Considering what would happen if the real world were invaded by shambling corpses like vampires, werewolves, and zombies, this fictional apocalypse doesn’t make you laugh as insanely as Evil West’s. From Tesla-inspired electric guns to pointless gore, this old-school action game was one of the funniest monster kills I have done in recent times.
Exploring the Wild West with Evil West’s Linear Campaign
Evil West’s roughly 12-hour linear campaign is divided into 16 different missions, all following the same format. Each level has a distinct start and end, punctuated by hordes of enemies attacking you and collectibles scattered along the way, until the dialogue pauses for the next cut scene. You can explore the levels a little more freely to find lore items and bags of gold, aka ‘Bucks’, to buy upgrades from, but the crux of the adventure is moving from one battle to the next. After completing the mission, it will eventually end with a boss battle. Luckily, the environment between each combat encounter is a real sight to behold, with enough vistas, from the quaint to the beautiful, to bring even the grumpiest cowboy to tears.
Unleashing a Range of Weapons and Abilities in Evil West’s Combat
Evil West’s level formula rarely messes up, except for a few unique situations, like a crazy minecart segment or walking around base camp a few times while being spoon-fed. In his story, he manipulates Jesse Reindeer of the Reindeer Institute, an organisation founded by Jesse’s father to hunt down and exterminate vampires and other evil beasts of all kinds. Developer Flying Wild Hogs was so taken with the whole “Wild West but weird” idea that he ran away screaming. They have an Illuminati-style floating pyramid of him, a portal to hell, and a demonic girl with a skin-crawling voice. It’s a story full of fun swear words and really different characters. There’s never a dull moment like Emilia Blackwell, the unruly doctor – I wish the whole story was more polished than Jessie hunting down a bunch of bad people for revenge.
By advancing through Evil West, you’ll gain access to a range of new weapons, powers, and upgrades that will allow you to customise Jesse’s abilities and try out exciting new approaches to combat. For example, pistols can increase the number of shots he fires with one magazine, rifles can be upgraded with electric damage, and new abilities such as ground his pound and air his combo can be incorporated to further develop the weapon. The way combat continues to expand helps break up the monotonous layout of Evil West’s levels. Unlocking new abilities, upgrading existing weapons with new effects, or discovering entirely new devices to spectacularly dismember your enemies rarely lasts more than 20 minutes.
Along with this constant evolution, combat has a frantic current that feels great on the move. You can zoom the map to stun enemies, set up melee combos, uppercut in the air, and jump to push them back into pools of blood and guts. Alternatively, you can charge your rifle with a powerful stream of electricity to bounce between enemies before unleashing a flamethrower to stop them. With almost every piece of gear having its own button and cool down timer, and no ammo or bullets to track, it’s a ridiculous array of weapons to switch on the fly. You can’t wait to be charged.
A Story Filled with Quirky Characters and Surprising Twists in Evil West
The lack of enemy variety was the only aspect of the fight that became a little dull towards the end of Evil West. Even giant monsters lack momentum after the first few fights. During the most chaotic battles, it can be challenging to understand what is happening due to the fact that all the enemies blend together and appear similar due to their shared tones of blood and mud. The notification arrow that is meant to alert the player to an enemy attack can also be easy to miss in the midst of the chaos. This issue of enemy reuse is particularly noticeable with larger, high-health enemies that are reused as mini-bosses in later levels. These enemies may also attack in groups, which can add to the chaos of the battle. However, since every combat encounter takes place in a circular arena and there is no jump button or variety in the layout of these encounters, every fight can start to feel similar and monotonous despite the creative arsenal available to the player.
That doesn’t mean it wasn’t fun to fly around with this goo (gross). This simply means that it’s the kind of game you launch when you don’t want to think about it. In that regard, Evil West shares much of the same DNA as Flying Wild Hog’s previous chaotic action ramp, Shadow Warrior 3, even though it’s a wildly different genre. Both games prioritise certain elements while neglecting others, resulting in a lack of attention to certain areas of the game.
Final Thoughts: Is Evil West Worth Your Time
Evil West is a refreshing blast from the past that nails a key part of old-school vampire-hunting action. The combat is smooth and the weapon options ridiculously interesting, but the low enemy types and very similar level layouts can get a bit monotonous after a while. This is far from the most complex and innovative action game I’ve ever played. There are times when you just want to enjoy the thrill of defeating monsters and smashing their skulls.
FAQ’S
Q: What is the overall theme of Evil West?
A: Evil West is a fictional apocalypse game with a sense of humor, featuring shambling corpses like vampires, werewolves, and zombies.
Q: How is the gameplay structured in Evil West?
A: Evil West has a roughly 12-hour linear campaign divided into 16 missions, each with a distinct start and end. The levels are punctuated by enemy attacks and collectibles, and the campaign ends with a boss battle.
Q: What can players do to customize their abilities and weapons in Evil West?
A: Players can unlock new weapons, powers, and upgrades as they progress through Evil West, allowing them to customize Jesse’s abilities and try out new approaches to combat. For example, they can increase the number of shots fired with one magazine, upgrade rifles with electric damage, or unlock new abilities such as ground pound and air combo.
Q: What is the story of Evil West about?
A: The story of Evil West follows Jesse Reindeer, who is manipulated by the game’s protagonist to hunt down and exterminate vampires and other evil beasts. The game features a range of quirky characters and unexpected plot twists, including an Illuminati-style floating pyramid, a portal to hell, and a demonic girl with a skin-crawling voice.
