The Call of Juarez series is one I'd definitely recommend giving a go. Every game in the series is distinct and has its own identity, which is something I really appreciate. I'll avoid going into too much detail about the rest here, but they're all a good time with individual strengths and weaknesses that form a satisfying whole.

Unfortunately, the defining characteristic of game number three, The Cartel, is that it's an utter shambles. The classic Wild West setting of the previous games was ditched for a staggeringly uninspired modern-day Los Angeles/Mexico counterpart, which is exactly as appealing as it sounds (i.e. not at all). Likewise, the hole left by the entertaining and likeable cast of the first game and Bound in Blood (like legendary gunslinger Ray McCall) is filled with some of the flattest caricatures to ever spout tired one-liners. Once all the character and charm of Call of Juarez has been stripped away, what you're left with is a medicore first-person shooter that is an absolute chore in single-player and probably not much better in the new co-op mode. Solo players be warned: your AI partners are incompetent, and they will make no effort to hide it, though they will continually belittle your performance as you carry them for the game's entire duration.

Lackluster AI, boring gunplay, dull visuals and an uninteresting plot combine for eight hours of unmitigated tedium. The only saving grace is the way the game ends, which could have been a pretty cool conclusion to a much better game, but is of course held back here by being part of The Cartel. In retrospect it's good that the series had one final outing after this, though The Cartel remains a testament to how quickly good games can go bad. It's almost worth playing just for that lesson, though I'd suggest you try any of the others over this rubbish.

The Call of Juarez series is one I'd definitely recommend giving a go. Every game in the series is distinct and has its own identity, which is something I really appreciate. I'll avoid going into too much detail about the rest here, but they're all a good time with individual strengths and weaknesses that form a satisfying whole. Unfortunately, the defining characteristic of game number three, The Cartel, is that it's an utter shambles. The classic Wild West setting of the previous games was ditched for a staggeringly uninspired modern-day Los Angeles/Mexico counterpart, which is exactly as appealing as it sounds (i.e. not at all). Likewise, the hole left by the entertaining and likeable cast of the first game and Bound in Blood (like legendary gunslinger Ray McCall) is filled with some of the flattest caricatures to ever spout tired one-liners. Once all the character and charm of Call of Juarez has been stripped away, what you're left with is a medicore first-person shooter that is an absolute chore in single-player and probably not much better in the new co-op mode. Solo players be warned: your AI partners are incompetent, and they will make no effort to hide it, though they will continually belittle your performance as you carry them for the game's entire duration. Lackluster AI, boring gunplay, dull visuals and an uninteresting plot combine for eight hours of unmitigated tedium. The only saving grace is the way the game ends, which could have been a pretty cool conclusion to a much better game, but is of course held back here by being part of The Cartel. In retrospect it's good that the series had one final outing after this, though The Cartel remains a testament to how quickly good games can go bad. It's almost worth playing just for that lesson, though I'd suggest you try any of the others over this rubbish.