
Anyone else a massive fan of Western themed games? There's just something so satisfying about using revolvers.
I'm a complete sucker for Western themed games. Which is kind of weird since I’m not into the movies or books at all, but when I can actually experience the setting for myself I get sucked in instantly. Also something about revolvers is just fascinating for me, no other weapon comes close, it might be due to the fact that my dad owned one when I was a kid.
A revolver forces you to respect every single round. You get six shots, a slow reload, and every single one counts. That turns even a scrappy shootout into something tactical and deliberate, not just holding a trigger and mowing everyone down. Lever action rifles have the same lovely rhythm, that cha chunk between shots that makes you pace yourself. It's a completely different feeling using these guns compared to something modern, it feels way more visceral and kind of weighty.
Right now I’m looking for some new stuff, upcoming or recently released to play after I’m done with the Outlaws remake. I’ve found Exekiller, it's a retro futuristic western FPS with some story and RPG elements. Visually it looks amazing and retrofuturism works so well for western stuff. Also found The Dark West, an occult western themed ARPG that looks really cool. I love the genre so I’m really excited about getting to use my favorite weapon of all time with the standard ARPG mechanics like different stats, rarity, crafting and stuff like that. I’ll probably try the demo soon to see what the feel is like.
I don’t think I’ve ever played a western themed game I didn’t enjoy, starting with Outlaws as a kid. Red Dead 2 is obviously the greatest title we have for now, but I appreciate simpler games too, and different genres as well. For example I loved the Desperados games, really cool tactical gameplay, and they nailed the setting.
Does anyone else have a soft spot for this setting? Before RDR it felt kind of underused, I’m glad we have some options nowadays for cool western games in most genres.