Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 52 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 52
  2. Negative: 1 out of 52
  1. May 11, 2022
    90
    While being presented in the format of a traditional RPG, Weird West has shoot-outs that feel that they come right out of a cowboy movie, and offers quests with a ton of freedom. While the gameplay itself is simple, seeing the crazy Western setting through the lens of five different main characters is fascinating, and the mysterious story wraps up in an interesting way.
  2. Apr 7, 2022
    90
    Weird West was a surprise all in all. I expected a rudimentary Action RPG, and I got an immersive dark fantasy cowboy sim that I could not let go of. The story is very well written, and the choices do matter in this game. Besides some AI issues, the game runs very well and is a great debut from a studio with so many game developer veterans. The game is played the way you want to play it, either gun blazing or with a diplomatic/stealth approach. There is something for everyone, and we highly recommend it.
  3. Mar 31, 2022
    90
    Weird West is a mix between Red Dead Redemption and Desperados. The five episodes of the game are telling a brilliant story and it’s amazing, how every choice you make, has consequences for the outcome. The dynamic world of the West makes the game to one of the best RPGs of the year.
  4. Mar 31, 2022
    90
    Weird West has a ton of deep mechanics and nearly endless replayability all wrapped up in an experience that encourages the player to be just as curious and creative as the game itself. There aren’t many other games out there that let you throw dynamite at a werewolf and then accidentally stumble into a group of bug spewing zombies on the way home. Weird West is an incredibly satisfying experience because it gives the player all the tools they need to tackle a situation from the shotgun on their hip to the quicksave button that finally let’s them see what happens if they shoot the important, but annoying, NPC.
  5. Mar 31, 2022
    86
    Weird West isn't perfect but it's definitely a worthy successor to games like Dishonored and Prey and a great debut title from new team Wolfeye Studios.
  6. Apr 25, 2022
    85
    This action RPG set in the dark fantasy-flavored Wild West enraptured me with its cleverly constructed story with meaningful choices, unique atmosphere, and living, interactive, beautiful world. My delight would have been even greater if it wasn’t for the terrible AI and unintuitive controls.
  7. Apr 19, 2022
    85
    Weird West is a truly special experience. While each one of its stories is compelling in its own right, when put together they transform into something fantastic. This is a game that shows its monsters and asks the player to be disgusted, and then turns them into a monster and asks if they feel the same way. As such, every one of the journeys contained within is worth taking, but it’s only once players have trod all of those roads that they’ll appreciate just how amazing Weird West‘s accomplishments are. It’s deep, it’s fascinating, and it’s full of the kind of storytelling that resonates for a long time after credits roll — truly an incredible experience from beginning to end.
  8. Apr 19, 2022
    85
    Weird West is a worthy first effort from WolfEye studios. With a little more thoughtful combat system and more voice-over it would hit the top. Fans of RPGs with immersive sims and those of the Wild West should definitely check it out.
  9. Apr 1, 2022
    85
    Weird West has a great set of gameplay mechanics that don’t always deliver the best experience. The five-character stories have great moments, although the side-quests are often more engaging. You can take down an important enemy in three ways or more, but the chaotic aftermath might be impossible to handle. Using all the money obtained from a job to replace bullets and medicine is not a way to make progress. 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.
  10. Mar 31, 2022
    85
    Seductive atmosphere, impeccable immersion, neat narrative, the supercharged universe of Weird West is as vast as it is generous. For twenty hours in a straight line, the immersive simulation experience provides good sensations and a coherent RPG dimension despite an AI that is still too perfectible.
  11. Mar 31, 2022
    85
    Developer Wolfeye Studios has crafted one hell of a debut release. Weird West subverts expectations, twisting well-trodden cowboy tropes into dark fantasy vignettes brought to life by immersive sandbox elements.
  12. Mar 31, 2022
    84
    This is a very special adventure that takes us to a living world where our decisions and actions really matter.
  13. Apr 1, 2022
    83
    The fast-paced action RPG blends Wild West and Dark Fantasy. The game world changes due to your activities. Slight control quirks.
