Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood

[Damien_Azreal]

A prequel to the original Call of Juarez was recently announced by Ubisoft, coming from Techland again, thankfully.

http://www.gamershell.com/news_67520.html

I never expected any type of follow up or prequel to this game. I really enjoyed the first one, thought it was great... and Reverend Ray remains one of my all time favorite game characters ever. :)

I'll be keeping a close eye on this, hopefully it can live up to the first one.

[Phait]

If they position the weapons better I might consider it. Pistol seemed awful small.

[Llama Gibbz]

Somehow missed the first one.:doh:
Watched some videos and just ordered it.

Good western shooters are hard to come by.

[Phait]

Outlaws.

[MegaMustaine]

I didn't see this coming. A very welcome surprise. The original is one of my favorite games I own on my 360.

[Damien_Azreal]

If they position the weapons better I might consider it. Pistol seemed awful small.

I had no issues with the weapon positioning. The pistols did look small, but I would rather that than in most games when the pistol take sup most of the bottom of the screen. ;)

[Phait]

HL/2 had a good size with the .357

[Malgon]

I'm still yet to play the first one. I know I've got the demo on disc somewhere so I might have to give it a try sometime.

[Cleric]

I loved the visual effects coming from the guns. Nice, big puffs of smoke and all that. But I did think the audio was weak for the guns.

I'd love to see a duel minigame - I had save points at each of the showdowns :p

[DerricktheW]

I don't remember. Was Ray's last name Mccall, and his brother was Billy's uncle (or father, I don't remember)

If so, that kinda ruins the plot in the game, in that we know neither one will die (well, Ray definitely wont)

[Plagman]

In Call of Juarez, Ray McCall explains how he killed his brother right in the Juarez treasure room because he thought he was reaching for a gun to kill him and take the gold while he was in fact reaching for a Bible. I'm guessing this will be the final scene of this prequel.

[M-Jay]

still need to play the first one. -.-

[slapnutz]

COJ was a very enjoyable game indeed. I think most people (myself included) prefered playing as the old Rev rather than Billy (hated billies stealth missions)... but nonetheless it was a more than decent game and I'm glad theres a prequel in the works.

[The Stinger]

I'm really looking forward to this, one of my favorite games.
Too bad there aren't that many wild west FPS games.

[hiob]

Awesome. Loved the first one. Hopefully this will be as good or even better than it.

[Daedolon]

Great! Definately getting this, although I'm starting to worry about how my computer will run the games coming in 2009, especially since I could hardly run the original Call of Juarez but could play the original STALKER with max settings.

[Micki!]

Somehow they make it sound like it's with coop, especially the title of the game...
I really hope that is the case...

[Acid]

Sounds good, these guys still working on that other game Dead island? http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/deadisland/index.html?tag=result;title;1

[Damien_Azreal]

Yep. And Chrome 2.

[jimbob]

great news :D

[Cleric]

COJ was a very enjoyable game indeed. I think most people (myself included) prefered playing as the old Rev rather than Billy (hated billies stealth missions)... but nonetheless it was a more than decent game and I'm glad theres a prequel in the works.

Billy was annoying, just like his missions. I never tried getting through stealthily, mostly because his bow and arrow were probably the best I've seen yet in a game.

@ Acid - Dead Island looks totally badass :)

[hiob]

I liked Billies missions, although the trial and error aspect made some of them frustrating. But climbing Eagle Mountain was pretty awesome. :D

[DerricktheW]

There was this one part involving his rope and you had to swing across this gap... it was a very, very, VERY small gap, but the way the terrain was molded made it near impossible for me to make it across

I swear, I played that single part of the game the most out of everything. Not by choice, but because I swore an oath to beat the damn thing.

[Phait]

There was this one part involving his rope and you had to swing across this gap... it was a very, very, VERY small gap

I'm imagining a chasm of no more than 1 foot apart :p

[Damien_Azreal]

I didn't have any issues with the platforming in the game. For once, jumping and swinging in first person felt pretty stable.

The stealth was a bit of a... pain. But thankfully in the US release they made it more lenient. In the original UK release it stealth or nothing in some sections... in the US release you could completely ignore stealth and just fight everyone. :)

[Micki!]

Tell me about it, i got it when it first came, it feels like it's incomplete when i hear what the re-done US version had for changes...

Isn't there a patch for the UK/EU release to make it have the changes of the current US version ..? I feel like a wasted money on a beta version...

[Marty]

im actually playing through the first again, this is great news.

[The Stinger]

Tell me about it, i got it when it first came, it feels like it's incomplete when i hear what the re-done US version had for changes...

Isn't there a patch for the UK/EU release to make it have the changes of the current US version ..? I feel like a wasted money on a beta version...

