Top Wild West Video Games: Red Dead vs. Juarez - Ultimate Guide

There are few time periods as universally recognizable as the Wild West period. Stretching from the mid-1800s to the early 20th century, the era of lawlessness in the American West has lent to dozens of retellings in media, in which cowboys, lawmen, and bounty hunters vie for control and influence of potentially gold-rich settlements.


The theme is one of the most recognizable in video gaming—and in pop culture in general. For example, casino titles like the Wolf Gold slot game also draw on the Wild West to create an exciting adventure for players. The five-line reel includes multiple ways to win, which are accessed when symbols like the wild stallion, wolf, and bald eagle line up in the correct order.


The project comes from Pragmatic Play, one of the top iGaming developers in the world. But when it comes to the biggest video games that cover the Wild West, many gamers are likely to think of Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption series or Ubisoft’s Call of Juarez series. First released in 2004 and 2006, respectively, the games have been treated as top-tier Wild West games.


But which is better? Or do they simply provide a different gaming experience covering a similar genre and theme? Let’s take a closer look at comparisons to the top-rated games in each series, Red Dead Redemption (2010) and Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (2013).

FPS vs. Open-World

Both games are shooters that focus on the Wild West. However, their primary differences come down to perspective. Red Dead is an open-world action-adventure game that players experience through a third-person perspective. Meanwhile, Call of Juarez is a first-person shooter that relies on a linear timeline and sequence of events.


Viewed in this light, Red Dead and Juarez can’t be compared in terms of quality, as they both deliver different gaming experiences. Red Dead is preferred by open-world gamers that like to explore on their own time; Juarez is a battleground for FPS gamers looking to refine their skills.

Action vs. Story

Let’s further break down the narratives in each game. Red Dead Redemption follows a former outlaw as he attempts to locate former members of his game amid the last years of the Wild West frontier in 1911. With an open-world format, gamers can tackle each challenge at their own pace. Along the way, they accrue honor and fame, which affect gameplay.


Call of Juarez: Gunslinger instead focuses on a bounty hunter during the Wild West’s toughest years in the late 1800s. Each mission brings the bounty hunter closer to his goals, while also bringing gamers into contact with fictionalized versions of real-life legends, from Billy the Kid to Butch Cassidy.


Here, we can see one of the clearest delineations between the games: action vs. story. Call of Juarez is a top-quality shooter game, which includes plenty of action and memorable comedic relief. Red Dead, on the other hand, builds a more involved storyline for its main characters and then lets gamers take the reins in exploring these arcs.

Still, that doesn’t mean Call of Juarez lacks vibrant characters. From Reverend Ray to Billy. And, at the same time, Red Dead also includes memorable action scenes that have made it one of the top-rated shooters of all time.

By the Numbers

Any gamers who read reviews (from critics or other gamers) know that Red Dead is regarded as the superior game when compared to Call of Juarez. However, it’s important to note that Call of Juarez is also a phenomenal game—but Red Dead Redemption is widely regarded as one of the best video games ever created.


The game has a 95/100 rating on Metacritic, a 10/10 rating from Edge, a 9.75/10 rating from Game Informer, a 9.5/10 rating from GameSpot, and a 9.7/10 from IGN. It’s ranked as the fifth-highest PlayStation title and the seventh-highest Xbox title. To date, the game has taken home 17 awards from top gaming organizations, including Game Developers Choice Awards and Interactive Achievement Awards.