So, I just finished Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood.

I’ll admit that my main reasons for playing the game were only to hear exaggerated wild west accents, and to shoot pistols akimbo like the crazy Texan from The Simpsons.

BiB did deliver in both regards, but what really surprised me was the thought and care put into the story. The characterisation was a pleasant surprise, with a mixed cast consisting of a young preacher; a womanising lasso twirler; a headstrong and violent gunslinger; a deceitful Mexican bandito and his beautiful yet manipulative woman; a scorned Southern general; and an Apache brave. It’s a large list of characters to follow for a First Person Shooter, of all things, but the story is warm and chewy like well-made popcorn. It doesn’t require you to think too much, but it employs enough drama to keep you interested as to why you’re slinging guns and popping rifles.

Graphics and presentation are stunning, with a heavy emphasis on post-processing effects. High-end cards are the order of the day here.

Some nifty gameplay elements attempt to separate this from the numerous other shooters out there. There’s the option to choose one of the two playable brothers in the game, which usually means different weapons and abilities. There’s also a heavy focus on time-slowing, which is erring into the realm of cliche, but it’s relevant and it works, for the most part. The gun showdowns are something different, although the controls are a bit awkward when using the mouse.

It’s not so much essential gaming as it is comfort gaming. Well worth a second-hand purchase and definitely worth a look if you find it marked down.