I thought the Call of Juarez 1.1.1.0 - DX10 Enhancement Pack (http://files.filefront.com/Call+of+Juarez+1110+DX10+Enhancement+Pack/;8779555;/fileinfo.html) changed the game into the US version.

[crunchy superman]

^ It does.

[Micki!]

Then i should go get that :o

[DerricktheW]

New info

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/956/956618p1.html

And a trailer

[Marty]

ooo very nice. i wasn't expecting them to use the same voice actor as he sounds much older than he looks.

[Damien_Azreal]

Awesome.

Can't wait, I may have to reinstall CoJ now. ;)

[DerricktheW]

Man it looks amazing

I was looking at Red Dead Redemption and thinking "I know someone can make a better looking one.."

And here it is

That trailer was just... instant buy.

[Echo Black]

Reverend Ray is the coolest FPS gunslinger since Caleb. :tinyted:

[big fat lazy]

Sound's interesting, though I found the first one to be OK at best, the western setting is pretty much the only reason I liked it.

As for Red Dead Redemption, is that coming to PC?

[Reaper]

As for Red Dead Redemption, is that coming to PC?
Maybe. It's coming from Rockstar, so if it isn't popular enough on consoles it may not, but if it is, expect a delayed port.

[peoplessi]

Maybe. It's coming from Rockstar, so if it isn't popular enough on consoles it may not, but if it is, expect a delayed and bad port.

Here, let me fix that :)

[Damien_Azreal]

New trailer. (http://www.gametrailers.com/player/47141.html) :)

[Ras]

Marc Alaimo is the man.

[hiob]

New trailer. (http://www.gametrailers.com/player/47141.html) :)

Looks pretty cool, not a fan of the red glow on enemies in slow-motion though. My eyes still work well enough to see where the enemies are without that crap, thank you.

[Marty]

very nice trailer...... and i dont care much for the red glow either.

[Damien_Azreal]

Yeah... the red glow is a bit much. At least the enemy highlight in FEAR 2 just amplified the lighting in the room. So, if enemies were by a red glowing pop machine, that side of the enemy glowed red.

But this bright, red glow just seems really... wow. Overdone much.

I loved the targeting multiple enemies and then unloading on the whole group. :D That looked f**king awesome.

[Phait]

New screens http://media.pc.ign.com/media/143/14312662/imgs_1.html
Preview http://pc.ign.com/articles/978/978092p1.html

[Steve]

New screens http://media.pc.ign.com/media/143/14312662/imgs_1.html
Preview http://pc.ign.com/articles/978/978092p1.html

Hey nice.

[Acid]

Like the pictures, this is a game on my to get list.

[Mr Bear]

Liza won! (http://cowgirlmodel.de/)

[Lethe]

I just saw the new trailer (http://www.shacknews.com/laryn.x?story=59186)on Shacknews. Looks really awesome. It has potential to be the first interesting fps release this year.

Also, some developers could watch this to learn how to make a good trailer.

[crunchy superman]

I'll pick it up, but I'll likely wait to see what patches it needs. I loved the first one, but it definitely wasn't ready for prime time.

[Damien_Azreal]

I just saw the new trailer (http://www.shacknews.com/laryn.x?story=59186)on Shacknews. Looks really awesome. It has potential to be the first interesting fps release this year.

Also, some developers could watch this to learn how to make a good trailer.

Nice trailer.... but it's publishers. ;) Not developers. In most cases it's the publisher that handles making the trailers and adverts.

And the pacing in that trailer is very similar to the pacing of a few of the trailers Ubisoft did for FarCry 2. But, this game looks much better (story wise) than FC2.
I loved the first Call of Juarez... so I'll definitely be getting this one.

One thing, I don't like the enemies glowing red when in focus mode, or flashing blue when getting shot. Just looks.... bad.

[Delicieuxz]

I loved the atmosphere of the first game, and I'm looking forward to this one. Has there been any mention of how long the game is expected to be?

[hanged_man]

Cant wait for this game, finally an fps game in the wild west other than the first call of juarez. Makes me wish that lucasarts resurrects Outlaws, it was one of the best fps game and it's artistic direction was awesome

[Master Blaster]

I hope the game will be good.

[DerricktheW]

Cant wait for this game, finally an fps game in the wild west other than the first call of juarez. Makes me wish that lucasarts resurrects Outlaws, it was one of the best fps game and it's artistic direction was awesome

There was Dead Man's Hand, if you could get into the game.

Only thing that took me off that was you ran way too slow.

[SplatterHappy]

Cant wait for this game, finally an fps game in the wild west other than the first call of juarez. Makes me wish that lucasarts resurrects Outlaws, it was one of the best fps game and it's artistic direction was awesome
I've been hoping someone at lucasarts with some sense would start an Outlaws sequel since I finished the first one way back when... THAT was an awesome western fps! I'm hoping CoJ:BiB is at least as fun as the first CoJ, if not better.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/59288

Multiplayer trailer

[Acid]

This game better be good, ive pre ordered it :)

[Mr Bear]

Anyone play this yet??

