Weird West
- March 31, 2022
- Wolfeye Studios
- 12h median play time
"Weird West: Definitive Edition" is a dark fantasy game set in a reimagined Wild West, where lawmen, gunslingers, and fantastical creatures coexist. The game offers a series of high stakes adventures, with a world that reacts to the player's choices and a unique journey for each playthrough. Follow the origin stories of different characters, leading to a final chapter where all stories converge. Explore an otherworldly frontier and make each legend your own.
Reviews
- Unique and engaging story with interconnected character arcs.
- Interesting setting that blends the Wild West with supernatural elements.
- Gameplay allows for multiple approaches to quests, encouraging creativity.
- Clunky controls and camera angles can hinder gameplay experience.
- Repetitive environments and quests lead to a lack of variety.
- AI companions are often unhelpful and can disrupt stealth gameplay.
- story1,128 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of "Weird West" is a multi-layered narrative that unfolds through the perspectives of five distinct characters, each with their own unique abilities and story arcs that intertwine, creating a rich tapestry of interconnected tales. While many players appreciate the intriguing setting and the impact of choices on the world, some criticize the repetitiveness of side quests and the lack of depth in character development, leading to a mixed reception regarding the overall storytelling experience. Despite its flaws, the game is noted for its engaging atmosphere and the potential for replayability through different character paths and outcomes.
“The story is engaging and managed to surprise me a couple of times.”
“The richness of the story comes through in the depth of each character’s narrative arc—whether it’s the bounty hunter on a quest for revenge, a werewolf struggling with their primal nature, or a native shaman uncovering mysteries of the spirit world.”
“Weird West is a must-play for anyone who enjoys rich storytelling, a memorable setting, and deep, flexible gameplay.”
“You play as five different characters throughout the course of the story, but they all feel too similar.”
“The start of the second character's story threatens to shake things up, but that gets dropped pretty quickly.”
“The story starts off with some potential but quickly loses steam.”
- gameplay555 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Weird West" is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of immersive sim mechanics and top-down shooter elements that can be both engaging and repetitive. While players appreciate the unique mechanics and the freedom to approach encounters creatively, many criticize the clunky controls, lack of character differentiation, and a tendency for gameplay to become monotonous over time. Despite its flaws, the game offers a compelling narrative and a richly interactive world that can keep players invested, especially for those who enjoy experimentation and emergent gameplay.
“Weird West is a uniquely thrilling blend of action RPG and immersive sim, and it’s one of those rare games where gameplay, storytelling, and atmosphere come together perfectly.”
“The gameplay is fun, the setting is cool with a lot of potential.”
“The action gameplay itself somewhat reminds me of 90's PC top-down action games (Syndicate etc.) but with added interactivity that you would expect from immersive sims like Dishonored or Prey.”
“The biggest issue with gameplay is the procedural generation.”
“Unfortunately, i don't recommend this game to others because I found the gameplay throughout to be pretty repetitive and not that fun after the first few hours.”
“The core gameplay was not engaging enough in particular.”
- graphics174 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising its unique art style reminiscent of comic books and titles like Borderlands, which effectively captures the game's atmosphere. However, some players noted performance issues, including unoptimized graphics that can lead to significant frame rate drops and minor glitches. Overall, while the aesthetic is generally well-received, the technical execution leaves room for improvement.
“The graphics blend gritty realism with a stylized, almost hand-drawn aesthetic that perfectly captures the mood.”
“The art style is great, feeling unique to the game and the world it builds.”
“The graphics are unique and it combines my love of the wild west genre with some fantasy.”
“The graphics are okay, if not for the fact that it's so unoptimized that my PC goes into space heater mode, which didn't happen even with RDR2 on max settings. Imagine that.”
“The only thing they did right was the visuals.”
“Graphics are nothing special, but aesthetically pleasing and fit the western look.”
