Call of Juarez - PC

Inspired by classic Western movies such as Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars and A Few Dollars More - films which made Clint Eastwood a household name - Call of Juarez is a First-Person Shooter for the PC. Gamers have the choice to play as one of two very different characters - Billy, a young Native American on the run for murder, or Reverend Ray, the outlaw-cum-vigilante who is hunting him down. Ray was and still is a very dangerous man. He's turned to religion in recent years in the belief that God himself has chosen him to clean up the Wild West.

There are certain factors to take into consideration when deciding which character to choose, and your choice will have a drastic effect on the gameplay. While Billy is comfortable using firearms, he prefers to use his trusty whip to hit, knock out or disarm foes. He can also use this weapon to grab objects that are out of reach and climb surfaces. Billy's agility with or without whip will also help gamers get out of dangerous situations. Controlling old Reverend Ray will feel like second nature to First Person Shooter fans - think Gun, Doom and Black etc. Don't let his age fool you, Reverend Ray is a deadly shot with both pistol and rifle. He is also immensely strong, able to break down doors with his bare hands, and carry unbelievably heavy objects. Never afraid to quote the Bible even in battle, he is an accomplished horseback rider as well as being extremely quick on foot. Reverend Ray is certainly someone you would rather have on your side than against you.

Call of Juarez incorporates a classic shooting system as well as two extra game modes. There is a special game mode based on an element which all classic Westerns had in their storyline - duels, of course. When gamers draw their gun in the face of an adversary, they will trigger slow-mo 'Bullet Time'. This means that when the action slows down, shooting several times at an opponent is possible. Another duelling mode is for shooting from distance, something which gamers will find can improve their aim drastically when shooting.

Graphically, the game is something of a looker, and offers gamers a cinematic experience, which again nods to the classic Western genre. The game also allows you to set fire to things, which is always good for a laugh (as long as you don't apply it to real life). Fire and smoke is a smart deterrent to enemy characters who may be on your tail, and the likes of an oil lamp is easily employed as a means of ignition if you so wish. Throw it, knock it over, shoot at the spilling fuel, and bingo! It's time for a good old fashioned burnin'!

As well as the single player option, there is also a multiplayer mode, which allows all players connected over a LAN or the Internet to put their own slant on the game by going up against varmints from around the world. Gunfights in the middle of town, robbing banks or trains - the choice is entirely yours. more