Hard West

So it’s nice to visit the Ol’ West and do some gun slinging… I wouldn’t have thought to make it an isometric turn based game but it works.

Hard West is a turn-based strategy game that gives you an authentic western experience whilst pushing you to the limits of your ability.

If you don’t mind discovering a game under your own steam, Hard West is a truly unique title that you can really sink your teeth into. With some 10 hours of gameplay, it’s perhaps a little short but what is there is interesting enough to give another try on a higher difficulty level after you see the credits scroll by.

Grim, brutal, otherworldly. Rock solid turn based mechanics and incredibly tense shootouts frame a story dripping with an oppressive, wrong, weird West atmosphere. Beyond the enjoyable mechanics, Hard West takes on a life and dark spirit of it’s own. This is one ride you are not apt to forget anytime soon.

It's more than just an XCOM clone. Hard West is Wild West mystery with tactics, depth and death. It only fails with regard to long-term motivation.

Lovecraft meets John Ford and they duke it out in a turn-based western-style shootout. Cowboys and demons for a game with a strong narrative bent and solid, if a little too by-the-numbers, tactical combat.

Welcome to the Weird West. The turn based tactics inspired by XCOM work surprisingly well with the mysterious story that is filled with decisions and consequences.

Though not without shortcomings Hard West is nevertheless an especially interesting alternate take of the Wild West. It’s a game that takes many risks, especially in terms of storytelling, and manages to succeed more times than not.

It’s not the longest or the most in depth RPG, but for the price, the theme, and unique style, Hard West is clearly worth your time in gold and offers a fairly authentic western experience, well besides the demon and supernatural overtones that is

Quotation forthcoming.

If everything about Hard West was as great as its combat and strategic layer, it would easily sit near the top of a list of memorable Old West-themed games. Take away the cowboy costumes and it’s still an excellent turn-based game with some clever mechanics to mess with.

With a solid blend of strategy and RPG elements, this game does a good job of putting you in your character’s shoes. It’s refreshing to find a strategy game with this much customization, allowing you to upgrade each character the way you want to, not simply unlocking a new, more powerful unit.

Hard West delivered exactly what I wanted – a dark atmosphere and a decent story with a twist. If only AI and the interface were more polished... [01/2016, p.58]

If you love westerns, you might consider this one. The gameplay is surely not original, but the turn based strategy is indeed well crafted.

Hard West is one of those games made for people looking for a challenge. If you're looking for a hard strategy game, this might be a interesting option.

Hard West deserves attention despite some flaws. It is not a western version of XCOM, there aren't many similarities to Might & Magic: Heroes. It is its own game with an interesting idea that suffers from technical issues and a bland ending. The game itself is far from presenting the story in a cinematic way - if you don't have a problem with that, you'll be pleased.

Hard West is a good example of how a smaller team can take some already proven ideas and then tweak them to create an innovative experience that gives fans of a genre a morsel to enjoy while they wait for a bigger meal.

No, it’s not a bull’s eye by any means, but Hard West will certainly hit close enough to provide you with hours of Wild-West fun.