Desperados III

So this review is going to be a glowing recommendation, based on two factors: I have no real wealth of RTS history to throw it against, and I’m having an absolute blast with what I’m playing already. Much like any game, I’m trying to find my feet with its extensive tactics and takedowns approach, but I’m fully invested in the ride.

Desperadoes III is a highly-addictive and engaging real-time tactics game that offers endlessly satisfying experimentation and replay value.

The Desperados franchise has a solid and faithful cohort of fans but a decade and change is a long time to wait between games, so it makes sense to start with the origin, making it appeal to newly-converted lovers of the genre jonesing for a horse opera since the heady days of Red Dead 2. Desperados 3 is nothing like the overwrought and action-packed Red Dead, of course, but it replaces gunplay with the constant suspense that comes with well-made stealth and challenging puzzles, and taking a more satiric tone than the generally serious Rockstar product. Patient and creative fans of stealth games will enjoy Desperados 3 quite a lot, whether they’re into the genre or not.

A fiendishly clever and enduringly charming Wild West take on the stealth strategy formula that Mimimi Games previous effort Shadow Tactics did so well, Desperados 3 does a fantastic job of cloaking what is a supremely clever stealth puzzlebox as a narrative driven tactical effort that everyone should try.

Desperados III is very similar to Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun but that game was so good I don't mind. The new character's abilities are very unique and there is plenty of content and replayability. Fans of stealth and strategy need these games in their lives.

The good news is that most players will find something to enjoy in Desperados III. Mimimi Productions has learned from the few mistakes they made with Shadow Tactics to make a real time tactical strategy/stealth blend that works incredibly well on console. There are enough choices and replayability to suit both newcomers and veterans to the genres. The game is a worthwhile addition to your collection.

From its effective narration to the depth of its gameplay, through its replayability and its challenges, Desperados III achieves almost flawlessness, and, if you are fans of the genre, we can only advise you to go for it.

Desperados III is a defining game both for the tactical and Western genres. It presents a bucketload of possibilities for you to become a Sergio Leone legend, and it completely understands the mysticality of the American Frontier-set fiction that inspired it. Whether you are new to hardcore stealth games or not, this is a rootin' tootin' good time.

If you have the means, do yourself a favor and play Desperados III on the PC. If you don't, the PS4 version is a deserving alternative that isn't as great to control but makes the right compromises to work with the limited input options. The rest of the game is excellent, no matter what platform you choose. It's a challenging title that isn't afraid to frustrate or overwhelm you, and that can sometimes sour the otherwise excellent gameplay. If you have thick skin and an unquenched desire to solve stealth puzzles in the Wild West, Desperados III is the best real-time tactical stealth game that I have played in a long, long time.

The story is masterfully crafted and it's complemented by very well thought out game mechanics, very detailed graphics, and challenging gameplay, that never feels like a chore. This is maybe one of the greatest merits of Desperados III, even when it makes you sweat and go back to the drawing board, it remains fun and never becomes a dull repetition of the same actions. Although it's priced as a triple-A game, the content it offers makes it an experience you should not miss. If you were a fan of the original game, Desperados III is the sequel you have been waiting for since 2001.

Strong, deep gameplay and impressive visuals turn Desperados III into quite the experience that is worth to play. There are some annoyances though, the game's tendency to corrupt savefiles chief among them.

Like Shadow Tactics before it, Desperados III is one of the best tactics games available, and certainly one of the most satisfying titles I’ve played this year. It’s a finely-tuned masterpiece of Swiss-watch construction, polished in every respect and delivering the kind of tuned cerebral action that isn’t easily found. For fans of complex strategic gameplay, they just don’t come better than this.

Fussin' and a feudin' aside, if you possess the requisite patience levels and a methodical mind, Desperadoes III can quickly go from being an O.K. Corral to a great one. This is especially true if you're replaying it for those bonus objectives and you actually know how the West was won.

Desperados III doesn’t have a groundbreaking plot or outstanding graphics. Still, its gameplay mechanics end up making it one of the best tactical campaigns that I’ve ever played in a while. I had a blast getting the most out of each character’s unique skillset even during some of the more difficult missions. In the end, this will satisfy any craving you’ve had over the past ten years for the Desperados series.

Desperados 3 brings a compelling Wild West story telling the origins of John Cooper and his gang. Each mission is brimming with life and atmosphere and offers a real challenge. With up to six characters, each with their own abilities, there are many different styles of play possible. The game is certainly challenging but offers a lot of replayability and value for money.

While it may not be for everyone, I encourage those who are frustrated to mess with things first before giving up on it entirely, as it’s an excellent example of a game you should give time to gestate.

A complicated rootin’ shootin’ tactics puzzler that plays like a miniaturised Hitman-headswest. It can get muddled when all the parts are moving, but this is a must-play. [Issue#177, p.153]

The game’s writing is so sharply detailed that characters come to be defined by more than just their unique skills and abilities, and you come to know them more as they open up about themselves depending on the mission.

Desperados 3 is an uncompromising tactical stealth game that tests your patience and rewards your willingness to experiment. Playing with a charming team of toy soldier-sized assassins in a series of deadly and detailed dioramas is tough and requires a lot of trial and error, but success is more rousing than a whiskey chaser. Dormant for 14 years, in Desperados 3 the series enjoys the most triumphant comeback in the Western genre since Clint Eastwood made Unforgiven.

Building on Mimimi Games' success with Shadow Tactics, Desperados III is mature, confident gameplay design, and while it might not look like an AAA-blockbuster, it certainly has the level of refinement and quality that is a rare thing indeed. It could have been a little more in places, but it's a solid, intelligent depiction of a beloved part of America's narrative heritage and aesthetic, with some excellent and creative tactical puzzles to sort through along the way.

Fans of the original will appreciate this challenging but versatile mix of stealth and strategy, but it misses almost every opportunity to update the Commandos formula for the modern era.

Mimimi Studios stays true to the genre. Desperados III has some outdated mechanics, and the game progression is based on trial and error, which is something the fans will love, but it can be frustrating for newcomers.