Weird West - Review
Weird West is an action adventure RPG developed by WolfEye Studios, and is exactly like what the title of the game suggests. It’s weird. It’s set in the wild west. The game’s narrative starts the game at a very fast pace and sets the tone for the game. You play as Jane… and within the first few seconds of the game… *light spoiler alert*, your husband has been kidnapped and child has been killed at your farm. Why has all this happened, and who would be doing all this?
Well, that’s definitely something you’ll need to find out when you play this game. The only thing you need to know, and for us to try to keep this as spoiler free as possible apart from the previous alert, is that like any good wild west film, you’re set out for revenge, investigate just what the hell is going on… and to get your husband back. Along the way, you visit various towns, mines and come across very interesting characters and NPCs.
These interactions with NPCs could either trigger the main questline to further develop the narrative. However, there are also side quests you can activate and play through by talking to some of the townsfolk and characters you meet who have a blue indicator, as well as picking up bounty missions from the wanted board outside the sheriff’s office. And as with any decent RPG, depending on your interactions, discussions and decisions made… there could be consequences or help in the near future. As you attempt to complete your quests and travel to and from various locations, your map is revealed over time, letting you explore the world a little more. Not only that, but traveling between locations could encounter various interactions such as traders, wild animals (such as wolves and bears), all the way to the weird creatures known as the human-flesh eating sirens, and more. They don’t call it the Weird West for no reason.
Through these encounters, you’ll have the option to either take it easy and trade with merchants if you’re fortunate enough. Alternatively, another option is to defend yourself with whatever weapons you’ve picked up along the way, purchased to upgraded against wild creatures, bandits and antagonist gangs you’ve previously placed in jail after you’ve collected their bounties from the Sheriff's wanted board. And while these altercations are very fun, especially letting you experience the different weapons you’ve collected in your arsenal such as shotguns, pistols, rifles, knives etc, this is where the game’s controls show the game felt as though it was specifically made for a mouse and keyboard and was poorly translated to a controller for consoles. Sure, it’s definitely fun to play a cowboy with pistols and all, however, the lack of smooth movement and ability to easily run comes across frustrating.
To make it worse, the aiming and targeting’s turning circle for shooting feels painfully slow or difficult with a joystick. One that would be so much easier on a mouse as you can move freely and easily, opposed to having to turn. Unfortunately, the controls for the camera was equally as terrible… but this could be to do with the way it’s all laid out on a console controller, which clashes with the camera rotation and angle when you’re trying to adjust your view while having to also deal with your aim (R2 on the PS5) as well as using your target view which uses the right joystick (same as camera controls). Additionally, there are zoom options for the camera, however I found myself always on the furthest view as it gives maximum field of view, to ensure you don’t have enemies sneaking up on you. The only time I zoomed in for a closer look was when moving in buildings to raid or take inventories from shelves, barrels, chests and boxes. However, this is automatically highlighted when you’re nearby and facing the item, therefore having it on the furthest view works just as well.
And speaking of inventories and items you can pick up along the way… unfortunately the amount of inventory you can carry ends up becoming full easily. And sure you can expand that by purchasing a horse and placing items in its saddlebags… but it gets filled frustratingly fast. However, this could be due to the amount of chests, items and loot you come across, which forces players to choose wisely as you’ll want to sell most items in town and reap maximum profits to later purchase upgraded weapons and so on.
The visual style and design of the character avatars look fantastic. In fact, it may remind people of Disco Elysium due to its use of digital brushes and style. However, it’s a pity that the in-game visuals look far different as they’ve used a heavy bolded outline and saturated colours. This is obviously a personal choice and preference only, and does not detract from the gameplay or narrative itself. But it has made me miss a lot of details and items from time to time due to its colour palette selection.
The score and sound effects are well chosen, making it feel like a western landscape when it's intended, but also making it feel like a spooky nightmare when needed. Depending on the area or mission you’re in, which includes day or night time, the game does create a great atmosphere that also gets your goosebumps going.
Overall, Weird West is definitely a fun game, minus a couple of detractions due to its controls being better on a keyboard and mouse than a console controller. However, it definitely makes you feel like somewhat of a cowboy in the wild west, while facing bizarre creatures and characters.
The Score
7.0
Review code provided by Devolver Digital
The Pros
+Fun and interesting narrative that makes you want to know more
+Game does make you feel as though you’re really in a Western
+Makes you feel as though you are traveling in the wild west
The Cons
-Clearly made for a mouse and keyboard, that doesn’t translate well on console controllers
-Camera control angles and button configuration (on consoles) are frustrating and feels as though it limits your view
-Visual color palette and bold outlines makes it a little difficult to see details from time to time
