Weird West is a dark fantasy action-adventure game with a new take on the wild west theme. It was developed by WolfEye Studios and published by Devolver Digital, with a release date of March 31, 2022. You play between five main characters, while there are plenty of hours to keep you busy.
The controls can be tricky at times, but you shouldn’t have a problem if you’re used to dual-stick gameplay on a controller. The camera perspective gives you a stunning view of the landscape, which you’ll need for the stealth options. If this game is the type that gets you excited, continue reading my Weird West review for more details.
The wild story of Weird West
When you start playing Weird West, you’ll notice that the story is one of the primary game elements. There’s a lovely video at the beginning that sets the scene, after which you’re on your way to make a stand in the desert county. Here are some elements to enjoy.
Heading out in the West
The story of Weird West begins with the first hero’s husband that goes missing. As you go search for him, you realize that bandits and other gunslingers have taken over and are killing people. It doesn’t stop you as you follow the trail to discover what happened to your partner.
As the plot progresses, you’ll meet NPCs that unravel what’s happening around you. You’ll run or ride through unforgiving terrain as the quests take you deeper into the story, with strange fantasy creatures that appear. It’s clear there’s more to the husband’s disappearance than meets the eye.
There are four other heroes you’ll also get to play with, each with unique abilities. Besides the main campaign, there are side quests to complete that will help you unlock skill points.
Choices have consequences
Weird West isn’t as simple as obtaining quests and completing them. There are occasions where you’ll speak to NPCs as part of the investigative mechanic in the game. You’ll notice that there are choices you need to make, which also have an effect on your reputation and what will happen next.
Including this form of gameplay means you can replay Weird West several times to see what the various outcomes are. It’s similar to Silent Hill 4: The Room where the decision to keep or discard an item makes the difference between easy or more challenging gameplay. In this case, the choices are mostly restricted to dialogue questions and responses.
A narrator to guide you
As you travel between towns and stores in Weird West, you’ll hear a male voice speaking over and to you. It’s a mixture of telling the audience what’s happening and guiding you through what to do next. There are some hilarious and snide comments that make the narration fun to listen to, but you may want to take the hint once in a while.
How long is Weird West to play?
If you play with all five characters through all the story beats, Weird West will take about 40 hours to play. That’s excluding taking on side quests and exploring every part of the map. Also, it depends on how quickly you manage to master the controls and abilities, which leads us to the next section of my review.
Embracing Weird West features and abilities
Let me start this segment of my Weird West review by saying that its gameplay style isn’t for everyone. There were intense moments of frustration that led me to rage quit more than once. However, I was still determined to get back into action, which led me to the following discoveries.
Is there a guide in Weird West?
As you play Weird West, there will be a short text guide with each new action you discover. When you find a secondary weapon, the game will show you how to switch between them. Found a new dynamite stick? A side window will appear showing you how to aim and throw it.
I love games like this that teach you how to play as you’re playing. There have been many titles where I did a lengthy tutorial first, only to forget what I learned when the actual game starts. One example is Diplomacy is Not an Option.
Which control type is best for Weird West?
When I play a game on Windows 11 for the first time, I prefer to start with my Xbox Controller. The controls are easy to manage, with one trigger letting you aim and the other one shoot. The left stick is for running around, while the right one shows the line where you’re looking while aiming. There’s also quick access to medicine, abilities, and other items.
After a few hours on the controller, I switched to the keyboard so I could compare. The mouse buttons help with moving, shooting, and aiming, but there are specific keys for all the other functions. If you’re not used to keyboard gameplay, you’ll need to look down to see where the key is first, which can become annoying.
At least Weird West auto-switches between keyboard and controller buttons icons on the screen, unlike Death Stranding Director’s Cut where you need to manually change it in the settings.
Stick to your guns
The primary combat elements are firearms. You’ll find an array of guns in Weird West, which one would expect from a wild west game. You can only switch between two at a time, but when you hold the weapon button, a wheel appears where you can alternate one of them with others you’ve found.
The line of sight helps you see where your bullets will fly when you shoot. If there’s an object in your way, you’ll notice a small interaction icon revealing what will happen. So, if you’re targeting a TNT barrel, the game will show you that it’s likely to catch on fire or explode.
Stealth kills
A small note is that shooting enemies when surrounded can be incredibly challenging. Aiming at them and blasting away while they’re shooting at you almost means certain death. It’s best that you don’t place yourself in these situations, as you’ll most probably die within seconds.
That’s where the stealth mechanic comes in. The small map at the top corner reveals where enemies are and where they’re looking. You can use this as a guide for where to quietly move and hide, before you sneak up behind them and perform a stealth kill.
