Call of Juarez: The Cartel

 PC
Metascore
47

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 12
  3. Negative: 6 out of 12
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. GameStar
    Sep 9, 2011
    57
    If Techland would have called this one "Stupid shooter with pathetic characters full of cliché", it would have been less of a disappointment.
  2. GameSpot
    Sep 15, 2011
    55
    Call of Juarez: The Cartel proves that good ideas mean little when they don't have a solid foundation to support them.
  3. GRYOnline.pl
    Sep 9, 2011
    55
    The PC version of Call of Juarez: The Cartel is still a game that should be worked on for a couple more months. Some strange and unprofessional gameplay solutions and technical issues can surprise many Techland fans. We got used to the fact that this Polish developer makes some mistakes because they are hard to avoid with more and more complicated games. This does not explain, however, why The Cartel is so mediocre - the entire Call of Juarez franchise suffers from it.
  5. GamingExcellence
    Jul 20, 2011
    55
    Call of Juarez: The Cartel, isn't a very good game when you get to the basics. Its low production values and simple gameplay drag the experience down, while an erratic pace to the storyline makes it worse.
  6. Computer Games Online RO
    Sep 20, 2011
    50
    Unfortunately, The Cartel was rushed to the market with at least 6 months in production. If it stayed in development for at least a while longer, it could've used to the maximum potential the cooperative campaign offered and all the interesting competitive elements. But the way it is now, it only misses the mark on all the design elements that could have ensured it a good place in the genre.
  7. PC Games (Russia)
    Sep 19, 2011
    50
    Everything that was good in Call of Juarez is gone. Everything that wasn't – well, it's still here. And it's only gotten worse. [October 2011, p.78]
    All this publication's reviews
  8. IGN
    Sep 16, 2011
    45
    A poor change of pace for the franchise. Taking the story into modern times seems to have robbed it of its passion and charm, replacing it with asinine characters and more cuss words than an Al Pacino flick.
  9. XGN
    Aug 5, 2011
    45
    Although Techland brings some nice ideas into the Call of Juarez universe, the game ultimately fails to deliver because of a way too typical story, dated graphics, loads of bugs and a total misunderstanding of the concept 'Wild West'. The Cartel is a major step back for the franchise and we would have been better off without it.
  10. Game Informer
    Jul 21, 2011
    45
    The game is generic at best, broken at worst, and falls short in its attempts to innovate cooperative play.
  11. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Sep 4, 2011
    40
    Perfect example of how games should not be created. Third installment of popular series throws away almost all the good things from previous parts and introduces weak story with embarrassing heroes. [Issue#208]
    All this publication's reviews
  12. GameWatcher
    Jul 26, 2011
    40
    This can't be the same developer that made the last two games. That team must be off doing Dead Island or something. There were germs of good ideas in here, and it is possible to play it through to the end, but the criticisms and frustrations will overwhelm any fun you have doing so.
  13. PC Gamer
    Nov 9, 2011
    35
    The Cartel's finest feature is a mess. Everything else is merely bland, repetitive, and dull. [Holiday 2011, p.80]

Awards & Rankings

78
#78 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
3.5

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 168 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 168
  2. Mixed: 38 out of 168
  3. Negative: 110 out of 168
  1. Zarunil
    Sep 19, 2011
    0
    This game is so bad, I don't know where to begin. Terrible controls, graphics, AI, gun-feeling. It's on-rails, has gray pixellated dots forThis game is so bad, I don't know where to begin. Terrible controls, graphics, AI, gun-feeling. It's on-rails, has gray pixellated dots for you to follow (as if you can get lost in the first place, it is completely linear). Stereotypical, boring characters. Just stay away... what a waste of a great franchise.… Full Review »
  2. elgringo
    Sep 20, 2011
    0
    Let's start with the truth, this game took me just one night to finish. I can't nail the exact time down, but it's not longer than 5 hours inLet's start with the truth, this game took me just one night to finish. I can't nail the exact time down, but it's not longer than 5 hours in total. Whilst you can play 3 different characters there are essentially 2 very unsatisfying endings, a bad and an even worse one which I won't spoil. Most of the time you will gun down generic cartel thugs which look all the same and act the same. The AI in the game is ridiculously stupid and your partners can't keep up speed with you. Worst about it, sometimes they will spawn right in front of you, this happened to at least once in every single mission. There is no real free-roam, this shooter plays like on rails and is completely linear, the HUD and GUI look terribly pixelated. Whilst Techland can make godlike games as Dead Island, they completely messed up this one. Save your money and get something else. Zero stars to equal out the anonymous votes of users who left no review.… Full Review »
  3. MB_
    Oct 3, 2011
    6
    Maddeningly frustrating. Fundamentally flawed. Idiotic. However for a co-op game its well worth buying if it's on the cheapo. The concept of aMaddeningly frustrating. Fundamentally flawed. Idiotic. However for a co-op game its well worth buying if it's on the cheapo. The concept of a co-op game where people are working against each other is the idiotic. The frustrating is the simple things like picking up your fallen team mates animates you from cover into the line of fire, putting you on the same dirt your friend was just on. As for the fundamentally flawed. Well a game where you have to search around looking for items but on rails so narrow the game resets if you explore too far.... a child could explain the problem with that. That all said, it looks pretty cool. Driving is fun. It all works [had to grenade my team mates a couple of times to reset a stuck room entry] and functionally is almost up to a Valve game. But things like constant in game phone calls, texts and slow cross hair switching, the depth of field focusing far too slowly and usually onto something invisible right in front of you. Oooh it's so infuriating, there's a good game here. Under the stupid. Dig deep tho!… Full Review »
See all user reviews »