Weird West

Weird West has a lot of interesting systems working under the hood to let you play as you like. With this comes a certain amount of jank which undermines the immersion somewhat but the multiple character stories and many choices still make it worth playing.

While it has its quirks, Weird West is a bit of storytelling spectacle that seems to have been hand-crafted for diehard RPG fans.

For those what want to immerse themselves in a strange, alternative take on the Wild West and unravel a mysterious story, Weird West should do the trick. This is an engaging action RPG that while narrative-driven, still gives players a large amount of choice. And though there are some issues, they’re worth bearing with to see each of the game’s protagonists journeys through to their end. As the first game from WolfEye Studios, this is a very commendable effort indeed.

Weird West presents itself as a videogame divided in two, composed of a duality that places it between the experimental and the tried and tested formula, presenting a really appealing proposal in everything that has to do with role-playing and player-world interaction, and attending to conventionalisms in terms of action. I have a bit too much of the latter, but I can't help but applaud its merits. Play it on PC, though.

Weird West sets its sights high by promising player freedom and a responsive world to butterfly effect the hell out of, and it very nearly delivers on all of it. At its best, WolfEye Studios' first outing offers delightfully chaotic combat and an interesting supernatural setting that leaves no actions without consequence. But while in many respects Weird West achieves some of its grander ambitions, it fails to nail some of the basics. Immersive sim fans will be in their element here, but Raphael Colantonio's latest won't have as wide an appeal as his previous successes with Arkane.

Weird West is a mix of many ideas that unfortunately are not properly explored. This reinterpretation of Western in a dark fantasy key is undoubtedly intriguing but, unfortunately, fails to blend in all its mechanics.

Despite the considerable ambitions of the project by Raphael Colantonio and his WolfEye Studios, Weird West fails to best express the potential of a creative vision that is as multifaceted as it is unsustainable, at least for the current production structure of the team.

Weird West sadly just isn’t as unique, strange or compelling as its setting and ideas suggest it should be. A decent twin-stick shooter with solid but repetitive combat, a limited sandbox and inconsequential decision making undermine the potential for an awesome gun slinging adventure. Sometimes, declaring yourself weird just ain’t enough, you’ve got to have the stones to commit to the best duels of the wild west.

Weird West is a fun, but awkward game. The aiming and gun fighting mechanics often lead to frustration and make it almost unplayable at times. The story is interesting and different and the characters are fun to get to know, but the weapons aren’t very diverse and the armor and clothes are a minimal addition. It’s one of those games, that if you can master the mechanics of it and like this type of camera angle, you’ll probably enjoy it, but still find it lacking in overall depth. Personally, I love Diablo-type games and found Weird West to be enjoyable, but often tedious. Luckily, there’s a quick save and quick load feature for those untimely deaths and missteps. Trust me — those will happen often.

The writing, the story, the characters, and the ways in which your actions have an effect on the world are all enthralling. I wanted answers to the mysteries presented, since the heroes and villains of these tales are captivating, and the payoffs, by and large, are worthwhile. There are a lot of excellent old-school isometric adventure games in Weird West's DNA, but not enough new-school polish for it to be something great.

This is one game that is certainly worth checking out, if only for the setting and story premise, and if you could find some way to look beyond the less than ideal conditions of the gameplay segments, then perhaps you already possess the necessary steel and nerve to make it in the Weird West.

Despite some of the same minds behind Dishonored being involved, this top-down immersive doesn’t live up to its soaring ambitions and often struggles to entertain.

While its narrative aspirations and desire for immersive role-playing seem to aim at the Hollywood tradition of the Western, Weird West ends up feeling more like a disposable dime novel.