West of Dead

69%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,032 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
West of Dead Game Cover
Thanks to a moody atmosphere and precise mechanics, West of Dead perfectly wraps the tense feeling of cover shooting around a solid roguelike core.
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"West of Dead" is a cover-based twin-stick shooter set in a roguelike, moody Western setting. In Purgatory, Wyoming, 1888, you play as a dead man seeking answers while navigating a chaotic world formed by the memories of souls. With County's distinctive voice from "Ghost of Tsushima" as the protagonist, the game offers a satisfying experience that challenges players and rewards smart play.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

69%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,032 reviews
gameplay147 positive mentions
stability62 negative mentions
  • Unique art style and atmosphere that evokes a gritty, western feel.
  • Engaging combat mechanics that emphasize cover and strategic movement.
  • Ron Perlman's voice acting adds depth and character to the narrative.
  • Clunky controls and a sticky cover system that can lead to frustrating gameplay.
  • Numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt runs and cause game-breaking issues.
  • Repetitive gameplay loop with limited variety in weapons and enemy encounters.
  • gameplay424 mentions

    The gameplay of "West of Dead" is a mixed bag, with many players noting its unique cover mechanics and atmospheric design but criticizing the clunky controls and repetitive gameplay loop. While some find the shooting mechanics satisfying and the roguelike elements engaging, others feel that the game suffers from technical issues, lack of depth, and frustrating mechanics, particularly related to the light and darkness system. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing experience but struggles to deliver a consistently enjoyable gameplay experience.

    • “Gameplay is solid and rewards patience and accuracy.”
    • “The combat flows smoothly with a decent blend between attacking, moving, and dodging mechanics that create a sense of satisfaction when you outwit or outgun a particularly tricky group of enemies.”
    • “The core gameplay loop is enjoyable.”
    • “The gameplay is clunky and unintuitive; the aiming mechanics make it very frustrating.”
    • “The cover system is very sticky and awkward, and the aiming mechanics make it very frustrating.”
    • “The gameplay suffers tremendously and doesn’t feel encouraging or addicting to start a new run after failing the previous one.”
  • graphics285 mentions

    The graphics of "West of Dead" are widely praised for their unique, comic book-inspired art style reminiscent of Mike Mignola's work, which effectively creates a dark and atmospheric setting. However, many players note that the heavy use of shadows can lead to visibility issues, making gameplay challenging at times. Overall, while the visuals are striking and contribute significantly to the game's aesthetic, they can also detract from the experience due to their darkness and occasional lack of clarity.

    • “The art style and atmosphere of the purgatory is amazing, even though I hate darkness as a mechanic in games, it was okay after a short while.”
    • “The art style is striking, evoking a gritty, atmospheric feel that perfectly matches the game’s wild west theme.”
    • “The visuals are gorgeous and the lore is pretty fun.”
    • “The aesthetic is all it really has going for it, and even then they tried (and failed) to extend that to the UI and only succeeded in making it look and function poorly.”
    • “Garbage graphics and style - the game plays literally black which makes enemies effectively invisible.”
    • “The game feels unfinished and more like a proof of concept for the Mignola art style than an actual product.”
  • story192 mentions

    The story in "West of Dead" is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its intriguing themes of vengeance and redemption, enhanced by Ron Perlman's engaging voice acting. However, criticisms arise regarding its fragmented narrative structure, lack of closure, and slow pacing, which can detract from the overall experience. While some find the storytelling captivating and atmospheric, others feel it is underdeveloped and forgettable, leaving a sense of disappointment in its execution.

    • “West of Dead - a fantastic blend of roguelike mechanics and captivating storytelling.”
    • “The story is compelling and the learning curve isn't like a brick wall.”
    • “The atmosphere is absolutely beautiful yet haunting, with a really unique story as its backbone that includes many just downright cool looking characters, sometimes giant bosses, and visually striking yet simple maps.”
    • “The story also doesn't hook you in.”
    • “Also, no real conclusion to the story, which makes it a bit disappointing.”
    • “The story is terrible, if you'd even call it that.”
  • music147 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and gameplay experience, with many praising the diverse and engaging soundtrack that complements the "wild west" theme. Ron Perlman's voice acting adds to the overall immersion, while the combat music is particularly noted for energizing players during intense moments. However, some users have pointed out issues with repetitive tracks and occasional audio bugs that detract from the experience.

