Skip to main content

Wild Bastards

The roguelike and FPS genres haven't been spliced so successfully since Deathloop—and Wild Bastards deserves just as much acclaim.
Wild Bastards Game Cover
76%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
replayability, grinding
76% User Score Based on 560 reviews
Critic Score 77%Based on 14 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPCXbox Game PassPlaystation 5CloudXbox Cloud GamingXboxSteam DeckWindowsPlayStation
Wild Bastards Game Cover

About

Wild Bastards is a single player shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Blue Manchu and was released on September 12, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

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.

Skip User Reviews

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 560 reviews
gameplay85 positive mentions
grinding10 negative mentions

  • Unique and engaging gameplay loop that combines tactical decision-making with fast-paced FPS action.
  • Vibrant art style and excellent voice acting that bring the characters and story to life.
  • Diverse cast of characters, each with distinct abilities and playstyles, encouraging experimentation and strategic planning.
  • Combat can feel clunky and unbalanced, with some characters being less effective than others.
  • The game can become repetitive, especially in the later stages, with similar enemy encounters and environments.
  • The feud system can be frustrating, as it randomly locks characters out of missions, limiting player choice.
  • gameplay
    291 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Wild Bastards" presents a unique blend of tactical strategy and first-person shooting, featuring a core loop that involves traveling between planets, engaging in combat, and managing a diverse roster of characters with distinct abilities. While the game offers engaging mechanics and a charming aesthetic, many players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth compared to its predecessor, "Void Bastards," with some mechanics feeling underdeveloped or frustrating. Overall, the experience is enjoyable for those who appreciate its humor and art style, but it may not satisfy fans seeking the complexity and variety of the original.

    • “A game that has a lot of high points, a fair number of low points, and overall just a unique and interesting gameplay loop you won't see anywhere else.”
    • “The gameplay is absolutely addicting.”
    • “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.”
    • “Unfortunately, the gameplay is boring.”
    • “The gameplay loop is very repetitive and the combat never became as satisfying as I would have liked.”
    • “But the gameplay feels clunky, and there isn't enough to set the outlaws apart in my opinion.”
  • story
    127 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and character-driven, while others criticize it for being overly long, repetitive, and anticlimactic. Many reviews highlight the charm of the characters and the humor in the narrative, but note that the plot can feel underdeveloped and lacks depth, especially in the latter half. Overall, while the story adds some flavor to the gameplay, it often takes a backseat to the roguelike mechanics, leaving some players wanting more substance and coherence.

    • “The story takes place as the last two survivors of a gang of outlaws find salvation from certain death as a mythical ship known as the Drifter picks them up.”
    • “The story adds some great flavor without ever taking the spotlight away from the gameplay.”
    • “The story, characters, and overall vibes are a massive improvement over Void Bastards, in my opinion.”
    • “But about 2/3 of the way through the story, everything changes in a really disappointing way and both the story and gameplay suffer deeply as a result.”
    • “The story leaves it ambiguous as to whether any sort of betrayal actually took place, but the general consensus is that everyone was scattering and fleeing from a bad situation and Casino and Rosa were the only ones that happened to make it out alive.”
    • “It feels like they wanted to try and make some kind of story for this game, but there's basically nothing there other than that they want to get to a place called the 'Homestead' that's never explained upon, and that there's some guy that wants to kill mutants and aliens for some reason.”
  • graphics
    84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received praise for their vibrant and unique art style, reminiscent of early 2000s cartoons, which many find refreshing and visually appealing. However, some players noted that while the visuals are striking, they can hinder gameplay readability, making it difficult to distinguish enemies from the environment. Overall, the art direction is celebrated for its charm and personality, though opinions vary on how well it integrates with the gameplay experience.

