Call of Juarez: The Cartel Special Edition

The Wild West doesn't get nearly enough love in the collector's edition space. The Call of Juarez: The Cartel Special Edition on Xbox 360 came with special cover art and two in-game unlocks: a Kevlar Bulletproof Vest and an Optical Scope. This was Techland before Dead Island and Dying Light turned them into a household name, back when they were still carving out their identity with gritty, sun-scorched shooters.

The special cover art is the real draw here for shelf collectors. In the 360 era, variant cover art was one of the simplest ways publishers differentiated their special editions, and when it's done right, it makes a standard-sized case stand out in a lineup. The in-game items are locked to the disc generation, a snapshot of how the industry handled bonus content before everything migrated to storefronts.

For collectors building a comprehensive Xbox 360 library, the Call of Juarez: The Cartel Special Edition fills a niche that most people overlook entirely. That's exactly what makes it interesting. While everyone fights over the same ten blockbuster collector's editions, the quiet ones like this sit waiting for someone who actually appreciates the full picture.