  14. Mar 31, 2022
    83
    The Story is world-class, the weight of consequence second-to-none and the interactive systems a chaotic sight to behold. The camera and control issues hold the game back from true greatness, but not by much. Weird West is something that you just can't find anywhere else and is an adventure that is more than worth your time and money, leaving a lasting impression long after the credits have rolled.
  15. Apr 11, 2022
    82
    Weird West is a gem of a game with a dark, well-crafted world and an intriguing story featuring choices that carry actual weight. It's not perfect – no indie game is – and I've experienced my fair share of bugs while playing it (nothing game-breaking, though). I will definitely be revisiting it in the near future... right after I finish Planescape Torment again.
  16. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 29, 2024
    80
    Why is it a great game? If you grit your teeth, Weird West offers fantastic gameplay and a very original take on the story. Don't be afraid of it. Don't be afraid to go west and grow with the strange land. [Issue#319]
  17. Apr 25, 2022
    80
    Weird West is original and offers a fresh, immersive and highly entertaining experience. Its high points include a gripping story in which all our actions matter and a beautiful artwork. The game has obvious limitations, but manages to capture the essence of the Wild West.
  18. Apr 19, 2022
    80
    The strange Wild West RPG brings rough gunslingers, a series of individual stories, but also werewolves, pig heads and silly fellow-combatants.
  19. Apr 7, 2022
    80
    Weird West’s combination of the Wild West mythos with dark fantasy elements brings together an enjoyable RPG experience. Being able to forge your own path through the world with your actions and combat is a fun and enjoyable experience. While there are some noticeable flaws, Weird West does a great job of giving you the tools you make to create your own legend in the West.
  20. Apr 1, 2022
    80
    Weird West, as an immersive simulation game, provides players with a plethora of worthwhile and enjoyable options. However, the conclusion seems hastily thrown together despite having a strong narrative and innovative heritage design. It lets players experiment with a variety of fighting tactics like stealth, secret passages, and gunfights at each level. However, a number of issues and glitches with the melee system have disrupted the player's combat experience to some degree. This game's open-world map design, high degree of player agency, and intriguing moral choices enhance the overall world experience, although several homogeneity issues in the design have diminished the fun ever so slightly in the game's second half.
  21. Mar 31, 2022
    80
    Weird West is an interesting isometric RPG that features unique setting, distinctive systems and a group of atypical heroes, each with their unique story, perspective and decisions.
  22. Mar 31, 2022
    80
    Weird West is a brilliant Action-RPG sandbox with an alluring supernatural undertone. The story finds a regular beat as it jumps through five intriguing characters. Both stealth and combat work decently from the isometric perspective, with good interactions, and only some camera issues and AI navigation quirks prevent it from striking a deep vein of gold.
  23. Mar 31, 2022
    80
    Weird West presents a bizarre world to tell a story about real, human struggles. It might have some hitches and messiness, but it’s a journey worth taking if you’ve ever been nostalgic about the good ol’ days. Or you just like the idea of charging into a group of enemies as an unstoppable fantasy monstrosity, shotgun barrels blazing, with electric western riffs ringing out in the distance. Saddle up, pigman. That’s your cue.
  24. Mar 31, 2022
    80
    Weird West is a generally enjoyable game that balances an excellent atmosphere with visceral Western-styled combat. It has some bugs that could be fixed in the future and has a noticeable lack of voice acting, but for the most part, it’s a genuinely unique and exciting game. If you’ve ever wanted to be a cowboy and Van Helsing simultaneously, there’s finally a game for you.
  25. Mar 31, 2022
    80
    WolfEye's first game offer players a solid immersive sim in a fantastic western atmosphere. The varied gameplay and the open level design allow the player to approach the confrontations in multiple ways coupled with its progression system make the progression fascinating. The unique atmosphere, the care given to the immersion, the presence of multiple side activities as well as a sustained rhythm make Weird West a memorable adventure that we recommend to fans of games like Deus Ex, where creativity and risk-taking in confrontations are rewarded.