- music112 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, with many reviewers praising the soundtrack as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience. While some players noted a lack of variety in tracks, the haunting melodies and sound effects effectively complement the game's dark themes and settings. Overall, the sound design, including the music, is considered a significant strength, contributing to the game's unique ambiance and emotional depth.
“The soundtrack and sound effects add to the immersion, with haunting tunes that perfectly complement the game’s dark themes.”
“The music is fantastic, as is the art direction.”
“The soundtrack is often gloomy but also quite beat-heavy, which builds up tension when combat begins and you're frantically trying to find any explosive items in your proximity to blow up your enemies with.”
“Music is also almost nonexistent, and I think I heard only one track during the whole game.”
“Gunplay gets very repetitive quickly, and combat is way too easy, amulet that reloads the gun after killing someone totally breaks the game, the crafting system is absolutely useless when you can literally steal whole shops' inventory in a few seconds (yes, stealth is broken af), the perks/abilities are mostly useless, soundtrack just does not exist in this game, story is not interesting until the last 5 minutes of the end game.”
“In all honesty, it's little more than a twin stick shooter with few dialog choices, little to no voice acting, most characters make the sort of gargled whispers of the scribes from Inscryption, the graphics are okay, kind of like Borderlands, the soundtrack is meh.”
- atmosphere94 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Weird West" is widely praised for its engaging world-building, artistic design, and immersive storytelling, creating a unique blend of dark, supernatural elements within a wild west setting. Reviewers highlight the game's exceptional sound design and music, which enhance the overall ambiance, making it a standout experience despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered one of its strongest aspects, drawing players into its mysterious and richly crafted environment.
“The dark, dusty towns, haunting deserts, and eerie forests of 'Weird West' are crafted with atmospheric perfection.”
“The atmosphere, style, and writing are really good.”
“The world and atmosphere the devs have created is fantastic.”
“The atmosphere isn't there.”
“I found the game to have next to no atmosphere.”
“Little-to-no ambient/world sound to bring the atmosphere alive.”
- stability67 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous players reporting a wide range of bugs and glitches affecting gameplay, including issues with character AI, camera functionality, and environmental interactions. While some users noted that the game runs smoothly at times and has received updates from developers, the overall consensus is that it remains quite buggy and unpolished, which can detract from the experience. Despite these issues, many players still find enjoyment in the game's story and mechanics, suggesting that it may appeal to those willing to overlook its instability.
“This game is a lot of fun, runs great, and even has really good audio and music.”
“Bullet time is fun in this game and it feels very shallow at first, but there is plenty of looting, shooting, story, and decisions on how to approach situations and missions. It runs great, looks excellent in 4K, and has low requirements.”
“Also the game is buggy as hell.”
“And it only gets more buggy the longer the game goes on.”
“The game is super buggy and unstable, so there's that too.”
- grinding52 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often leading to a sense of frustration rather than enjoyment. While some appreciate the depth of RPG mechanics and the challenge of character progression, many feel that the constant need for grinding—whether for resources, upgrades, or combat encounters—detracts from the overall experience, making it feel more like a chore than a rewarding gameplay element. Despite these criticisms, some players still enjoy the game for its narrative and exploration, suggesting that the grinding may be a polarizing feature.
“The RPG mechanics have enough depth to not get old but aren't too grindy.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Great game; however, you do find it getting tedious and repetitive towards the end.”
“Combat was quite tedious and didn't feel fun.”
- replayability32 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game is generally praised for its high replayability, offering numerous choices and multiple endings that encourage players to explore different paths and strategies. While some players feel that replay value may be limited after initial playthroughs, many others highlight the fun and varied experiences available through different character choices and random elements. Overall, the game provides a memorable experience with significant replay potential, though opinions on its extent vary among players.
“The game also offers solid replayability with many options happening through the dialogues as well as your actions outside of dialogues.”
“With so many choices and different endings, there’s a ton of replay value.”
“Your choices and mistakes having an impact on the world surrounding you is a great asset for a game like this to be replayable without being too boring.”
