Yeehaw! Get ready, cowpokes, because West of Dead is finally upon us – available right this minute on Xbox One (and Xbox Game Pass) and PC.
Available right now, the brutal, roguelike, twin-stick shooter lthat is West of Dead launches on Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass, and PC through Steam. Nintendo Switch and PS4 players will have to wait just a bit longer for the game to launch on each of those platforms in August.
Saddle up for an adventure as William Mason — Purgatory, Wyoming’s resident badass with a case of amnesia. Voiced by the one and only Ron Perlman, this dead man with a flaming skull for a head must journey through hordes of malevolent witches, wendigos, and fellow undead with a variety of weapons and upgrades.
As mentioned, West of Dead is a twin-stick shooter, but that is only half of its identity. Gunfights benefit from the marriage of twin-stick precision and cover-based shooting action. The interesting spins do not end there, as cover is not something to rely on too heavily. Any cover you hide behind blocks damage completely, but it will eventually fall apart after multiple hits. Fragile cover encourages you to keep on moving for what looks like a snappy and addictive combat loop.
Your wild west shootouts will take place within procedurally generated levels that aim to keep you on your toes. Different layouts of cover and creatures of sin will hopefully keep things fresh as you die again and again.
All of this exciting looking gameplay is wrapped up in the game’s beautiful art style. With harsh, dark lines it is not hard to see the comic book inspiration for the twisted and mysterious world of Purgatory. Animation-wise, you would have a hard time finding a game that makes you look even half as cool. Spinning a revolver back into its holster, sliding across cover, and blasting baddies has never felt so perfectly western.
Again, if you are looking to play West of Dead it is available right now on Xbox One for £16.74, through Xbox Game Pass, and PC. If you have any questions or just want to share your excitement with us, write to us in the comments below. And keep an eye out for our upcoming review too.
And if you do like what you find in West of Dead, you may also be interested to hear that a launch DLC pack is also available. The Path of the Crow will set you back £2.49 but for that kind of cash you should expect to find a new level – The Battlefield – a new enemy in the form of The Captain and a new Mortar weapon.
Game Description:
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 (voiced by Ron Perlman) and descend into the grim and gritty world of Purgatory in this fast-paced twin-stick shooter that’ll put your skills to test. Dodge behind cover as you try to outgun your enemies in the unknown procedurally generated hunting grounds. The Wild West has never been this dark.
