Weird West
Developer: WolfEye Studios | Publisher: Devolver Digital
Weird West is a supernatural western action RPG where the intertwined destinies of unusual heroes unfold across a strange and dangerous frontier.
Developed by WolfEye Studios and published by Devolver Digital, Weird West is a supernatural twin-stick shooter set in a strange and dangerous version of the American frontier. The game is made up of a series of interconnected character stories, with each chapter following a new protagonist whose actions can shape the world in different ways. Player decisions, alliances, and consequences carry across the entirety of the game, creating a responsive and memorable story.
Gameplay Experience: 18/25
Combat in Weird West allows players to approach encounters in several ways, using firearms, environmental hazards, or stealth to gain the upper hand. While shooting is functional and generally satisfying, the game frequently pushes players toward stealth, which can slow the pacing and make direct combat feel less rewarding than expected. Enemy placement can also restrict player options, creating situations where stealth becomes the safest or most practical solution. Despite these frustrations, the game does succeed in making player decisions feel meaningful. Actions and choices carry across multiple character chapters, and the world reacts in ways that reinforce the idea of a reactive sandbox. Progression is steady and satisfying as new abilities and equipment become available, though the moment-to-moment combat never quite reaches the mechanical polish found in stronger genre peers such as The Ascent.
Presentation & Immersion: 17/25
The world is presented as a strange, supernatural take on the American frontier, blending western themes with darker folklore and occult elements. Visually, the stylized art direction works well, giving towns, deserts, and settlements a distinctive atmosphere. The narrative structure also helps immersion by telling the story through several different protagonists, each with their own motivations and perspective on the events unfolding around them. By the time the game concludes, players are given a detailed summary of their actions, including decisions made, enemies killed, items stolen, and bounties collected. This end-game breakdown reinforces the sense that player choices genuinely shaped the journey. Audio presentation is more uneven, with serviceable music and sound effects that rarely stand out. Even so, the unusual setting and layered story help create a memorable identity for Weird West.
Design & Technical: 17/25
Several of the game’s core systems show clear ambition, but the overall execution is uneven. The underlying design encourages experimentation, allowing players to approach situations in different ways and interact with the world through multiple systems. However, the surrounding interface often works against that flexibility. Menus and inventory screens feel clunky and lack several basic quality-of-life features common in modern RPGs, making item management more cumbersome than necessary. Enemy behaviour is generally predictable, and encounter design can sometimes limit how freely players are able to experiment with the game’s systems. While the technical performance itself is stable and largely free of major issues, the moment-to-moment interaction with these systems does not always feel as polished as it could be. The ideas are clearly there, but the implementation does not always reach the same level of refinement in Weird West.
The Skinny About Weird West
Final Considerations: 20/25
Weird West (Steam Link) ultimately delivers an experience built on strong ideas, even if the execution does not always match its ambition. The game’s multi-character narrative structure works well and the story becomes more engaging as it unfolds, giving the later chapters a stronger impact than the opening hours might suggest. Player decisions carry meaningful weight across the different protagonists, and the end-game summary reinforces how many choices shaped the journey along the way. At the same time, some systems never feel as polished as they could be, particularly the menus, inventory management, and certain encounter designs. Despite these shortcomings, the game remains enjoyable throughout its campaign, offering a distinctive setting and several memorable moments. While it may not stand at the very top of the genre, it still provides a worthwhile experience for players willing to explore its strange frontier. Cautiously recommended.
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