This game has really grown on me.....I went from being "meh" about it to anticipating it more than any other '09 title so far.

The graphics look as though they could be the best of this year.

And the gameplay looks equally impressive(to me, at least).


Edit: I just read in several places that this is like Call of Duty set in the Wild West. :love::love: I think I've just about made up my mind.....;)


Edit 2: Well, maybe not....even though it got 90 percent and 87 percent review scores from PC Gamer(Germany) and Gamestar, respectively, they said the SP campaign was only 5 and a half to 6 hours long! :o

And it was mentioned that the multiplayer helped boost their ratings from otherwise lower scores. Not being an MP type of guy, I'm back on the fence. :rolleyes:

[Delicieuxz]

I was very excited about this, but I don't pay anywhere near full price for 6 hours of play. For $20, yes. I don't support this trend in games becoming shorter and shorter - which has been going on for a long time now. If Steam puts it on sale for $20 at some point, maybe I'll buy. Otherwise, not now, not ever.

[hiob]

Apparantly this game has one of the best stories in video-game history and is one of the few games that (despite being only 6 hours long) makes you feel fully satisfied when the credits roll. I loved the first one, so I'm going to get this one too. I really hope what the reviews say about the story is true.

[Mr Bear]

Well, I think I'm going to hold off until I read more reviews.


If they can convince me that it'll be the most worthwhile six hours of my life, then I'm in. :)


Edit: Well, I sucked it up and got it.....primarily due to the fact that I found an unused gift card.

But now that I'm playing it, I don't regret it one bit......the graphics are astounding. As good as the screenshots and videos look, they still don't even come close to seeing the game in motion.

But what's even more shocking is the performance. I almost backed out of buying it, fearing my PC couldn't handle it. But lo and behold, I'm running the game fully maxed out with zero framerate problems- which is amazing, considering the fact that I'm almost embarrassed to say how old my rig is.

And the load times kick ass. For me, never more than three seconds- if even.

As much as I loved the first game, BiB wipes the floor with it. I honestly can't remember being so satisfied with a game.

And it's so immersive as well.....people weren't kidding when they said it was like Western take on CoD.

Even if you don't like Westerns, but do like FPS games(such as CoD) I wholeheartedly recommend it.

[Damien_Azreal]

I plan on picking this up as soon as I can. Five or six hours long, I don't care. The quality of a game is not in how long it is... quantity doesn't equal quality. ;)

I'll gladly take a six hour long game that's fantastic over a ten hour game that's okay.

[Mr Bear]

I'm actually over seven hours into the game and unless the ending super abrupt, I think there's plenty more to go.

I'm not the fastest player in the world, but it's not like I'm standing still to enjoy the scenery for five minutes at random intervals.

Even if it had ended already, it would still be well worth the $. Most movies are only about 1.5 hrs long and people still buy them on Blu Ray.....and this game definitely feels like an interactive movie, due to the high production values, intriguing storyline, and a good variety of gameplay elements.

Had it been a vanilla shoot 'em up with no real purpose, even 5 hrs. might been too long.

As Damien mentioned, I'd MUCH rather have the developers make the very most out of 6-7 hours than have a 12-14 hour game that unnecessarily stretches everything out, only for the sake of increasing play time.

Unfortunately, you see this way too often and this monotony-inducing method of game design actually makes me more reluctant to pick up an FPS when I hear it is hyped to be "super-long"

[Lethe]

I can't wait to try this!

[Mr Bear]

Okay, I finished it....but I've been playing practically non-stop since sunrise.


You're lucky I'm not going to say anything, clicking here could've been a huge mistake on your part!


It wouldn't really be fair to call it the best Western game around because imho, it measures up considerably to most of the other quality shooters- whether they take place in WWII, Los Angeles, or on the moon.

Even if you can't stand Westerns but love First Person Shooting, this game is a must-buy in my book.


And screw the 8 something hours it took me to complete it- this is one of those very few games that I'm actually going to replay multiple times.....and most likely enjoy it every bit as much if not more than I did the first time through.

[jimbob]

so its out? and its good? cool :D

[DerricktheW]

I'm really thinking about getting it (will go look later on at stores)

How much is it alike to the original?

The co-op type of gameplay (though not actually co-op) is one of the big selling points to me, and the other is that its a western game.

[Mr Bear]

I'm really thinking about getting it (will go look later on at stores)

How much is it alike to the original?

The co-op type of gameplay (though not actually co-op) is one of the big selling points to me, and the other is that its a western game.


I though the original was awesome, but BiB takes it to a new level. First off there's no stealth missions, which I doubt anyone will miss.

