(continued from previous page) ...trap of laughable execution. The graphics are overall not horrible, but the cut-scenes are so bugged that it's hard to take any of the dialogue or story progress seriously.

The clever use of co-op storytelling; Playing online is relatively rewarding

The gun battles are sluggish and sloppy; The various visual and audio bugs; which ruin the otherwise decent presentation; The poor A.I

After successfully elevating the Call of Juarez name with 2009's Bound in Blood, the developers at Techland have taken a hard left turn, swapping stagecoaches for SUVs and a present-day drug war.

I was interested in this next step for the Call of Juarez series, and I really think it could have worked; but good ideas can only do so much, solid execution must also prevail, and that just didn't happen with The Cartel.

Call of Juarez started out by saddling some great ideas onto a pretty mediocre first title. It wasn't until Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood that everything fell into place, and Techland managed to deliver a decent Western experience with varied gameplay, nice graphics and some epic gunfights.

How do you get modern weapons into a cowboy game, without setting it in a sci-fi era? You move it into the modern day, and Techland have done just that with Call of Juarez: The Cartel.

Decent storyline; Collecting items in secret is fun and tactical in co-op.

Repeated dialogue is annoying; Falling on the floor from distant explosions can be irritating.

In a bold move, Ubisoft has sanctioned a shift for the Juarez franchise. It's no longer set in the Wild West, nor is it predominantly set in Juarez. Good move, or very very bad?

Innovative side-story involving character intrigue; Overarching story theme has appeal

Poor combat, repetitive audio cues, glitchy character pathing; Graphics, animation and cinematic sequences feel old; The multiplayer is underdeveloped; A Call of Juarez title should be an old Western experience

Up to this point, Call of Juarez has managed to distinguish itself as a flawed but likable series, one that's brought some interesting ...

Heroes' hidden agendas are a nice touch; Competitive elements make co-op more fun; Gets a little better in its final chapters

Looks unpolished to the point of hideousness; Mediocre voice acting and terrible combat banter; Wastes great ideas on a mediocre-at-best shooter

I didn't have very high expectations for Call of Juarez: The Cartel at all. I thought the game would at least be passable. What I played this last week was one of the least enjoyable video game experiences I've ever had, and I would be extremely surprised if there were to be a fourth game in this...

- made its way to the PS3. Bound in Blood was released two years ago, and despite a few flaws it was respectable title that won a few fans. Unfortunately fans of that game are likely to be disappointed with the latest game in the series,

Call of Juarez: The Cartel was never going to take over the world, but coming from a series that was once unique and interesting it certainly destroys the legacy of its predecessors.