Weird West

Weird West is a production bordering on action RPG and immersive sims. The title is a debut project of an independent team WolfEye Studios, founded by Raphael Colantonio. We are talking about the developer who previously headed Arkane Studios, the team known, among others, for the Dishonored series. The publishing of this project was taken care of by Devolver Digital.

Story

As the title suggests, Weird West takes us on a journey to the so-called Wild West, a variation on the theme of the Wild West, in which in addition to cowboys and bandits there are fantastic elements, such as magic and various monsters. The production allows us to impersonate five characters, namely a bounty hunter, an Indian archer, a magical oneirist, a werewolf and a humanoid hog. Although, at first, the adventures of the characters may seem unconnected, they eventually merge into a coherent whole. We get to know their stories one by one, over the course of successive chapters.

The plot is shaped by our actions and decisions, which not only determine the fate of individual protagonists, but also affect the entire world presented.

Mechanics

In Weird West we watch the action from the bird's eye view. The driving force of the game are missions pushing forward the plot, which are accompanied by numerous side quests. The title doesn't offer a fully open world, but a number of different locations, between which we move from the map level. During the game we visit various towns as well as gloomy wastelands or gloomy swamps.

Exploring the Wild West and completing the mission objectives, we often come across opponents, among which we find hostile people and monsters of all kinds. How we deal with them depends both on the specifics of the character and our own idea for the gameplay. Nothing stands in the way of classic combat, with the use of revolvers and other firearms, bows or white weapons. We can equally well use supernatural combat skills, striking enemies with lightning, attacking with telekinesis or, as a werewolf, making use of superhuman strength. In addition, we can do things quietly, sneaking behind the backs of adversaries, eliminate them by surprise and hide bodies so as not to raise the alarm. As befits an immersive sim game, there's also the ability to use the environment to your advantage; for example, you can drop barrels of gunpowder on your enemies' heads (which explode when you hit them accurately) or even set fire to puddles of oil spilled beneath their feet.

The interactivity of the environment is also useful during exploration. Many objects, such as crates and barrels, can be moved and rearranged to reach various nooks and crannies, where useful and valuable items may be hidden. Speaking of items - as we progress we gain more and more equipment which increases our combat potential. Besides, we develop individual characters by unlocking new skills and improving existing ones, or gaining access to various perks.

While traversing the Wild West, we must remember that the decisions we make along the way have their consequences. Our actions affect not only the attitude of neutral characters towards our heroes (some of them may join us or on the contrary - take us as a target), but also the shape of the entire location. For example, we can kill all the residents of one of the towns, but we must reckon with the fact that in a later phase of the game it will turn into a real ghost town or a hiding place for bandits. Our crimes also have their consequences. If we do not get rid of witnesses or are caught red-handed by the law enforcement, we can be arrested, and if we manage to escape - there will be a reward for our head.

Technical issues

The graphic design of the game Weird West is maintained in an atmospheric, cartoon style.