Secondly, several of the levels are free-roam letting you fully explore it before you choose your next mission.

While the first game had some impressive gameplay sequences, BiB's set pieces are significantly more grandiose. I normally downright hate rail-shooter sections of levels, but here they were done so well that I found myself anxiously awaiting the next horse or stagecoach ride.

And while the AI had the potential to be horrid I believe that it was pulled off pretty well, too.

The "Concentration mode" is wickedly fun to partake in and watch.....it makes the game a bit too easy sometimes but then again, I was playing it on "Easy". :doh:

There are some other elements that make the game different/better than the first, but it'd ruin the experience too much.


I honestly can't imagine any fan of the original CoJ finding BiB to be inferior. :)

[hellchicken]

Wow, Techland and their Chrome engine have come a long way, that's for sure.

Go Polska! :)

[DerricktheW]

Polski pride :D

You're starting to sell me Bear.

One of the things I thought the original could've used was a sort of free roam capability, or a way to just walk through towns without having to fight someone in scripted sequences every time the exact same way.

Is what your saying, you beat a level and you get a chance to explore it after, or its like you beat a level, you end up in some town you get to explore (and buy equipment?) and then start the next level in a different locale?

[Mr Bear]

There are several breaks during the game when you can travel wherever you want and complete side tasks before continuing the main story.

When I say "travel wherever you want" I mean within the space you are allotted. While you can't backtrack over the entire world, the "free" areas are plenty big. IIRC, some of the free areas and linear areas overlap a bit giving the game a more realistic feel as opposed most games where levels are clearly chopped up and strewn together.

Another thing is that there are some story branches where you choose which brother you play as. You'll still end up in the same place, but both the guys have their advantages and disadvantages so depending on what type of gamer you are; picking the right one can make it easier or harder. It's really just a matter of preference.

I'm still reeling from the fact that my no-longer-state-of-the-art PC can produce such sexy visuals. I can't believe I was worried about even running it on low! :o lol

[DerricktheW]

Well I hope you're proud of yourself jackass, you got me to shell out the 60 bones.

Now to start calling stores...

[Mr Bear]

Please don't kill me if you hate it.....I only stated my personal opinions and some facts about the single player quest.


And one other thing that makes it better than the 1st. No more jumping/platforming areas!!

I absolutely despised the series of frustrating leaps that had to be set up and timed perfectly- thank god they are gone.

[Damien_Azreal]

How is the performance? That's my only curiosity with the game.

[DerricktheW]

No worries, I'm not gonna hold you to a torch and burn you. I'm sure I'll like it whether its what I expect or not.

An improved Call of Juarez (or just another Call of Juarez for that matter) is good enough for me.

[Mr Bear]

How is the performance? That's my only curiosity with the game.

My PC is a good five years old and it ran smoothly enough for me with everything cranked all the way up. Perhaps not 60 fps, but nowhere's close to being what anyone might call problematic, let alone unplayable.

I seem to remember you saying that your PC could handle Crysis quite decently........it'll run BiB in it's sleep.

[Damien_Azreal]

Awesome. :)
Yeah, my PC can run Crysis on High pretty easily. The original Call of Juarez runs perfectly fine as well, I remember from a few interviews that they said they had made a lot of improvements to the renderer's performance.

[Mr Bear]

It's weird because CoJ1 used the Chrome 3 engine, whilst CoJ2 uses the Chrome 4 engine.....yet the latter runs better!!!

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the Chrome 4 engine is pretty much the same as Chrome 3 except for maybe a few added features- as opposed to a full new engine(i.e the jump from unreal engine 2 to unreal engine 3).


Whatever the case may be, it's still super impressive how much better CoJ2 looks than CoJ1, yet CoJ2 can play on less powerful PCs than it's predecessor.

[DerricktheW]

Sounds like they're going to give John Carmack a run for his money.

[jimbob]

they are selling it here tomorow. if the shipping times are short ill buy it right away :D

[Lethe]

Sounds like they're going to give John Carmack a run for his money.

It's weird because CoJ1 used the Chrome 3 engine, whilst CoJ2 uses the Chrome 4 engine.....yet the latter runs better!!!


Not really. The game is actually a linear rollercoaster, from what I managed to gather. That explains good performance. Levels are very constricted and linear. CoJ 1 had much bigger world.

[DerricktheW]

What about Doom 3, HL2, or Merchants of Brooklyn? Those games were all linear, the latter of which needed a god machine to run on high.

From what I'm seeing, its still a very open game with huge landscapes, yet it runs better than the first, which looks a lot less detailed.

[Mr Bear]

To be completely honest it's been ages since I've played CoJ1 so I don't remember it that well. There were big open areas in it, and they very well may have been bigger than those of the 2nd game....but if so, I doubt it's by that much.