“Personally, I don't see much replay value - see below in cons.”
“Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the game more than expected, but the replay value for me just isn't there.”
“Kinda short and unless you are willing to see every possible ending and quest, no replayability.”
- humor23 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a blend of dark comedy and absurdity, with players finding amusement in unexpected interactions and quirky character dynamics, such as bounty hunters with funny names and the ability to humorously disrupt entire camps. While some quests and mechanics provide laugh-out-loud moments, the overall comedic tone is complemented by a mix of horror and western themes, making for a uniquely entertaining experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to maintain a lighthearted atmosphere despite its chaotic elements, resulting in a fun and engaging narrative.
“Classic figures from the old west, such as bounty hunters after bandits with funny names, fat capitalists, and mustache sadomasochists, also make appearances.”
“You can kill literally every character in this game and still finish the story just fine, and I find that hilarious.”
“Beautiful stories and hilarious interactions in the story; love this game!”
- optimization16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews. While some players report significant performance issues, such as stuttering and high resource usage, others note that the game runs smoothly with minimal bugs. There is a consensus that the game could benefit from further optimization, particularly in terms of performance options and graphical enhancements.
“As an immersive sim fan, this was a fun, if sometimes frustrating experience – the mechanical design here is great; technical performance is solid; the world reacts in meaningful and interesting ways, and the combat/stealth is fun.”
“Technical innovation/performance: 14/20 - no bugs, good performance, but didn't do too much innovating.”
“The game runs smoothly and I have only had 4 bugs.”
“The graphics are okay, if not for the fact that it's so unoptimized that my PC goes into space heater mode, which didn't happen even with RDR2 on max settings. Imagine that.”
“At its best times, its gameplay is a lot like a real-time Divinity: Original Sin 2 with a darker, old west version of Fallout: New Vegas' story, but the performance issues mean I probably won't be coming back to replay this one :(”
“Bottom line, this is a cool game, but a little overpriced, janky vanilla combat, and severely lacking in performance options.”
- character development9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally seen as limited but engaging, with players expressing excitement over rare moments of growth and customization. While the depth of RPG elements like skills and leveling is minimal, the game compensates with a strong emphasis on world reactivity and player-driven exploration, allowing for meaningful interactions with procedurally generated characters. Overall, while the character development could be more robust, it contributes positively to the immersive atmosphere and gameplay experience.
“The character development is fun and it has quite an interesting world which is semi-open.”
“Character development is good, but the onus is on you, the player, to explore the world and learn.”
“I found myself getting really excited when the smallest bit of character development happened because it felt like such a rare thing to happen in this game.”
“Overall an okay game but wish they could have done more in terms of character development and banter.”
“While light in RPG character development (skills, leveling up), the game compensates with very deep reactivity (almost all characters are procedurally generated, towns will change if destroyed/helped, characters come help or hunt you down if you wronged or helped them).”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a lack of emotional engagement in some games, with comparisons to more impactful titles like Bioshock and Disco Elysium. While some players find enjoyment in side quests, others feel disconnected from the main storyline, leading to a less immersive experience. Additionally, the loss of team members in cooperative gameplay can evoke a sense of heartbreak, adding a layer of emotional complexity.
“It is unfortunately underwritten, sometimes predictable and lacking the focused emotional engagement of something like Bioshock or Disco Elysium.”
“The amount of team members/friends I've lost because they are too stupid to move out of the blast radius of dynamite is honestly heartbreaking.”
“[h1] Wonderfully weird, wonderfully western, wonderfully wholesome.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is heavily criticized due to intrusive advertisements that can disrupt gameplay, as noted by users who experienced bugs related to ads while trying to progress. Despite initial excitement for the game, the ad experience has detracted from overall enjoyment.
“I beat 2 bosses in 'stealth' mode but quicksaving and quick loading until it finally worked, and by 'worked' I mean: ads bugged out.”
“Best cactus juice advertisement I've ever played.”
“Highly weird, very western-accurate advertising.”