There are very few role-playing games that take place in the Wild West. The closest are apocalyptic computer role-playing games like Wasteland, which play with clichés and conventions of the Western genre. That's why the debut game of video game developer WolfEye Studios, Weird West, is already impressive at first glance with its fresh setting. Cowboys, lawmen, and bandits play a central role. But it's spiced up with a good dose of dark fantasy, because in the world of Weird West, demons, monsters, and a lot of crazy creatures are just as much a part of everyday life as horses, saloons, and dusty boots.
Classic RPG meets immersive sim
Behind Weird West is the new studio of Raphaël Colantonio. He became known as the head of Arkane Studios and was involved in the development of so-called immersive sims such as Dishonored and Prey, which are characterized by a high degree of freedom of play. The basic idea is to present players with a problem, give them different skills and tools, but leave it up to them to decide how to approach the problem. This approach to game design seems to be the basic principle at WolfEye Studios as well.
It will be up to the players to decide whether they want to violently settle conflicts with non-player characters or avoid them by sneaking. You can join a gang and shoot everything up or swear allegiance to the law. But you can also develop into a master thief and use various stealth options to sneak past enemies or infiltrate buildings.
WolfEye Studios places particular emphasis on the ability to combine different game elements to create exciting, unpredictable gameplay. Anyone who wants to survive the real-time battles will therefore have to skillfully use weapons, powers, and abilities and take the environment into account. You're surrounded by enemies, but you only have one bullet left in the gun? Use telepathic powers and a slow-motion ability to throw a nearby ammunition box into the middle of your enemies and take them all out with one well-aimed shot.
Weird West promises to be an action RPG where such possibilities for creative freedom are available at every turn.