Let me put it this way: almost every other relatively linear FPS will seem quite claustrophobic in comparison to BiB. There's certainly no boxed-in DooM 3 crap.

And for me, personally, if BiB was any more open-ended I'd feel overwhelmed and/or lost. But keep in mind that I usually have a fairly poor sense of navigation in Sandbox-style games, so I'm sure there are some people out there who would've preferred BiB have more play-space. I'm sure the upcoming Red Dead Redemption will satisfy them enough.

[Damien_Azreal]

Now, if only I can get my hands on it. :p The biggest problem living where I do is actually getting games.

[hellchicken]

I'm still waiting for some more reviews for this game, but damn, the videos I saw of it so far look like really fun gameplay.

This really should be a co-op game (offline and online), judging from what I've seen. But I suppose it isn't, is it?

[DerricktheW]

Been getting ridiculously good praise for it's awesome multiplayer, and none seem to be negative to the fact it doesn't have co-op.

I think that is the ONLY game with MP that could've had co-op that the critics don't bitch and bash for.

[Jokke_r]

It was fun but short, 5 hours. Great graphics, ran smooth as hell with everything maxed at 1920x1200 on a C2D 3.0GHz 4gigs of ram and GF 9800GX2.

It was fun but very linear, think call of duty but in a western, thats how it plays, there are 2 levels which are kinda open ended, they're between story levels where you can buy new guns from a store and/or pick up wanted posters and do side missions for cash (which you use to buy ammo or guns). The game got ridiculously hard towards the end imo, in the very last levels you suddenly can't take half the damage you could in the previous levels, you die almost instantly. Movement felt a bit sticky at times. Overall a very good game. I wish someone would make like an open world western RPG, now that would rock.

[DerricktheW]

Red Dead Redemption.

Not a full on RPG, but I for one would hate to play Fallout Western.

[Montykoro!]

Buy or not buy... I like Cod 4... so this is "like cod 4 in the old west"?

[Betelgeuse]

one thing i like, is how they made it so when ever you aim down your iron sight and you're behind cover, it automatically ducks behind that cover and all you need to do is slowly move your mouse in the direction you want to peek around, rather than the hold-ctrl, let go, hold-ctrl, let go, "e"+"q" to lean, method. But there have been some situations where it has just felt damn awkward, but still i nice change, i don't think i have played a game that has used this kind of cover technique.

near the end, has been fun, Will annoys me.

[MegaMustaine]

Buy or not buy... I like Cod 4... so this is "like cod 4 in the old west"?

You should definitely get it as it is a great game, but it is nothing like COD IMHO. The game is definitely based upon shootout after shootout, but the game lets you proceed at your own pace unlike COD. There are no points where there are infinite guys and you have to progress to a certain point in order to stop this. You also don't fight with a group of guys, only your brother. I would say try the demo for the original COJ and you will have a good idea of what to expect from this game. It is truly an awesome experience.

[Montykoro!]

You should definitely get it as it is a great game, but it is nothing like COD IMHO. The game is definitely based upon shootout after shootout, but the game lets you proceed at your own pace unlike COD. There are no points where there are infinite guys and you have to progress to a certain point in order to stop this. You also don't fight with a group of guys, only your brother. I would say try the demo for the original COJ and you will have a good idea of what to expect from this game. It is truly an awesome experience.

Thanks!!!!... :love:

Now Downloading demo...and waiting 1 week for the game in Arg

[Damien_Azreal]

I just ordered the game off amazon.com, it will be here Monday. :)

[DerricktheW]

Mine should be here about then too

[Kennerado]

Just got this on PS3 today, played only a bit of it but it looks pretty sweet. I've been after a western FPS for a while after LucasArts Outlaws.

I have not played the first game though, I guess that never came out on PS3?

[Mr Bear]

The 1st game was only on the PC and 360.

[WoodenSword]

For those who think to buy it:

It doesn't feel like CoD (all of them). I really really like it.

Its gameplay even if it is linear (like CoD), doesn't feel that way....it feels like a "shooter". For some strange reason it really reminded me the AWESOME SunSet Rider's (platform game!!) (especially in concentration mode).

Btw did anyone else notice that the "death" sound is almost exactly the same with the one of Sunset rider's???

[Damien_Azreal]

Played the first mission and part of the second.... amazing. :D This game is simply awesome in so many ways.

[Kennerado]

The screen tearing is annoying during cut scenes.

[hiob]

^Just force V-Sync through the video card drivers. I can confirm it works with the newest Catalyst drivers, don't know about Nvidia's drivers though.

[SpinX]

it is a game with the best told story I've played so far... and I played mass effect and Mafia... well it equals with mafia :)

[hanged_man]

is there any stealth missions like in the first one or not ? is it more action-packed ?

[Kennerado]

I'm playing the PS3 version so I dont think there is a vsync option for that.

