Desperados 3

The links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Wccftech.com may earn from qualifying purchases.

Starting at $5.93Buy now

Get on Steam

Get on Xbox Games Store

Get on Epic Games Store

Get on PS Store

Desperados III is a tactical stealth game set in the Wild West, where players lead a gang of five unique characters, each with their own abilities and weapons, on a mission for redemption. A combination of stealth and strategic planning is required to take out enemies quietly and survive encounters. The game offers a variety of environments and a dramatic showdown, testing players' skills and wit.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,708 reviews

story493 positive mentions

grinding26 negative mentions

Desperados III is a masterclass in real-time tactics, offering engaging gameplay with multiple solutions to each mission.
The game features a diverse cast of characters, each with unique abilities that enhance strategic planning and execution.
The graphics, voice acting, and soundtrack create an immersive Wild West atmosphere that complements the gameplay.

The game can become repetitive, with some players feeling that it relies too heavily on trial and error.
There are bugs and control issues that can disrupt gameplay, such as characters not responding as expected or getting stuck.
The story, while enjoyable, is considered by some to be cliché and lacking depth compared to previous titles.

story
1,522 mentions
32 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story in "Desperados III" is generally well-received, characterized as a classic revenge narrative set in the Wild West, featuring a cast of colorful characters with distinct personalities. While some players find the plot engaging and the character interactions enjoyable, others feel it lacks depth and originality compared to its predecessor, "Shadow Tactics." The game offers a variety of missions that encourage replayability through different approaches and challenges, although some critiques mention that the story can feel predictable and occasionally rushed. Overall, the combination of solid gameplay mechanics and a decent storyline makes it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.
- “The story is great and the characters all have strong personalities, with lines that fit the mood perfectly.”
- “The story is cool and fleshes out the characters better than the original Desperados, and it's interesting to see more of their backstories.”
- “Desperados III is a captivating journey that flawlessly blends tactical gameplay, stunning graphics, an engrossing story, impressive voice acting, and a brilliant challenge that keeps you on the edge of your seat.”
- “The game's worst aspects are that the story is mediocre and that each mission has guard positions, timings, and view cones that are set up nearly perfectly, allowing for only minimal gaps, which feels same-ish and inauthentic for a wild west scenario and more like extreme military precision.”
- “The story is not that long because, as you can probably tell, this is not the first game of this series.”
- “The story is a bit silly, but I won't be spoiling it.”
gameplay
784 mentions
46 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Desperados III" is widely praised for its refined mechanics, engaging level design, and the introduction of unique character abilities, making it a standout in the tactical stealth genre. While many players appreciate the nostalgic similarities to "Shadow Tactics," some express a desire for more innovation and variety in gameplay elements. Overall, the game offers a satisfying blend of strategic planning and execution, with a strong emphasis on player creativity and problem-solving.
- “Desperados III is a captivating journey that flawlessly blends tactical gameplay, stunning graphics, an engrossing story, impressive voice acting, and a brilliant challenge that keeps you on the edge of your seat.”
- “The gameplay is polished and enjoyable, the levels are detailed with various ways to beat them, and the characters are sweet both design-wise and in personality.”
- “The gameplay is very addictive and you own your way of playing... awesome :)”
- “The gameplay soon boils down to a repetitive cycle: navigating areas with 2-4 guards, using character skills to eliminate and hide enemies in bushes.”
- “The whole gameplay quickly becomes stale, because every new mission doesn't offer much new mechanics, and then you realize: 'oh, sh#%, here we go again', save and load for hours, yay.”
- “It's perplexing that the same team that crafted an exhilarating first four hours could produce such uninspired gameplay in the subsequent seven.”
graphics
332 mentions
61 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Desperados 3" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and attention to detail, effectively capturing the game's wild west aesthetic. Many reviewers noted the high-quality art style, vibrant environments, and smooth performance, even on lower-end machines. While some comparisons were made to previous titles like "Shadow Tactics," the overall consensus is that the graphics enhance the gameplay experience, making it a visually appealing and immersive tactical game.
- “The graphics are gorgeous, the story is amazing, the music is so good, the characters are interesting.”
- “Desperados 3 is a captivating journey that flawlessly blends tactical gameplay, stunning graphics, an engrossing story, impressive voice acting, and a brilliant challenge that keeps you on the edge of your seat.”
- “The graphics, the gameplay and the atmosphere are 10/10.”
- “Graphics are bad, sound is bad, story is superficial and blood is removed after 5 seconds... hate it when decals are just removed to make the game work on PlayStation 5.”
