Wild Bastards

The roguelike and FPS genres haven't been spliced so successfully since Deathloop—and Wild Bastards deserves just as much acclaim.

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In "Wild Bastards," recruit and manage a team of 13 outlaws, each with unique weaponry and abilities, to wrangle loot and engage in intense shootouts on different planets. Flee from the posse of the puritanical Jebediah Chaste, ressurecting your dead gang members on a quest to reach the mythical Homestead. Prove your skills as a gunslinger in challenging tactical FPS combat with a variety of enemies and battle strategies.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 238 reviews

gameplay31 positive mentions

character development3 negative mentions

Great gunplay and fast-paced action that keeps players engaged.
Unique characters with diverse abilities and a humorous narrative that adds charm to the gameplay.
The strategic elements of planning and resource management create a satisfying gameplay loop.

Combat can feel floaty and unimpactful, leading to frustration during encounters.
The feud system can limit character combinations, making it difficult to utilize all available outlaws effectively.
Some players may find the game lacks the depth and exploration elements present in Void Bastards.

gameplay
101 mentions
31 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Wild Bastards" has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the addictive core loop and unique character mechanics, while others find it repetitive and lacking depth. The arena combat is fun but often feels mindless, with a heavy focus on shooting rather than strategic planning. Although the game features a diverse cast and engaging aesthetics, many reviewers noted that it lacks the looting and crafting elements that made its predecessor, "Void Bastards," more compelling.
- “It's got a great gameplay loop that hooked me.”
- “Wild Bastards is a uniquely fresh experience in the roguelike shooter genre; it has one of the most entertaining and addicting gameplay loops I have seen in a while.”
- “The gameplay feels really good, especially with how unique each character plays.”
- “Very close to being fun, and I do like the map/character system, but the actual core gameplay is not that fun and doesn't seem to require a whole lot of strategy, just mindlessly shooting at enemies who almost never miss their shots on you.”
- “But after a few hours, I can say for sure the lack of polish, narrative, balance, and the overcomplicated relationship mechanics will keep most people from being able to really enjoy this game.”
- “It's a braindead arena shooter with almost no mechanics to speak of.”
story
34 mentions
32 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its character-driven narrative and unique interactions, which enhance the overall experience. However, some critiques highlight that the plot feels incomplete or anticlimactic, with abrupt endings and forgettable dialogue. Despite these shortcomings, the game's story provides meaningful context for gameplay and encourages replayability through its branching paths and character dynamics.
- “Wild Bastards is more story-driven than Void Bastards.”
- “The story heavily gives you the context for your actions and helps the emergent storytelling that happens when you beam down on planets with your selected outlaws.”
- “The story, characters, and overall vibes are a massive improvement over Void Bastards, in my opinion.”
- “The plot seems half-finished.”
- “There's no story events during a run and the events that happen at the end of each chapter feel somehow rushed and overwritten at the same time.”
- “Honestly, it feels as if the characters and their design were invented much before the actual story itself, into which they were forced.”
graphics
30 mentions
57 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and vibrant art style, which many reviewers describe as beautiful and reminiscent of a cartoonish aesthetic. While some note that certain enemy designs may lack vibrancy, the overall visuals are considered striking and engaging, effectively complementing the gameplay and enhancing the game's charm. The combination of crisp visuals, strong character designs, and a cohesive aesthetic contributes to a memorable gaming experience, even if the graphics aren't photorealistic.
- “And the graphics, nobody's gonna tell me that photorealism looks better than this kind of cartoonish style.”
- “The writing is funny, the design is fantastic, the art style is gorgeous, and the gunplay and battle mechanics are spot-on.”
- “Incredible fun, with a charming cast of characters and a vibrant art style.”
- “While the roguelike nature and graphical style of the two games are similar, apart from a few basic elements, the similarities end there.”
- “The art style takes some getting used to but can be absolutely gorgeous.”
- “* stylish (though lo-fi) visuals”
humor
16 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing, engaging voice acting, and amusing dialogue, often eliciting genuine laughter from players. While it maintains a lighthearted, cartoonish vibe, some reviewers note a lack of deeper satirical elements. Overall, the combination of fun characters and humorous interactions enhances the gameplay experience significantly.
- “Also, the writing and voice acting are great, and actually quite funny!”
- “Solid gameplay, funny dialogue, and a really cool art style and aesthetic.”
- “Fun characters, writing that made me laugh out loud a handful of times, and a unique combination of crew management, board game movement, and FPS encounters.”