    • “The music really plays a phenomenal role in this game and sets a great mood for the 'wild west' grunge that the game imbues so well.”
    • “Ron Perlman's voice and the soundtrack for this game are amazing, and set up the vibe really well.”
    • “The soundtrack is extremely good at setting the mood for the stages and Ron Perlman did an absolutely fantastic job voice acting.”
    • “Having to traverse through the levels can get boring at times, and the soundtrack doesn't do much to remedy that.”
    • “The music gets repetitive too soon.”
    • “The developers are very stingy with both the soundtrack and the narration for some odd reason, and any sound at all beyond combat can be sparse enough to make the world feel quite empty at times.”
  • atmosphere72 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its striking art style, dark western theme, and immersive sound design, particularly highlighted by Ron Perlman's voice acting. Reviewers note that the combination of visuals, music, and narrative creates a captivating and haunting experience, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics and technical issues. Overall, the game's unique atmosphere stands out as a significant strength, making it worth experiencing for fans of the genre.

    • “The art style is striking, evoking a gritty, atmospheric feel that perfectly matches the game’s wild west theme.”
    • “The atmosphere is absolutely beautiful yet haunting, with a really unique story as its backbone that includes many just downright cool looking characters, sometimes giant bosses, and visually striking yet simple maps.”
    • “Hand-drawn art that's dripping with style, a western dark-fantasy plot narrated by Ron Perlman, and a great soundtrack all come together to form an immersive atmospheric experience.”
    • “The only voice you will hear in this game will only be Ron Perlman; any other character unfortunately has no voice acting, which kills the whole atmosphere.”
    • “This game right here has one of the most brutal atmospheres you've ever seen.”
    • “Even though there doesn’t seem to be much variety, it still provides a rather gloomy and dark atmosphere with the visuals.”
  • stability65 mentions

    The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, which significantly hinder gameplay and can lead to frustrating experiences. While some players find enjoyment despite these issues, many agree that the game's stability is poor, with persistent problems affecting controls, AI behavior, and overall performance. Overall, the consensus suggests that the game feels incomplete and requires substantial fixes to improve its stability.

    • “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
    • “Even runs great on my laptop with an NVIDIA NVS 4200M!”
    • “With almost 10 hours at this point, I can say I've only encountered one bug where my character got stuck walking slowly, so I can't relate to all of the reviews claiming this game is buggy.”
    • “Great atmosphere, but the gameplay makes the game unplayable and full of glitches and bugs.”
    • “The game has many bugs and glitches that can end runs or force a restart, such as your character becoming invisible and unable to shoot, or lost souls required for the ending being impossible to collect.”
    • “It's a buggy mess right now but it's playable.”
  • grinding36 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received largely negative feedback, with players finding the gameplay slow, tedious, and lacking depth. Many reviews highlight the excessive time required for certain achievements, which detracts from the overall enjoyment, while the roguelike elements fail to keep the experience fresh after initial hours. Although some players appreciate the metaprogression system, the overall sentiment is that the grinding feels more like a chore than a rewarding part of the game.

    • “The gameplay loop is great; the metaprogression and unlocks aren't too grindy, and you feel very powerful in a glass tank-like way.”
    • “The waypoints are perfectly distributed, making it not tedious to walk and backtrack.”
    • “While the presentation is cool and interesting, the actual gameplay is slow, kind of tedious, pretty easy, and lacks any sort of depth.”
    • “The best games in the genre come up with ways to keep this loop fresh, but West of Dead can't figure that aspect out after the first few hours and settles into a rather tedious rhythm it never really gets out of.”
    • “There was never a game that made me feel like I was in real-life purgatory, doing the same grindy chore over and over until I earned my way to heaven (or hell, since I feel like a rotten corpse grinding this achievement stuff).”
  • replayability24 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it enjoyable and engaging enough to return to, others criticize it for being too short and lacking depth after completing the main content. Many reviews highlight the fun combat and variety of weapons as positive aspects, but several players express disappointment in the limited replay value compared to other roguelikes. Ultimately, while there is some replayability, it may not satisfy those seeking a more robust and varied experience.

