who was held hostage by the Spanish in the great Aztec capital Tenochtitlan. The treasure disappeared soon after the sacking of the city. Some believe that it is buried near the border town of Juarez. According to the legend, the Aztec Sun God, Huitzilopochtli, put a curse on the gold. All who seek it find only madness and their own perdition. This avaricious madness is known as the Call of Juarez.

However, this is just the legend of the game. The storyline of the game begins in South Texas in the year 1882. Billy "Candle," one of the two characters you will play as, has nothing, not even his own name. His Mexican mother never told him who his real father was. Billy is determined to prove he is not a nobody. He searches for the lost Aztec treasure, but when his parents are murdered, he stands accused. Billy, befriended by the Native Americans, has been trained to be more agile and stealth. He will have to use every ability he has in order to stay ahead of the Thunderstorm riding towards him.

The Thunderstorm riding is a legendary gunslinger, Reverend Ray McCall, and is the second player you will get the chance to control. Reverend Ray has been retired for some time. He has been trying to make amends for his past sins. Now, he believes that the Lord has chosen him to be Billy's judge, jury, and executioner, and he will gun down anyone who stands in his way. Each character you play as controls very differently. For example, Billy relies on being sneaky and avoiding confrontation as much as possible. Instead of charging into a gunfight, he prefers to take care of things from a distance. Whereas Reverend Ray, being the ex-gunslinger that he his, will rely on his quick reflexes and deadly aim. Their weapons will also be different.

Billy will mainly carry a whip and a bow and arrows. Reverend Ray will, of course, use his trusty Colts and rifles. Neither the dual characters nor the A.I. of the game will be limited to their conventional weapons. In fact, one of the highlights of the game is that if you find an object in the game it can be used as a weapon. Some of the more impressive objects you can utilize in the game are kerosene lamps. You will just throw the lamps and, if they don't spark a flame, one shot from your gun will set the path and, potentially, your enemies ablaze, to which they will react accordingly, either by rolling around on the ground trying to put themselves out or by running around screaming at the top of their lungs. If an enemy happens to light the flame blocking your path, you can douse it with water. Wind will also play a factor in the game. In addition to causing the fires to grow rapidly, the wind will also play a factor as to where your bullets and arrows might land.

In addition to the normal FPS gameplay with the Wild West feel, we will be able to hop onto the back of a horse, chase down bandits, and take our shots from the saddle of our horse. There are other gameplay options that we will be able to explore, additional to chasing down bandits, like robbing trains and banks, ambushing bandits, breaking out your posse from prison, or having a movie-like shootout. Also, there will be multiplayer options for the game, including an arcade death match, Gold Rush, co-op oriented team mode with player classes, and, of course, a dueling mode. However, it has not been fully revealed just how many players will be able to compete or cooperate in these modes.

The graphics for the game at first glance might give the wrong impression. The simplistic, almost cardboard box cutouts of the towns accurately represent the feel of the Wild West. The trailers on the main site display just how detailed the game is. With the precise landscapes, right down to how the tumbleweeds bounce along the dirt roads, and the picturesque character models, Call of Juarez captures the look of the Wild West beautifully. Equally beautiful are the soundtrack samples available on the main site of the game. The sharp guitar plucks, the mystical Native American flute, and the thunderous bang of drums all contribute to the authenticity of Call of Juarez.

Call of Juarez is an epic western adventure set in the vein of American mythology. It is about revenge, survival, and the misfortune of the sins of the father that are often passed onto sons. Call of Juarez has the potential to become the best western themed game ever with its simple yet compelling storyline and realistic rendition of the Wild West. In June, our hopes for the game will come to a realization or crush our dream of reliving the West. CCC will have the answer when the game arrives. So be sure to check back here.

By Matthew Walker
CCC Project Coordinator

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