What compelled Ray McCall to lay down his gun and become a clergyman in Hope? A question that Call of Juarez never addressed. Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, the sequel, relates the narrative of what happened 20 years ago that transformed the life of a terrible gunslinger. The story opens during the War of Secession, with Ray and his brother Thomas serving in the Confederation as soldiers. However, they quickly realize that their family at the farm in Georgia is in danger, and they desert the army, only to get home too late. Only William, their youngest brother, survived the attack. While attempting to offer his brothers faith, Ray goes on a vengeful rampage, dragging Thomas down a dark path that can only lead to the inevitable.
At the start of a level, the player usually gets the option of playing either Ray or Thomas. Only in a few missions does the game decide. Choosing which character to fight his way through the stages in first-person shooter style significantly impacts the gameplay. Ray can’t climb over obstructions, utilize bows, or throw knives for stealth killings since he shoots first and asks questions later. On the other hand, Thomas couldn’t even kick in a door if his life depended on it. As a result, the two must frequently collaborate. However, the protagonists occasionally split off, and the task progresses differently for each of them.
Furthermore, at various moments in the game, the two use their coop concentration mode together, slowing down time while using their unique abilities to take out massive numbers of foes. While Ray must aim during concentration mode before unleashing hell on his adversaries, Thomas’ cross-hair automatically hops from enemy to adversary but needs the player to hit the trigger each time. Like duels, where the player must draw his gun in one motion before firing, this is accomplished by completing a virtual backward pull with the mouse or analog stick. To restrict access to concentration mode, its “power” must be restored by killing six foes, and it only lasts for a limited time if not used before it goes.
In addition to the story campaign, the game includes a class-based multiplayer option for up to 12 players. While there is no coop mode, players can shoot each other in Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Wanted. In Wanted, one player assumes the character of a wanted criminal who must be apprehended. The player who successfully disposes of him becomes the criminal himself. Search expands on that principle by putting an entire team on the hunt for the desired criminal for 60 seconds, defended by a whole squad. The final game, Historical Events, puts two teams against each other, with one group attempting to stop the other from completing objectives within a time restriction (such as blowing up a weapons cache).
