Xbox One code provided by Raw Fury
West of Dead is a twin-stick shooter from developer Upstream Arcade and publisher Raw Fury. It’s a tactical shooter that requires players to move swiftly between covered positions and to equip the right gear to dispatch a slew of enemies in a top-down dungeon-crawling roguelite.
The hunting grounds are procedurally generated so no two runs are the same. Players will appreciate that because you will die and you’ll be treading through the same locations on the path to get further in the narrative. Exploring different maps in the same environments helps to avoid the monotony of repetition.
It’s currently out on Steam and Xbox One, and it’s arriving on the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch later this year.
So while it’s fresh, and while we’re hungry for indie games during this time of self-isolation, let’s see how the Ron Perlman-led adventure fares. Does it live up to the expectations or does it crumble to dust like the bones of wasted adventurers?
STORY
Purgatory, Wyoming, 1888.
A place of gun smoke and darkness, sin and damnation, wendigos, and witches. A shifting, chaotic world that takes its form from the memories, culture, or beliefs of the souls who pass through. When a dead man awakens with only the memory of a figure in black, he sets into motion a chain of events that have truly mythic consequences.
Step into the boots of the dead man William Mason and descend into the grim and gritty world of Purgatory. The Wild West has never been this dark.
It’s grim. It’s dark. And it’s what happens when Hellboy meets the Wild West. One lone figure cursed with the purpose of beating back the darkness.
William Mason is one man. A dead man… who will die as many times as it takes to reverse the tide of evil that is sweeping across the land. He will right the wrongs, no matter how many bullets it takes.
It’s the old Western tale of the white hat versus the black hat , but with a modern twist. This time, the good guy isn’t afraid to get his hands bloody.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay is straightforward for a twin-stick shooter. Beyond cover in the dungeons that the character snaps in and out of, there are few controls. Two guns that can be close-, medium-, and long-range options for whatever tactical combination you prefer. Pistols, shotguns, and rifles. There are default options and special guns with status effects. Then there are unlockable weapons that add new angles for gameplay. Weapons that freeze and slow enemies. Burn enemies. Pierce, ricochet, maim, and stun. It’s all there. And those are just the two primary weapons.
West of Dead also features passive charms and two secondary pieces of equipment. These are either melee weapons or tactical gear that can aid in defensive or offense maneuvers.
Progression is tied to collecting sin, which will unlock better gear, to gathering iron, which can be spent during a run at the traders in each dungeon, and to completing dungeons to further the narrative.
The story is split into chapters, and you will discover more about Mason, the protagonist as the game goes on. You’ll also learn the different attacks and maneuvers of the enemies in each location, which increases your shooting proficiency and speeds up your gameplay.
Upstream Arcade also made sure to include additional content that augments the player experience. Outlaws to hunt down while prowling through the hunting grounds. Cursed souls to bargain with to ease their passage. A wide array of weapons and equipment to customize your playstyle. Environments that grow and increase in complexity the further you progress in the game.
It’s well-done, though there are some hiccups along the way.
Roguelite games can be frustrating when you die at an inconvenient time or when you’re very close to the end of a location. But West of Dead does suffer from some poor design choices that exacerbate those feelings of frustration.
For the most part, though, it succeeds in providing an innovative game in a captivating Western setting.
With some future updates to address wobbly gameplay mechanics and a few changes to the UI, West of Dead can become a really exciting game that keeps me coming back from the dead.
VISUALS
West of Dead immediately reminded me of Creature in the Well, which I reviewed last year on the Nintendo Switch. This shooter from Upstream Arcade replaced the pinball-madness of that indie gem with the more tactical nuances of a Western shooter with a dense thematic setting. From sci-fi to sinister, it relied upon the same striking visuals that made the other indie adventure so memorable to me.
However, the more I played, the more I thought about the Hellboy graphic novels. Maybe it was Ron Perlman’s voice that made the connection for me, but it’s a distinct graphic style with bold lines and heavy contrasts.