  26. Mar 31, 2022
    80
    Weird West more than lives up to its name in all the right ways. Playing through its five stories and reaching their collective conclusion produces a wagonload of bizarre encounters, twists, and reveals, and its stealth and chaotic combat are challenging but come with the built-in safety nets of unlimited slow-motion and an old-school quickload system. It comes with its fair share of limitations, managing a lot of mostly dull loot, and typical bugs, but exploring these wide-open spaces feels like striking gold a lot more often than not.
  27. Mar 31, 2022
    80
    Wolfeye’s attempt to bring the immersive sim genre to an isometric game works well overall, albeit with a few hiccups in handling combat and looting. Fans itching for a game that allows freedom of choice in both story and gameplay at every turn should look no further than Weird West.
  28. Mar 31, 2022
    80
    After a slow first chapter, Weird West opens up to give players an exceptional and supernatural sandbox to play around in. Each story offers an exciting new perspective on the world, and is a joy to explore as you uncover the consequences of the many choices you make along the way.
  29. Mar 31, 2022
    80
    With its gripping story, wacky characters, solid action role-playing game mechanics, and masterfully crafted immersive simulation features, Weird West is one of the very few role-playing games on the market where players truly shape the world with their choices and actions. Some balancing and technical issues damage the experience, but if you're looking for a truly immersive RPG to play, you won't find anything better than Weird West.
  30. Mar 31, 2022
    79
    Look past the murky aesthetic and clunky combat: this is an exciting fusion of immersive sim and CRPG.
  31. Jul 6, 2022
    75
    Weird West is a game that players can grow to love, provided you can forgive some of its issues and design decisions. The idea of going through five different protagonists with somewhat connected stories is fascinating, but the resetting of items and skills when changing characters doesn't contribute to the desire to explore. The lands don't vary much given the setting, but the changes based on your actions are fun to see. The combat is fine, but the enemy behavior can sometimes be laughable, while the presentation teeters between amazing and average. It's worth checking out if you're prepared to invest some time waiting for its magic to hit.
  32. May 10, 2022
    75
    Weird West has greatly well-designed nonlinear gameplay which makes gamers play it various ways. There are pros and cons on its ending even though it is a story-driven game.
  33. 75
    Overall, Weird West dishes up an alluring world that you can explore to your heart’s content. Its story structure and procedurally generated travel encounters will keep players on their toes and ensure that no two playthroughs are the same. Even though there are a few glitches and the game’s camera can feel a little clunky at times, the visual style and depth of Weird West’s world more than make up for it. If you have a soft spot for comic books, interesting stories, and dynamic characters, Weird West will be a great addition to your library.
  34. Mar 31, 2022
    75
    Despite some flaws that are too big to ignore, Weird West is an ambitious, intriguing, sometimes unique action-RPG set in a nightmarish world.
  35. Jun 26, 2022
    70
    Keep your expectations low and you'll deeply enjoy Weird West. Intriguing story, diverse gameplay and good side quests make this game an enjoyable experience.
  36. Apr 22, 2022
    70
    At its core, Weird West is a solid game that presents a fun sandbox to play in. There are some aspects of its combat and story that aren't as strong as we'd hoped, but exploring the world and uncovering secrets with its strange and diverse cast of characters is enjoyable. It's time to saddle up and head out west.
  37. Edge Magazine
    Apr 21, 2022
    70
    This means it's possible for a smaller team to craft a game of joyously intersecting rules. [Issue#371, p.100]
  38. Apr 13, 2022
    70
    Weird West offers up a world of intrigue with a terrific blend of classic Western fiction and supernatural elements, with a lot of enjoyable story bits and and a world that can change on a whim, but it’s one whose awkward combat and bugs make for a bit of an uphill battle when it comes to truly enjoying this world. WolfEye should definitely be commended for their ambition and unique ideas, and the end result is still an enjoyable game, just one that could have used some extra spit and polish.
