When I first started playing Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, I wasn't its biggest fan. The shooting felt loose, the game felt uninhabited and the pace felt dull - then I started getting into a rhythm and found out just why Techland's latest is so special. The developers have wisely returned the series back to its Wild West roots (the last game was set in the modern day with a focus on drug cartels) and put the focus solely on the game's unique and fun shooting mechanic. The result is a fun and addicting shooter that feels more like an old west shooting gallery than a modern day first-person-shooter, and that in itself is worth checking out.

"The writing is often clever and witty..."

Gunslinger's story is told via a series of flashbacks by protagonist Silas Greaves, who may or may not be telling the truth about his adventures in the Wild West. Famous outlaws like Billy the Kid and Butch Cassidy make appearances, and are often interchangeable within stories as Gunslinger's tongue is planted firmly in cheek. The writing is often clever and witty and pokes fun at gaming conventions and pop culture, but it never seems like the writing team is digging too far for a laugh. It also helps that Greaves voice work is done with such gravely care that the character is extremely likeable and even a bit relatable.

The story has it's place in Gunslinger, but it never gets in the way of what Techland smartly focused on - the pure unadulterated fun of getting into an old west shootout. The game controls much like other first person shooters on the market, but functions much differently. Similar to Bulletstorm of a few years ago, the object of Gunslinger is not just to get through the game, but to do so with style. Every gunfight, every shot, is scored, and gaining momentum and gaining score multipliers, which almost forces you to keep thinking on your feet.

"Enemies are often spread widely throughout the map..."

The layout and progression of the world of Call of Juarez also adds to the game's appeal. Enemies are often spread widely throughout the map and require your constant attention to stay on top of your pursuers. The payoff is worth it though, I had a lot of fun trying to beat my friends score's and then trying over and over to beat my own score.

Aside from the standard shooter gameplay, Gunslinger features the series trademark duels, which have been tweaked to flow better and be much more dramatic than its predecessors. The game does tend to slow down and lose a lot of its momentum when it comes to highly overpowered boss battles, where the game loses any source of strategy and you're left just spamming until you survive.

I'll admit that I didn't expect much from Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, but the folks at Techland made the right decision to return the game to its old west roots and put the focus on gunplay. The result is a remarkably fun, if not shallow shooting experience that's fun regardless of how many times you've been through it. Saddle up.