    • “The art direction is incredible and the graphics are just perfect for what it does.”
    • “The art style is fantastic, and the game oozes with personality.”
    • “Visuals are superb, challenging, fun, funny, and a really surprising amount of strategy.”
    • “The graphics in this game might be discouraging for some.”
    • “Much like Void Bastards, the game's visuals are either the thing catching your eye or turning you away from the game completely.”
    • “Now I'm not saying this game is a full dud, but if you're like me and were hoping for what was described as 'the spiritual successor to the award-winning game Void Bastards', I would look elsewhere. This game took the art style and the gunplay from that game and ditched everything else that made it good.”
  • humor
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its sharp dialogue, engaging voice acting, and the unique personalities of its characters, which contribute to a vibrant and often hilarious narrative. Players appreciate the comedic elements woven into gameplay mechanics, such as using enemies against each other, and the overall lighthearted, cartoonish tone reminiscent of titles like "Void Bastards." While the humor is entertaining and varied, some feel it lacks deeper satirical elements, focusing instead on a fun and whimsical experience.

    • “The time I spent with the cast was a unique and frequently hilarious romp through a vibrant universe.”
    • “The conversations between the characters are charming and funny, making you feel like they've known each other for a long time.”
    • “The writing is funny, the design is fantastic, the art style is gorgeous, and the gunplay and battle mechanics are spot-on.”
  • character development
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews highlight exceptional character design and voice acting as standout features of the game, with many players appreciating the unique and distinctive art style reminiscent of early 2000s cartoons. However, while the characters are well-crafted and engaging, some players feel that the storyline and gameplay do not match the quality of the character development, leading to a mixed overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the character designs and their interactions remain a significant draw for players.

    • “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.”
    • “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, and for all the effort put into character design and production, I'm just not having any fun.”
    • “I can only imagine just how much work went into character development and balancing in this game.”
    • “I like the style, writing, and character design, but don't like the gameplay.”
  • replayability
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers solid replayability through its procedural playthroughs, random character selections, and various unlockable content, encouraging players to experiment with different strategies and difficulty levels. While some reviewers note that the reliance on RNG may limit the depth of replay value, others appreciate the charm and emergent gameplay that keeps them engaged. Overall, it provides a satisfying experience for both initial playthroughs and subsequent runs, though opinions vary on the extent of its replayability.

    • “The real replay value in this game comes from its challenges as well as its procedural playthroughs, which eschew the story and start you with two random outlaws.”
    • “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.”
    • “Sadly, the game is seriously lacking in the well-thought-out systems of its predecessor that made for challenging, emergent gameplay and 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.”
    • “Replayability comes from the random campaign mode which has random characters selected to join your team per sector instead of the set story unlocks, and trying out higher difficulties which has more punishing roguelike permadeath mechanics.”
  • music
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality and catchy themes, with several tracks standing out as memorable. While some players find the gameplay repetitive, they appreciate the music's ability to enhance the overall experience, contributing to the game's aesthetic and character development. However, there are concerns about volume control issues and occasional glitches that detract from the enjoyment of the audio experience.

    • “The real star here is the music, characters, and a stylistically cool setting.”
    • “Amazing gameplay, awesome music, and a surprisingly interesting story for an action rogue-like.”
    • “The music, while quite atmospheric and therefore not too high key, managed to present a few themes that stuck to my ear even after a week from finishing the game - namely, the 'forest' (ear worm, this one), 'outlaw sortie', 'posse is coming', 'moon' and 'wild bastards titles' tracks stood above the rest.”
    • “I genuinely wanted to like this because I love everything from the aesthetic to the OST, but the gameplay is boring.”
    • “The music, while quite atmospheric and therefore not too high key, managed to present a few themes that stuck to my ear even after a week from finishing the game - namely, the 'forest' (earworm, this one), 'outlaw sortie', 'posse is coming', 'moon', and 'wild bastards titles' tracks stood above the rest.”
    • “Also, the loudest thing in the game is the showdown intro tracks, which isn't controlled by music volume; it's on main volume, and turning that down makes everything else basically inaudible.”
  • grinding
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, often feeling like a chore rather than an enjoyable challenge. Many reviewers noted that once they optimized their builds, gameplay became repetitive, with a lack of impactful decision-making and depth in risk/reward mechanics. The experience is further marred by the need to hunt down hidden enemies and the monotonous nature of farming achievements, leading to a sense of frustration and poor pacing.