  39. Apr 7, 2022
    70
    It’s buggy, the balance is off, and a good 80% of the locations only really serve as random sidequest destinations. But the storytelling drew me in, the stealth worked rather well, and on the occasions when I felt like I had resources to burn it was just so dang satisfying to slow motion dive out from behind a corner while blasting a barrage of shotgun shells.
  40. 70
    Weird West has a fun and engaging sandbox structure and is narratively solid, but it is also unfortunately marred by technical and gameplay issues.
  41. Mar 31, 2022
    70
    Superbly written characters, the dark allure of its world, and an engrossing main story make up for Weird West’s wonky action.
  42. Mar 31, 2022
    70
    While it has its quirks, Weird West is a bit of storytelling spectacle that seems to have been hand-crafted for diehard RPG fans.
  43. Apr 28, 2022
    68
    This immensely ambitious game promises much more than it’s able to give. By focusing on player agency, Weird West stifles everything else.
  44. Mar 31, 2022
    68
    If not for the grating gameplay and clunky controls, Weird West would be another Devolver classic. I love Devolver’s games, and I was excited for this one. Weird West would be fantastic as a novella, actually–I loved the writing, atmosphere, and unique narrative. Chef’s kiss stuff right here. I’m sure some folks out there will find the gameplay good enough, but even knowing how fascinating the story is, I wouldn’t have put over twenty hours into this game if I knew at the outset what I know now.
  45. Mar 31, 2022
    68
    Weird West's fascinating universe isn't enough to cover its many flaws. While the sheer chaos of certain situations is fun, the game has clear balancing and structural problems, aggravated by bad AI and other technical problems. A pity, because the potential for an indie pearl was definitely there, and it remains a positive experience even with all its fallacies.
  46. Mar 31, 2022
    65
    Weird West does have some interesting and novel ideas. Sadly, bugs, AI issues, and questionable mechanics prove to be problematic.
  47. May 9, 2022
    60
    By the conclusion of Weird West, I thought that the experience was interesting and original enough to not have felt as though my time had been wasted on an unfun experience, but only just barely. The five character stories do manage to build up to a largely satisfying conclusion, and there is enough persistence from character to character to make at least some of the experience feel meaningful and sometimes even poignant. However, I also often found myself ignoring locations and battles and just main-lining toward the next story beat to the finish line because I simply wanted to see how the threads ended up wrapping together, looking for some sort of payoff. Weird West is a creative game full of neat ideas that just didn't quite come together in the end.
  48. Apr 15, 2022
    60
    Weird West gives the impression of a concept that would work excellently under Arkane’s talented team, but as it stands it’s mainly a diamond in the rough. For every clever idea in creating a living Wild West with fantastical elements there is an equal amount of issues that shows a lack of resources to truly make the game stand out.
  49. Mar 31, 2022
    60
    Weird West is a wonderful world tacked on to a clumsy bundle of mechanics. Personally, it’s one of my favourite games this year, but a host of small issues mean most of the game’s impressive potential is left untapped.
  50. Apr 20, 2022
    50
    If the bugs are patched, Weird West has the potential to be a truly excellent game, as there is a lot of fun to be had in the West, you just sometimes have to make it yourself.
  51. Mar 31, 2022
    50
    A dark-fantasy western RPG with a compelling world and an ambitious narrative, Weird West is undermined by awkward combat and micromanagement. Weird West's rotating multi-character perspective will be an acquired taste, but makes sense as a method of world-building. It’s got room to grow, but right now, it’s challenging to build momentum in the early game and to persevere through the mid-game.
  52. May 6, 2022
    40
    It’s a shame that the weirdest thing about Weird West is how boring it can often be.
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  1. Mar 31, 2022
    A bold, atmospheric yet dissatisfying ensemble RPG shooter, full of untapped promise.
  2. Mar 31, 2022
    With Weird West, these magic moments appear far too infrequently. Sheer ambition means eventually something special is bound to be spat out by the game’s extensive simulations — a mishap with an oil lamp, for example — although it’ll be a rough and unwieldy thing, all the more crude when compared with the extensive elegance of a Dishonored. Instead of doing what many, myself included, had hoped — converting the spirit of Arkane and the immersive sim into an inventive top-down form — Weird West has stumbled into a more mundane existence as a pared-down computer RPG that’s nowhere near weird enough.
