14 DAY TRIAL // 
I was only going after the bounty to get the money to get a horse of my own. I stalked the location the target was hiding in, marking movements. My posse was right behind me, ready for action. I found a spot where this bad dude stopped for a minute, right out in the open, opening himself up for a nice, clean shot. Which I took only to discover that both the bounty and his gang could turn into werewolves. At will, in the daylight, gaining fast movement and sharp teeth. I took all my dynamite, careful use of my skills, half of my bullets, and a dead companion to deal with them. I’m not sure the horse is worth it.
Weird West is developed by WolfEye Studios and published by Devolver Digital. I played using Steam on the PC, but gamers can also get it on the Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, and the PlayStation 4. This is an action role-playing game that asks players to get their irons ready in a world filled with mystery and horror.
As the name shows, media portrayals of the mythical Wild West are one of the core pillars on which the universe is built. The other is the occult, with influences that range from Lovecraft to recent games that the team has worked on. I like the universe quite a bit, especially during the side-quests that really delve into the supernatural. What I like less is the move between characters. Jane Bell, the first playable character, is a bit under-written. Just as players form a connection the story will shift to four others. All of them deliver an interesting new perspective on the world and reveal new approaches but it is harder to invest in their issues.
Weird West is played from an overhead third-person perspective, with the player always in control of the current protagonist, with two other companions potentially making up a posse. This group moves between locations, finds quests, deals with enemies, explores mysteries, talks with supernatural entities, and more. Everything you could do in Dishonored in first person you can do here in the third.
It’s important to learn as much about each location as possible before acting in any way. Stealth takedowns are not easy to execute but crucial when dealing with big groups. Mark the location of barrels, learn how to trigger a fire, and maybe pack some electric bullets to use on a stormy night. Weird West offers a lot of options. Even more open up based on weapon choice, character ability development, and global perk unlocks.
The niggling issue inside the core gameplay loop is how fiddly combat feels. The weapon wheel doesn’t always land where it should. In the heat of battle, it is hard to see why a shot is blocked. Enemies sometimes stand around and allow themselves to be shot. Everything feels chaotic and not always in a good way. When the systems work well together it creates very satisfying set-pieces. When they do not, at least it is easy to quicksave and load to try things out. But I often wonder how combat could have worked in a turn-based system, with more time to think and extra control.
Make sure to acquire Bullet Dodger as fast as possible to make it somewhat easier to shoot people. It also helps to think of the two posse members mostly as distractions and bullet sponges rather than long-term companions. As long as players adapt to the combat and accept the character switching, Weird West delivers a cool mix of ideas and locations to explore. Players should take their time, go on side-quests, talk to as many characters as possible. Learning more about the world is always fun, to the point where I actually wanted more stuff to read.
Weird West uses a shaded, hand-drawn style that fits the world of the game very well. Characters have personalities and the locations communicate mystery and possibility. The map is beautiful, while the mini map offers plenty of information at a glance. It’s a pleasure to spend time in this game universe, although there are moments when the camera feels a little weird. Characters are not fully voice acted, which is a good thing, and the soundtrack stays in the background a little too much.
The Good
- Worldbuilding
- Combat options
- Interactions between systems
The Bad
- Limited character investment
- Fiddly combat
- A few too many systems
Conclusion
But I appreciated the interaction between systems, the way the world reacts to player actions, and the many unexpected encounters. Weird West does have frustrating elements but it offers the kind of experience that’s rare in modern games, one filled with surprises, mysteries, and consequences.
Review code provided by the publisher.