- “Ps: the graphics look like they are from 2006.”
- “The graphics look a bit blurry and simple for a game with a AAA price tag in 2020, the game easily hits 165 fps (cap for my system with RTX 2080) in 1440p with max settings.”
music
257 mentions
62 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere and immersion, particularly in evoking a "spaghetti western" vibe. While the soundtrack is often described as beautiful and fitting, some players noted that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the music is considered one of the standout features, contributing significantly to the game's appeal and enjoyment.
- “The music is gorgeous.”
- “The soundtrack is fantastic and very fitting with the western theme.”
- “The music complements the game and is memorable.”
- “As with other aspects, the game's soundtrack starts strong but fades into repetition.”
- “By the end of the first chapter, I found myself wanting to turn off the music.”
- “The music is the same throughout the game and the voice acting is great stuff.”
replayability
144 mentions
43 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability, driven by its diverse mission designs, multiple approaches to objectives, and a plethora of challenges and achievements that encourage players to revisit levels. Players appreciate the variety in gameplay styles and difficulty settings, which enhance the overall experience and provide ample content for completionists. While some may find replay value diminishing after completing the main story, many agree that the game's mechanics and additional challenges keep it engaging for extended play.
- “The missions are meticulously crafted, providing a fun challenge at any difficulty, while still offering lots of replayability.”
- “The variety of possible walkthroughs of the same scenarios, challenges given via medals, the bounty hunters mode, the baron's challenges, difficulties, and DLCs make this game replayable even after beating its story mode.”
- “Each mission has replay value as you go for very interesting challenges that change the way you play each level.”
- “Additionally, it lacks replayability.”
- “If I have a knock on it, it's that I don't foresee much replay value. It has lots of additional challenges and you can go back and clear up the accomplishments you didn't get first go round, but I think completing the story mode was enough for me.”
- “Not much replay value, and the cutscenes tend to distort with bass-voices, so overall an 8/10.”
atmosphere
58 mentions
67 % positive mentions
28 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive wild west setting, enhanced by beautifully rendered environments, fitting music, and engaging voice acting. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke nostalgia while delivering a rich and detailed experience, making it a standout title in the genre. Overall, the combination of graphics, sound, and thoughtful level design creates a captivating atmosphere that draws players into the game's world.
- “The beautifully rendered environments, from sun-drenched towns to dusty canyons, create an immersive wild west atmosphere that pulls you deeper into the experience.”
- “The story and western cowboy shooting cattle bandits atmosphere are immersive and convincing, not to mention the beautiful soundtrack that provides a genuine feeling of the time.”
- “These guys really know how to make a beautiful game with great atmosphere, game mechanics, voice acting and map design.”
- “- the atmosphere that the game is offering”
- “For some reason, Shadow Tactics didn't fully click with me, but the atmosphere and intricate levels in this game have drawn me in.”
- “I haven't completed the game yet, so I can't say much about the story, but I've cleared the first chapter (missions 1-6) after about 8 hours of play, replaying a few levels for additional challenges, and so far I can say that it has all the features I loved about Shadow Tactics, but with a completely different atmosphere.”
humor
40 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing, engaging character interactions, and a mix of dark and light-hearted moments that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the funny dialogues and memorable one-liners, although some found certain comedic elements hit or miss. Overall, the humor adds charm and depth to the gameplay, making it a standout feature.
- “Funny dialogues, good story, diverse playable characters.”
- “Great humor and exceptional characters with some nods to the original and some remixing.”
- “The writing is great, the banter between the characters is natural and pretty funny, and you can tell that whoever was responsible for it knew the original games well.”
optimization
32 mentions
59 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is highly praised for its optimization, running smoothly on a variety of systems, including high-end machines and older laptops. Users report excellent performance with minimal bugs, though some mention occasional frame rate fluctuations. The graphics are particularly noted for their beauty and efficiency, contributing to a polished gaming experience.
- “Excellent strategy game with extremely optimized solutions possible to get badges on hardest difficulty.”
- “The game has been optimized and polished.”
- “Graphics are greatly optimized - the game runs smoothly (and looks superb) even on a laptop with a low-end graphics card.”
- “There's countless discussions of stuttering, frame drops, and mouse and controller issues in this game.”
- “However, I cannot seem to run the game at a consistent framerate of 120 fps - it fluctuates a tad, which gives the impression of stuttering when scrolling, for instance.”
