Call of Juarez taking on The Cartel

Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption raised the Wild West shooter genre to a new level of popularity last year, seemingly paving the way for others to cash in. However, Ubisoft won't necessarily be taking that opportunity, even if it has the perfect franchise to do so.

Today, Ubisoft announced its gunslinging shooter franchise Call of Juarez will receive a new installment with a modern-day twist. Subtitled The Cartel, the story-driven first-person shooter will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC this summer.

As with 2007's well-regarded original Call of Juarez and the improved 2009 prequel Bound in Blood, The Cartel is being crafted at Techland. The Polish development house is hoping to capture a "relevant plot," presumably one in which gamers take an active role in quelling the drug wars plaguing Mexico. Ubisoft noted that locations in the game include Los Angeles and the Mexican city of Juarez.

Ubisoft offered few other details on what gamers can expect from The Cartel. However, screenshots released as part of today's announcement indicate that the game will focus primarily on a trio of characters: a female FBI agent, an old-timey Wild West sheriff type, and what appears to be a flashy undercover agent.