Call of Juarez: Gunslinger features characters from the golden age of Westerns, including Billy The Kid, Newman Haynes Clayton and Butch Cassidy. It twists the facts around a bit, but Ubisoft did this for the sake of hero Silas Greaves, a merciless bounty hunter who always fights to get his man.
For this Spoiler Alert, we reveal the entire story. As always, there are big reveals ahead – so turn back now if you don’t want to know the ending. Otherwise, enjoy the recap.
Most of the game takes place in 1910, when worn-out bounty hunter Silas Greaves makes his way into a saloon in Abilene, Kansas. It’s here where he begins telling the story of the many battles he’s survived over the years, in exchange for free drinks. At first, patrons in the bar (including a young Dwight D. Eisenhower) can’t get enough of his stories, but they assume the facts were stretched when he starts talking about historical figures who have died in all too obvious ways, like Butch Cassidy, who he says he killed. According to legend, Cassidy was ambushed and killed by Mexican officers.
Greaves’ tale is filled with a number of historical encounters. The game begins with him serving as a right hand man to Billy the Kid before being captured by Pat Garrett, breaking his way out of jail and eventually facing off against Bob Ollinger, whose shotgun you manage to steal from the stockade; you leave town after killing Ollinger in a duel. Later, you’ll take on the vicious Dalton Brothers, then face other foes straight out of Wild West legend, including Jesse James and Cassidy.
Eventually, you come to the conclusion of Silas’ story, as he seeks the person who killed his brother 42 years ago. The bartender, having heard enough of his stories, finally calls him out on his accuracy. It turns out the bartender is really Roscoe “Bob” Bryant, a man who was partly responsible for the murder of Silas’ brother.
It’s here where the story concludes one of two ways – either with Redemption or Revenge. If you choose Redemption, Silas explains that he’s spent years being a cold-blooded killer, to the point that he’s forgotten who he used to be. He eventually forgives Bob despite his actions and leaves behind a coin from his deceased brother. Along the way, Silas also provides advice to the young Dwight Eisenhower before he heads off for military duty.
If you take Revenge, things get a little bloodier. Silas, in an effort to gun down Bob righteously, hands him a six-shooter to settle the score via a duel. If you manage to win the duel, the patrons get shaken up and Silas accepts his fate, knowing that his revenge hasn’t calmed his killer nerves.
As you can see, the ending unfolds differently depending on which path you take. Either way, you’re in for a rootin’ shootin’ good time with Ubisoft’s latest.
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is available now for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.
Published: Jun 10, 2013 06:18 am