CALL OF JUAREZ: GUNSLINGER

Brothers, ring the bells. The dream of Red Dead Redemption may still be far from the loving embrace of The Mother Platform™, but the Polish Brothers of Techland have heard our cries of pain and anguish. They heard our teeth grinding in the darkness, our sobs to the beat of "The Man Comes Around".

Call of Juarez-Gunslinger, besides being a wonderful tribute to all the westerns that have made us men (what do you mean "I grew up with Batman and who's Pat Garrett, Uncle? ") is a truly epic action game, a Borderlands 2 in scale, with an spaghetti western wrapper and action and gameplay lifted directly from the platinum pages of the Big Book of Gamecraft.

He camouflaged his depressions and derangements with masquerades of extreme cordiality, courtesy, and goodwill towards others.

BORN TO LOSE, LIVE TO WIN

After the bitter taste of faux-skin disappointment that Cartel left us, the Poles were fired up. They wanted at all costs to show us that the heavyweight Call of Juarez name was still their true and beloved stalwart. So Gunslinger was born. Theoretically a "small" title, download only, with a focus on fast and explosive action. The prognosticators said that at best it would be a merely nice little game, which perhaps restored the glamour of the series along with our faith in it.

Reality is some thousands of times, some bloody galaxies better. Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, is the most convincing, most badass simulation of a western (sic) dream you can play right now on PC. The gameplay, although plain, is dreamily correct. The weapons at your disposal are few, but they're exactly what you need, and their response, as much as their damage output, is dreamy. Heads explode and time goes into bullet time for every head shot, gorgeous, semi-cell-shaded graphics in the best tradition of Borderlands 2 take over to bring the Far West fantasy to life and John Cygan's epically creepy voiceover really brings the excellent character of Silas Greaves to life.

Best friend, Judas Iscariot. What does it matter?

Speaking of Silas...the Gunslinger storyline is deceptively simple. An old bounty hunter arrives at a saloon in the middle of nowhere and, in exchange for some dirty whiskey, recounts his life story to a bunch of seemingly random people. Herein lies the beautiful gameplay innovation of the latest Call of Juarez. You may play as if you're in a traditional FPS, but often times Silas' narration overlaps events, revealing objects and pathways or even cancelling entire sections of gameplay and taking you back even further to experience the "real" version of events.

The directorial effectiveness of this mechanic is truly admirable, as you never feel like the developers are overdoing it or using it whenever they remember. This happy medium of "just right" use of flashbacks sounds easier than it actually is and adds the most to our gameplay experience.

And speaking of gameplay experience...Gunslinger, without a trace of exaggeration, is probably the most fun action game you'll play this year. With incredibly responsive controls and super-satisfying weapons, it's a gritty ride in the true footsteps of a legend. By putting on Silas' boots, you are set to experience a near-real-life version of Far West's most legendary moments. The action is blistering, the weapons perfectly in keeping with the spirit and needs of the time.

The artwork that connects Silas' narrative is atmospheric.

The seven hours or so that the campaign lasts is the minimum of your involvement with the title. The brilliantly implemented Arcade and Duels modes promise to keep you busy for dozens of hours after the regular storyline is over. And the leveling system with infinite abilities that are unlocked and transferred to a possible New Game Plus, practically guarantees that you will play the entire game at least a second time.

Without wanting to give away spoilers, I have to scream from every nearby dune that Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is the most authentic desperado simulator we've ever played on PC. The cel-shaded graphics remind me of those of the beloved Borderlands 2, the action is truly stunning, and the difficulty level is challenging even in the lowest possible setting.

Of special note are the awesome collectibles, which reveal the truth behind some of the greatest legends of the West. Just think of my devastation when I learned that there were three Dalton Brothers and none were named Joe, Jack, William or Averell. I stayed in bed delaying the review for at least two days. Seriously, nothing I could possibly write could possibly prepare you for the super-cool (super-sic) utopia that is Gunslinger.

A game written by people who understand the DNA of male fantasy for the select gamers who didn't die with a gun in their hand at the OK Corral and never forgave themselves for it, Gunslinger is perhaps the best downloadable title of 2013 and one of the top action FPSs to ever appear on Steam. Endless action, substantially different game modes, infinite collectibles and gorgeous atmosphere are all elements of the year's most explosive action cocktail.

Don't miss it for any reason.

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The game is available from CD Media.

PS The term "cowboy" comes from an amazing person in my village, known only by that nickname. Although illiterate, "Cowboy" learned some corrupted version of the word from the chatter of villagers and fell in love with it. Since then he has cherished it with immense and fanatical affection, refusing to respond to anyone who called him by his baptismal name. You will understand that after meeting him it is quite impossible for me to write or pronounce the relevant word correctly without breaking into wild, two-hour laughter.

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