- “Compared to its predecessors, ST and D3 have optimized a more streamlined control scheme for the modern era with character abilities accessible with ASDFG/QWERT keys (customizable in options), as opposed to Commando’s insistence to use the entire alphabet list.”
grinding
30 mentions
3 % positive mentions
10 % neutral mentions
87 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and time-consuming, often feeling purposeless and repetitive. While some enjoy the challenge and diversity of mission goals, many express frustration with the lengthy missions and the need for extensive grinding to progress, leading to a sense of monotony. Despite a few players appreciating the lack of traditional RPG mechanics, the consensus leans towards grinding being a major drawback that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I'm a big fan of Commandos series and Deus Ex, but this one just feels purposeless and tedious.”
- “I was imagining something like 30 minutes to 1 hour for a mission, but it's more like 1-3 hours, which can get pretty tedious if you have other things to do.”
- “If you do the extra badge challenges, then it's not exactly hard, it's just incredibly tedious, e.g. things like a 20+ minute mission with many points where someone might spot you and then the badge says 'don't save for the duration of the mission'.”
stability
23 mentions
35 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
65 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting a generally stable experience with minor glitches, while others have encountered significant bugs and crashes that hinder gameplay. Many users noted that the game runs well on various platforms, including Linux and lower-end machines, but persistent issues with AI, character interactions, and save functions detract from the overall experience. Overall, while some players found it enjoyable and stable, others described it as a buggy mess that requires patience to navigate.
- “Runs great on Linux.”
- “+ Very stable and well-optimized, runs great even on Mac Mini M1 using Rosetta 2.”
- “I am on a regular laptop and it runs great.”
- “But all the glitches and lack of polish in Desperados III put an ugly, dirty stain on the otherwise pleasant experience.”
- “The second game in the series was a sore disappointment riddled with bugs and glitches and was a poor attempt at transforming the series into a 3D third-person setting that just didn't work out too well for the format.”
- “I can't say if it was good or bad but it was so buggy I couldn't play it (gave up after first 100 crashes).”
character development
14 mentions
43 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted as a mixed aspect; while some characters exhibit distinct personalities and memorable traits, the overall depth is limited, lacking significant growth or transformative arcs. Players appreciate the unique character designs and abilities, but many express a desire for more emotional depth and narrative complexity, suggesting that the game prioritizes gameplay mechanics over rich storytelling. Overall, while there are moments of character interaction, the development feels minimal and does not reach the expectations set by traditional RPGs.
- “Desperados have that continuity and more character development; all of them are memorable.”
- “While this is missing the classic character development of RPGs, given there are no character build or party build choices to be made, the narrative that they pack into the game is satisfying and each character in your party has a distinct persona.”
- “Nothing we haven't seen before, yes, but the character designs, their unique attributes and motivations are surprisingly well done.”
- “Examples are how fast Cooper and Kate's relationship occurred, and Doc coming back even though I couldn't see any character development for him (he's salty throughout).”
- “Quality production value with some minor skimping on narrative and character development.”
- “Don't expect any huge reveals, massive betrayals, or significant character development, after all, you're not in this game for the story, are you?”
emotional
14 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while the story and character development evoke strong feelings, the reliance on isometric views limits immersion compared to cinematic cutscenes. Players appreciate the emotional depth of the narrative and voice acting, which elicits a range of feelings from happiness to anxiety, but some feel it falls short of delivering a truly impactful emotional journey. The badge system adds replay value and challenges that enhance the experience, yet many desire more surprising plot twists and character development to elevate the emotional engagement further.
- “Very good made me cry; the story is excellent. I recommend it if you're a masochist because you're going to take over 35 hours for a first-time playthrough.”
- “The game made me feel happy, anxious, and even surprised as the story unveils major twists along the misadventures and unfortunate events that we are witnesses of.”
- “Voice acting has great direction; every character - including enemies - sounds emotional and believable.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate concerns that the game's monetization strategy prioritizes marketing over quality development, leading to perceptions of it being a cash grab rather than a genuine sequel. Players express disappointment, fearing it may simply be a reskinned version of a previous title rather than an innovative new entry in the franchise.
- “I bet they spent more money on their advertisement and promotion campaign than on the actual development of the game.”
- “I loved Shadow Tactics, but after viewing the release trailer for this, I was very worried that this was just going to be another Shadow Tactics game with a reskin, just using the Desperados IP as a name-only cash grab.”