[WoodenSword]

is there any stealth missions like in the first one or not ? is it more action-packed ?

I have played half the game so far. Not only they are no stealth missions but generally stealth has no point for the game.

It's great! I didn't like the CoJ 1 at all...

[MegaMustaine]

I cannot believe how hard, very hard mode is. Also, the multiplayer kicks ass! The Hombre for the win!

[hiob]

I'm playing the PS3 version so I dont think there is a vsync option for that.

Haha, sorry. For some reason I just assume everyone plays the PC version. :p

[crunchy superman]

Got this the other day & installed it last night. Crashes to desktop about three seconds into the new game cutscene, even when trying to skip it. :mad:

[Cleric]

Is the vsync a problem on the console versions as well? That's a shame, I saw some cutscenes in a video review and it was pretty awful.

[Damien_Azreal]

Yeah, v-sync is an issue on both console versions. Thankfully on PC you can force it on through your respective graphics control panel. It works on both ATI and Nvidia.

Getting AA to work so far has been useless though. But I will say, at 1280*1024, even without AA this game looks much better than other games at the same res without AA. Seems the game uses an edge blur, similar to the edgeAA in Crysis and others.

Looks nice.

[SpinX]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5NSDEkP_nY

this game has one of the best trailers i've seen for a game...
Comes close to the DNF 2001 e3 trailer :)

hope a game with such a great story has a commercial succes

[SplatterHappy]

Yeah, v-sync is an issue on both console versions. Thankfully on PC you can force it on through your respective graphics control panel. It works on both ATI and Nvidia.

Getting AA to work so far has been useless though. But I will say, at 1280*1024, even without AA this game looks much better than other games at the same res without AA. Seems the game uses an edge blur, similar to the edgeAA in Crysis and others.

Looks nice.
I've played through the 360 version three times and haven't noticed a single issue with v-sync yet. Admittedly, I'm not doing it on an HD display though, just an old 27 inch Magnavox, so maybe that's why.

[Damien_Azreal]

I'd say that's why. On HD it's much easier to notice.

[Bludd]

Documents and Settings\[username]\My Documents\Call of Juarez - Bound in Blood\Out\Settings\Video.scr

for XP, probably in Users etc etc for Vista.

Open the file in a text editor and add VSync() at the end of the file. No need to force it via the driver control panel.

[Acid]

Im enjoying the multiplayer to this, had some fps problem before though, it just dropped, was running fine, which it should on my system, then i get this massive fps drop, seemed to happen when i used one of the mounted gatling guns, bit odd.

[Ironside]

Now, if only I can get my hands on it. :p The biggest problem living where I do is actually getting games.
I guarantee you that I live in a more remote location then you and I can still get it. Ebay maybe?

[Damien_Azreal]

I guarantee you that I live in a more remote location then you and I can still get it. Ebay maybe?

I got it through Amazon.com. It's the only way I can get new games is to order online. The only store we have in our town is a Wal-Mart and they don't have a PC section anymore.

They got rid of it last time they did a mod reset, saying PC games don't sell well enough to carry them. Asses.

[Cleric]

I took a look on Ebay just out of curiosity, and you could probably get this game for around $40 at the moment. There are a lot of them, too, so you have a lot of chances :)

[Ironside]

God I'm loving this game. :D But I'm a redneck freak from hell so it may not be for everyone. If you dont like the old west then get off my rock! BOOM!

[Tekedon]

I watched my brother beat the pc version today. I must say that it was a nice game, some of the animations were a little stiff though, and lipsyncing could have been improved. But otherwise it looked great. And we didn't notice any framerate drops at all throughout the whole game, and we were playing with everything on highest. :) very well optimized engine. We bought the first Call of Juarez too, for 9€, the first one runs worse than than bound in blood, at least in dx10 mode.

[Betelgeuse]

finished it. meh, it's ok.

EDIT:like, it's fun, but seriously meh. it's nothing special really. it's good though. worth the money people! but yeah, it's just me, geting over FPS i suppose.

[Bludd]

finished it. meh, it's ok.

EDIT:like, it's fun, but seriously meh. it's nothing special really. it's good though. worth the money people! but yeah, it's just me, geting over FPS i suppose.

For me, it lacks polish. The feel just isn't completely right.

[Damien_Azreal]

Just finished it.

I loved it. The story was very well done, given the subject matter it could've easily gone overly campy pretty quick. But they kept it grounded and even pretty gritty.

The game's stats screen said it took me 5 hours 40 minutes to finish it. Yeah, maybe a little short... but it's a tight, polished ride. Any longer and it would've felt dragged out IMO.

[December Man]

Just finished it too.

Perfect sequel(or prequel). Better in every aspect. Polished, satisfying.

[Damien_Azreal]

Only complaint I have with the game....

