Video games work very well as a form of escapism. Players through the ages have looked to video games as a chance to get away from the troubles of their day-to-day life, escaping into a fantastical world where they can be whoever they want and do whatever they please. And for many, many gamers, the best form of escapism is the chance to escape to the Wild West, to the dusty frontier where cattle roam free and arguments are settled with six-shooters. The overwhelming success of Red Dead Redemption 2 proves this to be true, but it's not the only cowboy game out there. If players are looking for a different, darker ride to the old west, they need look no further than Upstream Arcade's new title West of Dead.
West of Dead is a grim title set in Purgatory, Wyoming - a dark, bitter afterlife where the souls of departed go on their way to the greater afterlife. Innocent souls head East, while the sinister elements find themselves going West. The game tells the story of William Mason, a recently deceased gunslinger who must fight his way through Purgatory to regain his memories of life and ascertain the identity of the mysterious Preacher who's terrorizing the afterlife. William Mason is voiced by none other than Ron Perlman, a legendary actor perhaps best known for his performance as the title character of the Hellboy franchise. In addition to his movie and TV work he has had a prolific voice acting career, and is known in the video game community as the voice behind the Fallout series' iconic opening line "war never changes."
West of Dead is a twin-stick shooter, but it brooks very little comparison to Enter the Gungeon rely on fast-paced combat and high mobility, West of Dead slows things down with a dedicated cover system and slower, methodical gunplay. Despite this more tactical approach, West of Dead is never boring. The limited clip sizes of each firearm your protagonist wields means it's vital to make every shot count, or William Mason could be gunned down in seconds waiting for his guns to reload at a pivotal moment. Every cover object is breakable, which can lead to frenzied moments as Mason dashes from cover to cover, frantically firing off hip shots as he goes. The cover system works decently well; Mason ducks behind an object automatically if he's close enough, though the player's definition of close enough may differ from the game's at very dangerous moments.
Each area of Purgatory is a procedurally generated dungeon of twisting hallways and enemy-filled chambers. The game is very dark, which is both a stylistic choice and a mechanical one; William can light hanging lanterns found throughout the game to reveal enemies and stun them briefly, awarding him precious breathing room to duck behind cover or polish someone off with an ambitious shotgun blast. Exploration is encouraged, as powerful guns, useful items, and special level up altars await behind every corner. Two resources can be acquired through combat; Iron, which is used to buy things from the mysterious trader, and Sin, which can be purged by the Witch in exchange for new items that will begin spawning in levels as soon as they're unlocked. The game has a roguelike element as well; if Mason dies, he's sent back to the saloon to start all over again.
The punishing difficulty combined with the roguelike gameplay means that the player is likely to stumble through the early part of the game. There's a steep difficulty climb pretty early on, and the curve rarely if ever gets any smoother. If the player hasn't mastered the intricacies of the combat system they're likely to get cut down pretty quick. Progress is not halted entirely during this phase; the more Sin Mason collects, the more powerful weapons he can get from the Witch. But while it's not stopped it is slowed immensely, and it can start to feel a bit repetitive if one doesn't have the patience for it. And as excellent as Ron Perlman's performance is, his catalog of in-game voice lines isn't large, and the repeats will start to grate before too long.
If you push through, though, you'll be rewarded with powerful weapons and plenty of chances to use them on increasingly brutal foes. It takes some getting used to but West of Dead's gunplay feels great. Landing hits on tough foes is always satisfying, and finishing them off with a well-timed shot before sliding behind cover just in time to avoid deadly retaliation goes a long way toward making you feel like an old west action hero. If you're looking for a traditional twin-stick shooter, you will not find it here. If you're looking for a unique, refreshing take on the genre, with satisfying gunplay, excellent voice acting, and a grim, sinister setting, then Purgatory might just be the destination for you.
West of Dead is available now for PC and Xbox One. A digital PC code was provided to Screen Rant for purposes of review.
West of Dead
- Released
- June 18, 2020
