November was a great month for the video game world. Between blockbusters like God of War: Ragnarok, the return of famous franchises like Pokémon Scarlet and Purple, and even projects that have surprised critics and the public like Pentiment, it’s been a very intense month in truth. And while other great games are coming in the coming weeks, Flying Wild Hog’s Evil West is a story-driven action game that puts players in the shoes of a true superhero of the world, one that might have slipped under the radar these days is West fighting hordes of vampires and horrific supernatural creatures.
The first thing is that in this game we’re not going to be a superhero as such, but we’re equipped with enough explosive material and exclusive tools that create a real fantasy of power because of what we can do with them. From a huge arsenal of firearms, be it rifles, revolvers, BB guns and crossbows, to homemade bombs and even a glove that works like lightning. There are many ways to deal with the blood-sucking bugs that plague the American West, and while it often seems like too much for everyone, the quests and difficulties you’ll have to complete at certain times make it clear why the options are the way they are varied and plentiful.
The story of Evil West basically revolves around Jesse Reindeer, a famous vampire hunter in pursuit of a deadly foe named Felicity who plots for world domination. The story has its own nuances, however, as early on Felicity and her army of terrifying monsters devastate their base of operations, the Reindeer Institute, in an attack that leaves Jesse’s father bitten and turned into a vampire. From here, elements of revenge are hidden in the job’s duty, driving the narrative forward, taking Jesse and his allies through a series of Wild West locations in their hunt for Felicity, aiming to thwart his devious plan.
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While entertaining most of the time and having interesting parts, the story reads like a typical big-budget Hollywood action movie, glossing over the subtleties and finer details that make something great about the film in favor of mindless, explosive action. While there are some exciting cutscenes and gameplay sequences, they’re never particularly memorable.
The dynamics of the game are divided into two aspects. On the one hand it’s about exploring the mostly linear levels where we can collect gold and other collectibles, and on the other hand the combat encounters that basically leave us in an arena that we can’t get out of and that we’ll have everything to kill what moves and has no soul. It’s a very old fashioned mechanic that looks like something out of a PS2 title, which is a shame because the combat is so fun, fluid, and challenging at times.
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The smoothness of executing a number of melee combos, switching to a bolt action rifle to take out some vampires who are clinging to a wall, pulling out a crowbar and blasting some enemies to bits to roll them away, and using our revolver from the Hip-shooting at more enemies while the machine gun charges to be able to unleash a lead tornado from afar is a very fun system that gives the player a lot of freedom to engage in combat encounters. And this freedom to face the fight as we see fit is important, because the diversity of enemies forces us to think differently in each fight.
Some monsters are huge and slow, dealing massive damage when they hit, while others are weaker but faster. In addition, there are now and then long-distance opponents, mini-boss fights and real bosses, whose challenges are not always easy to master due to the high tempo of the fights and the mostly small arenas. But when we’re in control of the situation and blending into the combat moves, it’s hard not to feel our best, and this is an area where Evil West excels.
Unfortunately, it’s also the only area where Evil West really excels, because the exploration and collectibles aren’t all that interesting to find, the progression is pretty basic and rudimentary, and given that the story isn’t overly long (we will need to play a new game to unlock all improvements), and I’ve already mentioned the issues with the narration. Add to that the weird art style and visual design that adds a weird orange shading effect around Jesse and his enemies, all set in a dark or overly red-tinged world, and you have a game that’s far from perfect .
As you can see, there are moments in Evil West that impress, but in general it’s not a title that leaves us speechless. The best way to describe Evil West is to imagine it taking place in a Michael Bay film: sure, it’s entertaining at times, but does it leave us feeling like we want more of it? Not exactly.
