PLEASE Rent it first. This game is VERY disappointing.
Presentation:5/10
Graphics: 4.5/10
Sound: 6/10
Game-play: 4.5/10
Replay Value:5/10
Presentation:
Ubisoft and Tech-Land couldn't decide if they wanted the game to look good or bad, as Call of Juarez: The Cartel is average. It will look decent one minute and atrocious the next. It looks like a game released in 2008. The music will try and make you take your eye off how mediocre this game looks, as the music is the highlight of the campaign in my opinion . I'll talk about that in a bit.
Graphics:
The graphics look nothing like today's standards. The characters do not look like real people and lip-syncing is a huge problems which ruins the game. Again, looks 2008 standard.
Sound:
Now you come to the best part of the single player. The music is good at times, but it can old very easily. This isn't helped by the AI repeating the same dialogue over and over and over again. Plus, the AI always taking credit for saving your life. But if you can overlook the repeated dialogue, the music is good and is even better then the presentation and the graphics put together.
Game-play:
There are three characters to play as: Benjamin McCall, Kim Evans or Eddie Guerra. It took me roughly 10 hours to beat the game as all three characters, and it took nearly all my patience away. What's worse was the long load times. Each cut-scene is about 25-30 seconds long. However, the game does include news reports to ease the pain.
Yes, there is multiplayer, but it's the most boring part of the game. You just pick a team, either team cops or team criminals, there's not much class options, and there's only four maps.
Replay Value:
Sure, the game has three characters to play as, and the new addition of secret items is interesting, but your patience will go from hero to zero, meaning you may not be bothered to go back. The game annoyed me so much I was so determined to beat it once and for-all.
Closing Comments:
Call of Juarez: The Cartel had a lot of potential, but lacked a lot in almost every category. It's definitely a contender for most disappointing game of the year 2011. Please rent it first. If you fell you must buy a Call of Juarez game for the xbox 360, buy Call of Juarez: Bound In Blood. At least that game's story is engaging and fun.
Score:
5/10 Grade C+