Having threatened to launch every month since January, Weird West (Cloud, Console and PC) is finally out, and it’s a day-one Game Pass launch. But it’s one in, three out today, as we say goodbye to some stalwarts.
Weird West is a Devolver Digital joint, which often means stylish, overblown violence – it’s the home of Shadow Warrior and Serious Sam, after all – and it’s absolutely true here. The setting, as you’d expect, is the American West, but it’s a fantastical riff on what you might expect. Expect tentacles, rituals, werewolves and magical oddities to get stirred in with the saloons, spurs and bounty hunting.
What makes us most excited about today’s launch of Weird West is how varied the characters feel. You’re not just picking a different hat and boots here: you’re getting a fundamentally different game. Just look at the roster: there’s a Pigman, who charges head first, Leroy Jenkins style, into battle. Then there’s the Oneirist, effectively the magician, who uses the power of dreams to create illusions and blow holes in surroundings. And you can go full Team Jacob by opting for the Werewolf, slicing and dicing the enemy with your claws.
With its cel-shaded looks and pitch-black approach to visuals and humour, we’re set on giving it a review soon. Keep an eye on the site for a verdict.
Elsewhere, it’s about saying goodbye to a few games. Luckily, two of them have been recently updated by their sequels, so may the blow be softened – Madden NFL 20 (Cloud, Console and PC), Narita Boy (Cloud, Console and PC) and Shadow Warrior 2 (Cloud, Console and PC).
The first of those is Madden NFL 20, which makes sense. It’s long out of date and most players won’t miss it. Madden NFL 21 and 22 have been released since, and we’re getting Madden NFL 23 this August so, unless you were chasing the last remaining achievements, this won’t be a blow.
Narita Boy might be more so, though. Imagine Tron’s pretentious, arthouse sibling and you’re pretty much there. We found it to be flawed, giving it a 3.5/5, saying that it has “style over substance – a Tron: Evolution rather than Blade Runner, say – when it could have been a bonafide classic”.
Finally, Shadow Warrior 2 takes the curtain, but there is the small matter of the recently released Shadow Warrior 3 to make it less of a problem. As with all Game Pass departees, the games remain on sale for a short period, so make sure you pick them up if you were part way through.
That takes us to the end of the Game Pass changes for March. We’re due some announcements from Xbox about inclusions for April, but – for now – enjoy Weird West from today, and let us know what you think of it in the comments below, or drop us a note on our social channels.