Towards the end, the chapter when your storm Juarez's compound.... you are forced to play as Thomas for that section.
Did not like that bit.

Thomas can't take hardly any damage, so it makes you much easier to take down. And the spawning enemies are a pain in the ass.
Other than that one spot... I'd say the game is almost perfect IMO.

[Cleric]

I just got this game for $3 - employee appreciation at Gamestop :D. It would have easily been worth the full price, though. Fun as all hell so far, and I love the creative trophies.

[Echo Black]

Just got this for PC, too lazy to read the rest of the thread, so excuse me if this has been answered:

Any way to turn off the sticky aim? It's an absurd feature for a PC shooter. I can notice my crosshair sticking to people when I aim at them (as Ray) and it makes me want to stop playing immediately.

I'm at the mission that introduces Salma Hayek, by the way. No, I don't really know her name. :p

[Damien_Azreal]

The auotaim is for Ray only and only when using the pistols. Ray is a brawler and the better shot with a pistol out of the two brothers.

It's not that big an issue really, but if it really bugs you... play as Thomas instead. :p

[Echo Black]

Picking Thomas? No way. Ray is too awesome. :D

But this is a pretty stupid feature. Watch out for DNF, every gun will automatically lock on target because Duke is just that good.

[Damien_Azreal]

I can't remember if it does it with one pistol, but with two pistols out... you can target two enemies at once... making Ray seem even more badass.

You get used to it, it bothered me for the first level... but after a while I didn't even notice.

[Echo Black]

The Volcano handgun is my new favorite FPS weapon. By jove. The sound, the animations. Blasting fools with it while on horseback. (L)

[Cleric]

I noticed that with Ray's sticky aim, the reticule separates. Am I seeing things, or was I targeting two people at the same time?

Edit: Nevermind, just read what DA said above me :doh:

[Echo Black]

I'm at the third city hub. Great game so far. I have a Superb Volcano Gun, Superb Quickshooter, and Prime Classic Rifle. Is "Superb" the last weapon tier or there's something above? Also, I can't find Superb Shotgun (not the sawn-off) for sale. :( I wish the "Superb" guns weren't golden... They all look a lot worse than the regular ones. Something odd about a gritty mutha like Ray carrying a bunch of golden weapons.

[Acid]

Been playing more of the multiplayer, having some good fun, pity there wasnt more servers and good ones, get alot of lag on the few that are there.

[Cleric]

I just beat the game a few minutes ago. Overall, I think it's fantastic, but I did have a few issues with some parts. For starters, the dueling isn't as fun as it was in the first. The perspective is very cool, but it looks silly when your bullet hits your target instantly while the game is still in slow motion. Also, the bodies are very rigid, which resulted in some awkward looking kills, both during duels and during the rest of the game. The body physics were definitely better in the first game. Hell, all of the animations are rigid as well, which really hurt the cutscenes (although the second last cutscene was very well done). The bow weapon also isn't as fun as it was in the first game because, for whatever reason, your arrows can defy gravity and fly straight forever.

But those are minor issues. The gunplay is fun as hell, the graphics are superb, the story is very well done, and the dialog between the McCalls is entertaining without being too corny. It's easily one of my favorite games to come out this year.

[Echo Black]

Ray's voice acting is one of the best I've heard in a good while. It's right up there with David Hayter as Solid Snake. It really made the character come alive.

[Damien_Azreal]

I know.
They absolutely nailed Ray. From his looks, attitude, voice... everything. One of the best video game characters to come along in YEARS.

[Betelgeuse]

i played through it again with ray this time, i liked it a lot more the 2nd play through, i love how they give you the choice between each character at each section (although i played with thomas the entire way through the first time).

that part where you blow up the damn to drain the lake is one of my favourite parts, and all of that part in the canyon where you lead juarez's wagon to the rifles, there are some really great views. yee haw! *bang bang*

[Damien_Azreal]

"They can shoot me, they can set my ass on fire... but I f**king hate water!" :D

[Betelgeuse]

lol! that line cracked me up, i wasn't expecting the "f**cking" in his sentence, caught me off guard. he may be afraid of water but he's still a bad ass when he says it like that. :D

[Echo Black]

Finished the game. Great game, but disappointing ending.Do they just get over it like that? Bah, what a cop-out. Ray seemed quick to get over what he did to William, too.

[Damien_Azreal]

I don't think Ray just got over it. It seems to be his driving force in what he does with his life afterwards, if he just got over it... why become a priest?

[Echo Black]

One would think he'd at least go through with his rage. And why does he suddenly get over what Thomas did? If anything, he should have killed him too, since he did betray him in the end. He planned to abandon Ray and get the gold with Marisa. William takes a bullet for Thomas and it becomes all good, a few sentences after, Ray is marrying them both. That felt way too rushed, I would have preferred a darker ending.