  3. Where Weird West breaks away from its RPG forebears is in its rejection of turn-based fighting. Instead, it controls like a twin-stick shooter, asking you to aim and react under pressure. That might be a dealbreaker for some genre fans, but the messiness of open combat is balanced by three things: the ability to gather an AI posse about yourself, a hefty kick for knockbacks, and a Max Payne-ish dive that stretches out the seconds, giving you extra time to swing your shotgun in the right direction.
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 82 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 82
  2. Negative: 14 out of 82
  1. Apr 6, 2022
    5
    To that guy Explicit1 who saying that no one should put how they feel about a game here on Metacritic, I say you should stop trying to tellTo that guy Explicit1 who saying that no one should put how they feel about a game here on Metacritic, I say you should stop trying to tell people what to write and mind his own damn business!!

    As far as the game is concern its around a 5 / 10. I love the Dishonored Series and I wish that Ralph would go back to making AAA Immersive Sims like those and I realize this is a small-budget, Indie game so that allowance have to be made....
    Full Review »
  2. Apr 6, 2022
    5
    First impression is pretty descent but game turns stale rather quick, skills are uninspired, gunplay isnt all that satysfying and level designFirst impression is pretty descent but game turns stale rather quick, skills are uninspired, gunplay isnt all that satysfying and level design is sub par plus there is a lot of reused zones and idead over and over.
    I doubt I will be able to finish this game, it gets too boring after 2nd character with not much variation.
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  3. Apr 6, 2022
    4
    It's a VERY weak entry in the canon of immersive sims. The characters are boring and uninspired, the story suffers from a serious lack ofIt's a VERY weak entry in the canon of immersive sims. The characters are boring and uninspired, the story suffers from a serious lack of pacing and jumps around between the uninteresting characters too frequently to form any kind of attachment to them, the factions and story beats are somewhat unbelievable and it really wears its 2022 politics on its sleeve. As a result, it becomes a chore to play through the game. You'll constantly meet powerful female characters who task you with going to rescue a man who has been kidnapped due to his own sheer incompetence. If the men aren't playing the role of damsel in distress, they're made to be unethical perverts with sex slaves and cartoonishly evil motivations. The gunplay is exceptionally poor, with certain enemies becoming bulletsponges and most powers being fairly useless. If you compare it with a game like Dishonored or Dishonored 2, the shortcomings really become pronounced. The level design is passable, but there are very few alternative pathways that don't consist of climbing some rocks to get the high ground on your enemies. Also, one of the more glaring issues, the levels repeat frequently. There are several mines in the game but they all share the exact same map. There are a bunch of little settlements around the map, but they all share the exact same tileset and do nothing to distinguish them from one another. The only powers that are worth using are designed explicitly for combat. Otherwise, there are really no creative traversal powers or opportunities to use them creatively to bypass obstacles. It plays far more like a twinstick shooter than it does an immersive sim, and judging it by the same metric I would Deus Ex, Dishonored or Prey, I can't help but be left disappointed. I'd give it a 4 for being slightly below average in terms of enjoyment, and that's because I've chosen to be charitable and rate it like I would a twinstick shooter rather than I would an immersive sim. If I were going to rate how it stacks up with its peers, I'd give it a 2 or a 3. It verges on being fun in the early game before you become aware at how many environments repeat ad nauseum, shooting itself in the foot before it can succeed at being a fun experience. Compounded with the issues regarding characterization and story, it gets quite a poor rating from me.

    I know this was a labour of love for the devs, and I do very much love Raph Colantonio and I think he's an excellent designer, but this is a really bad example of what he's capable of. All of his previous games felt more enjoyable to play than this one does. My biggest recommendations would be to focus on better, more relatable characters that are less grounded in fiction and trope, and to not focus on procedural generation to pad the amount of content in your game. A few handcrafted levels with variation and real substance are always going to be better than one repetitive map that has procedural elements within.
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