    • “Went back into it and absolutely no love lost, it was like reuniting with a long-time best friend of yours, always fun, always exciting, not too challenging, and the wide variety of guns offers great replayability.”
    • “Fantastic roguelite, some of the levels are incredibly challenging, but the game offers lots of replayability and it's a very fun experience.”
    • “If you are a fan of this genre of games, I recommend this title above most others; it's lengthy, replayable, and entertaining.”
    • “This makes the replayability very low compared to other roguelikes, especially considering I got the 'true' ending in about 10 hours.”
    • “It will leave you grasping at what could have been and disappointed by its lack of replayability and responsiveness.”
    • “However, there were a ton of bugs, and there is absolutely no replay value once you've beaten it (something that's pretty important for a roguelike).”
  • optimization21 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues such as low frame rates, crashes, and unresponsive controls, particularly on PC. Many reviewers noted that these technical flaws detracted from the gameplay experience, making it frustrating and less enjoyable. While some appreciated the aesthetic and voice acting, the poor optimization overshadowed these positives, leading to a consensus that the game feels unfinished and in need of further polish.

    • “Well optimized, great aesthetics and good controls.”
    • “Everything stylistic about the game, from Ron Perlman's casting and performance, the gorgeous cel-shaded art style, distinctive sound effects, the score, and method of handling the story help me distinguish this title from any other rogue-lite or twin-stick shooter for that matter.”
    • “Overall pretty solid, entertaining gunplay, vocal performance also decent.”
    • “The optimization is poor (my game was locked at 50 fps, pretty painful).”
    • “Horrible optimization where the game itself begins to tank, chugging along at near slideshow in the more chaotic fights, which can cause you a lot of extra damage.”
    • “Game has horrible polish and optimization that painfully makes it almost no fun.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is largely derived from its numerous bugs and glitches, which some players find amusing despite their disruptive nature. However, the overall execution is criticized as poor, with awkward mechanics and frustrating gameplay overshadowing any comedic potential. Some reviewers resort to humor in their critiques, highlighting the game's shortcomings rather than its intended comedic elements.

    • “There's a bunch of bugs, with some that are quite destructive, but it's mostly funny stuff.”
    • “I can't think of a funny review, so I'm going to copy and paste a recipe I found on the internet instead. I am extremely funny.”
    • “The AI is hilariously poor, the movement is awkward, and the camera is way too close, making for some unintentionally funny moments.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted by its distinctive and stylish character designs, including a memorable "ghost rider" protagonist, which enhances the overall atmosphere. The diverse and easily distinguishable characters, combined with the game's dark and foreboding settings, contribute to a rich and immersive experience. Players appreciate the integration of music and sound effects that further elevate the character portrayal.

    • “The whole game oozes with style - from the 'ghost rider' main character, to the western weaponry and character designs, to the dark, menacing descriptions of the various levels that instill an epic sense of foreboding.”
    • “Character designs are great and are easy to differentiate from one another.”
    • “I love the lighting, character design, and setting.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
    • “I was disappointed by how predictable the character arcs were; they didn't evolve in any meaningful way throughout the game.”
    • “The characters seem one-dimensional, and their motivations are poorly explained, which detracts from the overall experience.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    Reviews highlight a mixed emotional experience in the game, with some players feeling a profound sense of purgatory and monotony from repetitive tasks, while others appreciate the voice acting's ability to convey emotional depth and enhance connection to the character's struggles. However, there are criticisms regarding the lack of direction in emotional delivery and frustrating menu navigation that detracts from the overall experience.

    • “There was never a game that made me feel like I was in real-life purgatory, doing the same grindy chore over and over until I earned my way to heaven (or hell, since I feel like a rotten corpse grinding this achievement stuff).”
    • “Though not a huge fan of the guy, I must admit he provides just the right amount of inflection and tone, giving the player a stronger connection to Mason's emotional state throughout the game.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy is criticized as a greedy cash grab, lacking consideration for user experience, particularly for those using mouse and keyboard controls.

    • “This is a greedy and incompetent cash grab with precisely zero thought about how it plays on mouse and keyboard.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

73% average critic score

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Play time

6hMedian play time
7hAverage play time
3-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 9 analyzed playthroughs

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