[Damien_Azreal]

Well, the ending had to setup the events/characters of the first game as well.

[Echo Black]

I understand, but didn't it seem out of character for Ray? The entire game paints him as a vengeful bastard. The kind of guy that would permanently cut contact with his brother because he ended up with a woman he liked (but that didn't like him back). When Thomas proved himself to really be a prick (wasn't for William telling Ray of the gold's whereabouts, he would have deserted Ray and left him without a dime), it seemed like something Ray wouldn't forgive. You kill people for lesser reasons the entire game, including killing a Marshall in a duel because he was angry that Thomas had gotten frisky with his daughter. :) So yeah, to me it felt odd that Ray suddenly forgave Thomas. As a human, he should feel hurt over William's death, yes, but a hardass shouldn't go soft from something like that. :D

[Cleric]

I understand, but didn't it seem out of character for Ray? The entire game paints him as a vengeful bastard. The kind of guy that would permanently cut contact with his brother because he ended up with a woman he liked (but that didn't like him back). When Thomas proved himself to really be a prick (wasn't for William telling Ray of the gold's whereabouts, he would have deserted Ray and left him without a dime), it seemed like something Ray wouldn't forgive. You kill people for lesser reasons the entire game, including killing a Marshall in a duel because he was angry that Thomas had gotten frisky with his daughter. :) So yeah, to me it felt odd that Ray suddenly forgave Thomas. As a human, he should feel hurt over William's death, yes, but a hardass shouldn't go soft from something like that. :D

Maybe it was sort of an epiphany for Ray once he saw what he had done. In the cutscene where William is shot (which is the most well done scene in the game), you can see Ray drop to his knees and cover his head, as if he realized that what he was doing was a gigantic f*ck up and it had been what William was trying to prevent all along. The whole scene should have been longer, though - the General's appearance was way too soon and it kind of tossed all of that emotion out the window. I've noticed that a lot of Ubi's games have really short cutscenes, and it upsets me.

[Delicieuxz]

I finished the game in 5.5 hours. Overall, I think it was meh, definitely not worth full price, imo. I say that with just the sp in mind because I tend to not play mp modes in games, they just don't often grab me. Overall, I remember enjoying the first CoJ a lot more than I did this one.

Issues I had were the stand-out lack of mo-capture, no mouse-smoothing, lack of exploration, the shootouts needing tweaking, the focus-mode being preferable in the first CoJ, and the first person running perspective, which is maybe the worst I've ever seen and just silly for a game of this generation.

The story was ok, I think it received a lot of hype, and while there was a cutscene between every level to further it, I don't think it was necessarily a great high for storytelling in games. I think it just seems that way because the fps genre tends to go light on that aspect.

For a game that's 5.5 hours long to be worth full price, it'd have to be more than just merely better than anything we've ever seen before. This game isn't that, and isn't close to rivaling the "best ever"s, and, price aside, I think that the 7/10, 8/10 scores BiB received are pretty on the money. At $18, it'd be a fair price. Times the game length and price both by 3, and you have a full title.

[Damien_Azreal]

I will admit, the run speed... is bad. Doesn't even feel like you are moving any faster.

[Echo Black]

To Delicieuxz:

I'm not saying the plot was good, but the characters were so likable, I didn't even mind. It's like a good action movie, what stays with you are the characters, not the premise or the reason why they're kicking ass. As an example, I can tell you that most people like the Rocky movies due to the character of Rocky himself, not because of how the plot advances or how it is written. :)

[Delicieuxz]

True, I also really liked the two brothers.

[Ironside]

I tried out the new dlc today andf thought the levels were superb. Now I just have to dl them onto my box.

[Kit]

Read some of the glowing feedback in this thread last night and decided to give the demo a go… one word - brilliant!

I absolutely love the soft cover when you brush up against a corner (they’ve set a new standard in my eyes) and the gradual focus when aiming is another a nice touch. The slow mo shooting, even though I kept ballooning every shot, seemed pretty cool but I did have a few problems during the quick fire section; tbh I’m still not sure if you just need the hand close to the gun or you have to press the mouse button.

Oh, and one question for those who've played both: is it worth playing through the first before buying this?

[DerricktheW]

I dunno, I played the first one through and through again before even knowing they were making a new one.

And I kind of wish I could play Bound in Blood before the original, only because when you play and beat the original, you already know what happens in BiB.

Unless you already know the story and all that. I'd say, definitely pick up Bound in Blood, and if you REALLY love it, then give the original a try; just keep in mind, BiB is a lot more action oriented, and harder to get lost.

[Damien_Azreal]

I would say play them both, but in order. If you play the second one first... it spoils a lot of the characters and such in the first game.

Also, after playing the second one... it's hard to go back to the first one. The gameplay mechanics are far more polished in Bound in Blood.