replayability
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The game offers solid replayability due to its remixed solar systems and the introduction of a procedural campaign mode after completing the main story. While some players appreciate the variety in character builds and item management across sectors, others feel that the overall experience may not provide enough diversity for extensive replay sessions. Overall, it strikes a balance between enjoyable first playthroughs and moderate replay value.
- “Despite the long main campaign, it is still highly replayable considering how remixed each solar system can be and how you might not appreciate certain outlaw pairings until you experiment even further than you do on your first run.”
- “Once you complete the story, it opens up a procedural campaign mode, so it's got solid replayability.”
- “I would highly recommend this game for a first playthrough (play on hard, feels way better than normal) but don't expect a ton of replay value. The systems are there to facilitate replays, but I don't think the game is varied enough to warrant them.”
- “It also has a lot of replay value between each sector since you can't keep any items, forcing you to build up different characters with certain items for the zone ahead.”
- “If it were there, it would really up replay value.”
music
6 mentions
83 % positive mentions
-33 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for being catchy, thematic, and enhancing the atmosphere, with standout moments in the narrative campaign. However, some players noted issues with volume control, particularly during showdown intro tracks, which can overshadow other audio elements. Overall, the combination of music and voice acting contributes positively to the game's experience.
- “Voice acting and music are very catchy, and there are many funny dialogues in the narrative campaign.”
- “The characters, atmosphere, and music are wonderful.”
- “The music is good (not sure if licensed or original), and the gameplay has been really quick and tight.”
- “The loudest thing in the game is the showdown intro tracks, which aren't controlled by the music volume. It's set to the main volume, and turning that down makes everything else basically inaudible.”
- “The music feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged during long play sessions.”
- “The soundtrack doesn't match the game's atmosphere, often feeling out of place and detracting from the overall experience.”
character development
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highlighted by top-tier character design and engaging voice acting, with players appreciating the unique personalities and art style of each character. However, while the design is praised, some reviewers feel that the overall character progression and gameplay loop are less compelling compared to previous titles like Void Bastards.
- “The character designs are great and are full of personality, and the art style works even better here than it did in Void Bastards.”
- “You can see where they thought to expand the areas of Void Bastards that proved engaging and successful, but this loop is far less interesting than that game. For all the effort put into character design and production, I'm just not having any fun.”
- “The character design is top-tier; I found each of the bastards a lot of fun to play with, and finding fun synergies between them was also great.”
- “Strongest point: character design and voice acting, very well done.”
grinding
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and poorly paced, with repetitive tasks that detract from the overall experience. The shooting mechanics are described as floaty and lacking impact, further contributing to the sense of monotony during gameplay.
- “Grindy, bad pacing, floaty and unimpactful shooting.”
- “I don't know what happens to the wild bastards by the end, but I hope their existence thereafter is far less tedious than what I experienced.”
- “When farming infamy, clicking wait and then yes to the double-dare like 3-5 times per prince gets really, really boring.”
atmosphere
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its amazing storytelling, vibrant characters, and captivating music, though some feel it falls short in exploration and quirkiness compared to titles like Void Bastards.
- “The characters, atmosphere, and music are wonderful.”
- “Amazing atmosphere and story, but it doesn't live up to Void Bastards' exploration and other quirkiness.”
optimization
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game's narrative delivery is criticized for its abruptness, particularly in how villain appearances are communicated through random messages at the end of chapters, which go unacknowledged by the characters. While the voice acting is praised, the overall integration of these elements feels disjointed.
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect is criticized for being intrusive, with frequent ads disrupting gameplay, and the game mechanics, such as deadly puddles and highly accurate poison enemies, contributing to a frustrating experience that may push players towards in-game purchases for relief.
- “The monetization system feels exploitative, with constant ads interrupting gameplay and making it frustrating.”
- “I can't believe how many microtransactions are pushed on players; it feels like the game is designed to squeeze money out of you.”
- “The in-game purchases are overpriced and give unfair advantages, ruining the balance for those who don't want to spend extra.”