    • “This isn't fun, this is tedious.”
    • “You'll spend a significant amount of time fighting enemies that have no chance against you, which ends up feeling very grindy.”
    • “Often you spend half of the time in a showdown hunting for the last couple of enemies hidden away somewhere on the map, which gets tedious pretty quickly.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the emotional aspect of the game reminiscent of the Borderlands series, highlighting a mix of camaraderie and humor among characters, which evokes nostalgia. While some moments are described as wholesome and fun, others reflect a critique of the game's reliance on the less favorable elements of its inspiration. Overall, the experience elicits a range of emotions, from joy to disappointment.

    • “The crew's got all manner of interactions with each other, ranging from just barking at each other for missing too many shots to wholesome moments.”
    • “I'm lucky to get it on sale for 25 dollars and it was such a wholesome and fun experience.”
    • “Wild bastards made me feel the way Borderlands used to make me feel.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn mixed reactions, with some players expressing frustration over aggressive monetization strategies typical of large corporations, while also acknowledging the challenges faced by indie developers in an oversaturated market. Additionally, issues with gameplay mechanics, such as clunky ads and frustrating enemy interactions, have contributed to a negative perception of the overall experience.

    • “It's one thing to demand more from huge corporations that squeeze every ounce of monetization out of their products, but as gamers, we should be careful not to turn that justified outrage towards the developers who flee the triple-A space into the now oversaturated indie space.”
    • “It's one thing to demand more from huge corporations that squeeze every ounce of monetization out of their products, but as gamers, we should be careful not to turn that (justified) outrage towards the developers who flee the triple-A space into the now oversaturated indie space.”
    • “I wanted to like this from the previews and ads on Facebook, but the gameplay fell flat for me and the gameplay loop felt awkward.”
    • “Ads are clunky, you constantly run into apparently deadly 1-inch deep puddles, and poison enemies have pinpoint accuracy and essentially 1-shot your character.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is well-optimized, running smoothly on a laptop equipped with an i7-11370h processor, 16GB of RAM, and an RTX 3060, with no significant bugs or visual performance issues reported. While the gameplay experience is generally positive, some players noted that the abrupt presentation of villain messages at the end of chapters felt disconnected from the overall narrative.

    • “No major bugs or visual performance issues on a laptop using an i7-11370H processor, 16 GB of RAM, and an RTX 3060 laptop card.”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised, with its evocative music featuring memorable themes that linger long after gameplay. While the atmosphere and story are compelling, some players feel it doesn't quite match the exploration and quirkiness found in other titles like Void Bastards. Overall, the combination of characters, music, and setting creates a captivating experience.

    • “The music, while quite atmospheric and therefore not too high key, managed to present a few themes that stuck to my ear even after a week from finishing the game - namely, the 'forest' (earworm, this one), 'outlaw sortie', 'posse is coming', 'moon', and 'wild bastards titles' tracks stood above the rest.”
    • “The characters, atmosphere, and music are wonderful.”
    • “Amazing atmosphere and story but doesn't live up to Void Bastards' exploration and other quirkiness.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, users report that stability is generally good, with glitches being infrequent and minor, primarily involving map interface issues that can be resolved with a restart, and a rare instance of an enemy spawning incorrectly.

    • “Glitches.”
    • “All glitches I encountered were very infrequent and consisted of a few map interface glitches (which were fixed with a restart) and one enemy spawning/falling under the map in a single showdown instance.”
Skip Critic Reviews
Skip Game Offers

Buy Wild Bastards

19h Median play time
25h Average play time
8-60h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Wild Bastards

Games Like Wild Bastards

Void Bastards Image
Hard West 2 Image
Star Renegades Image
Miasma Chronicles Image
Trials of Fire Image
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Wild Bastards is a shooter game with science fiction theme.

Wild Bastards is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 25 hours playing Wild Bastards.

Wild Bastards was released on September 12, 2024.

Wild Bastards was developed by Blue Manchu.

Wild Bastards has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its replayability.

Wild Bastards is a single player game.

Similar games include Void Bastards, Hard West 2, Star Renegades, Miasma Chronicles, Trials of Fire and others.