Call of Juarez: The Cartel Review

Posted on 19. Aug, 2011 by Freak_c in Games, News, Reviews

After playing the previous Call of Juarez and actually enjoying it, I was very excited to get my hands dirty with The Cartel. With so much potential this time round and guns blazing it had to hit the bulls eye right? With plenty of bugs and so many glitches during the entire game, it sort of just falls flat. See our review to see why.

Yes unfortunately the PS3 version that I reviewed of the game was extremely buggy and filled with glitches. Now these glitches and bugs are not completely game wrenching or intrusive but they are noticeable. during gameplay the game would freeze for about a split second and carry on, that minute break simply breaks you away from the experience of the game. I encountered some other funny bugs, with out of sync voice acting, sounds and the odd floating item in the environment.

The story of the game is for lack of a better word, weak. Call of Juarez: The Cartel tells the story of three law enforcement officers, from different agencies, put on to a special task force to take on the infamous Mexican drug cartels. Each of the three characters are a little different and are poor stereotypically representation of various geographies. Ben is a typical gunslinger and the only reference to the previous games as a descendant. Eddie and Kim, on the other hand, are sassy modern cops who’ve grown up on the streets, and come with all the clichéd dialogue and one liners you’d expect. The problem is that the story fails to engage, well anything.

Repetitive gameplay

All three of the characters have some of the worst case of laughable dialogue I have ever encountered in a game. These dialogue statements are often over repeated during the game and become old before the end of the first level. Because you can pick anyone to play with, it means that there are three different stories and you will have to play the game three times just to view them. Even though the characters are almost never split up. Each character has there hand in some dodgy side deals, which will have you perform a side mission in each mission to help sort it out. You will also find some cash and other items to steal during levels,but don’t let your squad mates see you or else nothing will really happen.

The game looks like a launch title and yet Resistance still looks better. The PS3 version has many hick-ups during cutscenes and levels, with plenty of texture pop in. I can’t say the same for the xbox 360 but I hope it’s better. Call of Juarez: The Cartel’s first-person mechanics aren’t bad, they’re just abused by repetition and repetition. The guns are fun enough to shoot and there are always plenty of enemies to kill, but the levels are just so often repeated that the game gets boring fast. The follows the following sequence during every level: there will be a boring driving sequence, followed by a bunch of guys to shoot, and then several doors to kick in, triggering a slow-motion shooting scene, repeat.

The Gang

As for the multiplayer section of the game, I honestly didn’t try it as I can’t believe that it could be better than the single player. There is the option of three player co-op which is a nice addition, but trying to convince your friends to finish the game or even get it may be a challenge.

Conclusion
What had/has so much potention with a slightly new take on things, it’s a pity that the game Call of Juarez: The Cartel falls flat. With constant glitches and hick-ups during gameplay, lack of story, uninteresting characters and very repetitive gameplay you won’t find yourself wanting to finsih the game let alone the other characters stories.