Call of Juarez: Gunslinger may not look as fancy and realistic as Red Dead Redemption II, but its tight Old West gunplay, creative design, and stylish visuals make it one of the best cowboy games around. And now you can buy it on Steam for under $2. That’s a steal, partner!
Developed by Techland (Dead Island, Dying Light) and released in 2013, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is a first-person linear shooter set in the Old West. And to be clear: Gunslinger isn’t like the other (so-so) games in the Call of Juarez franchise, so don’t let its name scare you away. This game is a smaller and much better spin-off featuring comic book-inspired visuals and an unreliable narrator who will sometimes change his story on the fly, which leads to some fun and surprising moments.
For example, at one point you are attacked by Apache warriors. However, one of the people the narrator is telling the story to mentions that he previously mentioned cowboys attacked. So he changes the story and the game follows suit, swapping out the enemies, too. It’s great and feels like something that more games should have copied.
Gunslinger also isn’t too long. You’ll likely be able to knock it out in a single Sunday afternoon, making it the perfect palette cleanser between recent big games. Plus, while it’s not 60 hours long, it packs a lot of great stuff into its short runtime, including duels, boss fights, a full skill tree, massive gun fights, and a fantastic ending.
You can currently pick up Call of Juarez: Gunslinger on Steam for just $1.50! That’s practically nothing, and this creative FPS is worth it. Even better, Gunslinger runs like a dream on Steam Deck. (Some players have reported issues with the cutscenes, but I didn’t notice that when I played.) The sale’s set to run through the end of May, so get it while the gettin’s good.