Using your environment
As part of the stealth mechanic, you can hide behind boulders or within bushes, much like in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. As long as they can’t see you, you’re safe from danger. However, I did find an issue with this mechanic a few times. Sometimes, I was hiding in a bush with someone approaching, when they suddenly saw me and started shooting. I’m still not sure if it’s because they were too close or because my character was wet, but I was not pleased.
Trouble along the way
Each stage is an element on its own, so you won’t have an open-world setting. Instead, you’ll need to find exit points to move from one place to another. When you do, you’ll see a beautiful map showing you the next location. A word of warning: there may be some trouble along the way stopping you as you proceed, which becomes a small mini-quest that adds to the fun.
Collect everything you can
Your hero can freely search barrels or dead bodies in the hopes of finding valuable items. With how quickly my ammo ran out, I was always in desperate need of locating new loot. The best objects are those that contain medkits or full boxes of ammunition. Don’t ever leave an area without first checking everything that’s available.
Unlocking abilities and perks
Your heroes wouldn’t become more powerful if they didn’t gain new abilities. There’s a definite sense of progression as you obtain new perks on your journey or upgrade skills. You can also find unique objects on your maps that will boost your weapons and strength. It’s up to you to choose wisely how you want to apply the perks.
Playing with different characters
As mentioned before, you’ll start with one hero, but there are five you’ll play throughout the story. Each one has a different personality and ability, which you’ll need to learn to master if you want to finish Weird West. The main controls remain the same; it’s all about how you make the best use of your skills and weapons.
What are the Weird West PC requirements?
Weird West doesn’t have heavy PC requirements, so you’ll be able to play it with a decent machine that can run Windows 10. The storage is quite high but still doesn’t match the likes of other modern titles, such as Call of Duty: Warzone or Mortal Kombat 11.
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Core i5-2380 / AMD FX-6100
- Memory: 6 GB
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 650 Ti (1024 MB) / Radeon HD 7770 (1024 MB)
- Storage: 16 GB
I didn’t notice any performance issue on Windows 11, and the game played smoothly without any glitches.
The wondrous effects of Weird West
Let me end my Weird West review with a discussion about the graphics and sound. The music is so impressive, that you can purchase the soundtrack on Steam as an add-on to the game. It’s a pity the developer didn’t go as far as offering a digital artbook. It would have suited the game’s theme.
Camera perspective and world design
The camera perspective provides a top-down view, similar to what you’ll find in Diablo III. What I enjoyed about using the keyboard in this instance is that you can tilt the camera to get a better view of the upcoming landscape. I loved how the map opens up as you travel, and each stage has a beautiful design.
Impressive characters and creatures
There’s a slightly cartoonish effect to the characters, but it’s only slightly noticeable. Character movements and actions perform splendidly on the screen, and I enjoyed the visual design of the fantasy creatures you’ll discover later in the game. Even the perks and info pages have absolutely beautiful appearances.
The dark fantasy realm in the wild west
Dark fantasy is a mixture of horror and fantasy. The Diablo franchise is a splendid example of what dark fantasy games are like, and Weird West delivers as promised. There may not be as much gore in the beginning, but wait until you progress later into the story. The scenes are stunning.
Enjoyable music score and sound effects
The sound effects will make you feel like you’re in the wild west. The guns sound like they’re from a cowboy movie, plus you’ll hear it in many character accents. I enjoyed that there was voice-acting for most of the dialogues, and the music was outstanding. The effects all add to the ambiance in the game, making you feel like you’re part of the action. Of course, the narrator’s comments were the best element.
Weird West: You better have good aim, partner
Weird West is a fun adventure in the wild west with plenty of fantasy elements to make it exciting. You may find moments where fighting several opponents becomes annoying, but that’s when you need to hone your stealth skills. There are times when you’ll replay stages more than five times just to get it right, so it depends on your endurance and how long you’re willing to play. Overall, it’s worth playing if you’re into dual-stick combat, fantasy, and cowboys.
Since I mentioned the games, why don’t you go have a look at my Death Stranding Director’s Cut review and Diplomacy is Not an Option review?
Pros
- Exciting wild west theme
- Lengthy, details storyline
- Feature five heroes
- Unlock several abilities and perks
- Kill in stealth mode
- Stunning fantasy elements
- Outstanding music and sound
- Map and travel mechanic
Cons
- Combat is challenging when surrounded
- Many frustrating stealth moments
- Shooting at objects sometimes fails
Developer: WolfEye Studios
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Game Modes: Campaign
Platform reviewed: Windows 11 – Steam
