Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood Multiplayer Review [360]

08 Jul 2009 at 16:52:43 by Andy Alderson
Systems used to review this title: (360)

With the single player game constituting a step-up in class from the first instalment in Ubi’s Western franchise, we spent a week in the game’s multiplayer to find out how it handles online. Sporting some brand new game modes, maps and an enhanced class system, Bound in Blood’s multiplayer offers more than its predecessor, but is it enough to challenge the big online players?

Like in the first game, the multiplayer is centred around the class system. The four original classes from Call of Juarez (Gunslinger, Miner, Rifleman and Sniper) make a return in the sequel as well as one other class available from the outset, the Scout. The balancing between the classes is handled pretty well – for example, the Miner is pretty devastating at close range with his dynamite and sawn-off shotgun combo but becomes vulnerable at long range. Conversely, the Rifleman is great for picking off enemies from a distance but, despite having dual pistols as a backup, becomes less effective in close-quarters combat. The new Scout is the only standard class not to have a secondary weapon, but is compensated with better movement speed and the silent, one-hit-kill (assuming you hit centre mass) bow.

In addition to the basic classes, there are also eight other classes which you will unlock through regular play. Some of these provide access to the new weapons in Bound in Blood – the Gunsmith, for instance, comes equipped with a Hybrid Gun which fires a powerful rifle round for its first shot, followed by 8 regular pistol rounds. Cleverly, Techland has made sure that these unlockable classes aren’t overpowered, meaning experienced players don’t have too much of a firepower advantage over the noobs. 

While accruing cash over your multiplayer career will unlock new classes, there is also an in-match upgrade system at work in all game modes. Earn enough cash and you can choose to upgrade any class, albeit only until the end of the current match. Each class can be upgraded twice, with the first upgrade reducing the class’ inherent weakness, while the second boosts their strengths. While not as involving as the challenge/upgrade system in games like Call of Duty, it serves its purpose and it can be useful to upgrade your character’s health in hard-fought contests. Upgrade cash is earned through kills and completing objectives in the online games and the new bounty system tells you how to get the big money.

In each match, players are assigned a bounty based on their performance. Rack up a series of kills and you’ll find the price on your head rise and you’ll become a target for other players. This simple system actually helps add some depth to the standard game FPS modes in Bound in Blood. A Shootout match (think deathmatch) becomes a lot more interesting if you keep an eye on the competition and there’s something very satisfying about hunting down the player with the biggest bounty and earning your upgrades.

As well as Shootout, there’s a TDM template called Posse and two variations on the VIP theme. The Wanted mode returns from the first game (the player designated as ‘wanted’ is the only one who can score – kill him to become the ‘wanted’ man) and there’s also a new mode, Manhunter. In the latter one player from each team is ‘Wanted’ and their teammates must protect them from the enemy for a set amount of time to score points. However, while the bounty system adds something new to these staples of the genre, the Wild West Legends (WWL) mode marks a step forward for the franchise.

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