The color palette really draws the attention of the player, and its richness and depth mirrors the dark and brooding Western world of Purgatory. It fits really well, and it’s just as visually impressive as those graphic novels from Mike Mignola.
If you’re into graphic novels and haven’t read them, you should definitely check them out, but the tone that permeates West of Dead and the Ron Perlman-connection between the two series makes it hard for me to ignore when I’m playing the game.
The visuals and the audio are two of the best parts in West of Dead.
AUDIO
Ron Perlman’s voice is honey for a sore throat. It’s husky and well-traveled. And it should definitely be in more video games.
Yes, there are moody tunes and somber notes that feel right at home in a Western setting, but it’s really Ron Perlman that makes West of Dead special for me.
He’s back as another cursed protector of humanity, and he’s the right man for the job when you need a wry and witty wrangler of the dead.
It’s like listening to an audiobook of the damned, narrated by the only sojourner in hell who isn’t evil.
If West of Dead only did one thing right, it was having the famous actor narrate Mason, the battered, gun-toting protagonist.
REPLAYABILITY
Death is progress. Even when it doesn’t feel like that. And unlocking more weapons and equipment allows players to experiment with their loadout and discover more effective combinations when moving through the dungeons.
So it’s very replayable. There are faulty gameplay mechanics currently hindering the fluidity of the twin-stick shooter, but the design encourages replay.
Gathering enough spendable “sin” to unlock better gear feels gratifying and it makes the player want to dive back in and try again. Also, occasional bosses that provide environmental bonuses makes even the earlier dungeons or locations more interesting. Being able to travel between waypoints, to tear down barricades for new locations, and to encounter mini-bosses throughout the narrative expands the gameplay beyond the linear story.
Rogue-lite games are good for replayability, and West of Dead is no different.
WHAT IT COULD HAVE DONE BETTER
The biggest drawback is certainly the aim assist, which is a misleading description of what actually happens while you play. A twin-stick shooter like West of Dead depends on accuracy and speed, both of which are hampered by the mechanics.
All too often, the dead marshal’s guns snap to enemies that are much further away than approaching baddies, even through walls and other obstacles when there are nearby aggressors closing in. This makes for a frustrating experience.
Many times I would be trying to aim down a narrow corridor, at one approaching enemy, and the gun barrel would either fling off to the side to point at an unseen enemy in the next room or it would twitch to either side instead of letting me line up the sights on the actual AI opponent.
Being a cover-based shooter, the game encourages the player to utilize the waist-high obstacles in rooms. But then it’s difficult to prioritize aggressive enemies that move in on the player over static enemies that attack from range. I would attempt to target these dangerous men and creatures in the room and instead waste shots on far-off enemies that didn’t post as high a threat.
It’s definitely something that should be addressed in an early update for the game. The ability to toggle on and off the aim assist is crucial in improving the quality of life in West of Dead, especially since it’s a rogue-lite that forces players to start at the beginning once they die. Too many deaths occurred because I couldn’t effectively target the enemies that were encroaching on my location.
There are other issues. The in-game menu for purchasing new equipment and weapons needs to be better organized and easier to navigate. Players should be able to skip NPC dialogue more quickly. The cursor movement on the map needs to be more responsive, and the map should move offscreen less frequently.
But those are all minor details. And they are more forgivable.
The aiming mechanic is priority number one. And as soon as it’s fixed, West of Dead will be a more engaging and less frustrating top-down shooter.
VERDICT
West of Dead is an intelligent twin-stick shooter that stumbles in some key mechanics, preventing it from attaining excellence. But the atmospheric visuals, the appealing Wild West setting, and the inimitable Ron Perlman elevate this above the mediocrity where so many indie shooters end up.
If you’re a determined gamer, with patience to overcome frustrating deaths, then there is some very satisfying gameplay in a unique world. With Xbox Game Pass, it’s free to play, so there isn’t any reason not to try it out. For other platforms, I’d say grab the game if you’re enthusiastic about it but wait for a sale if you’re on the fence.
