Western: a literary genre first, then cinematographic and finally videogame. The era of the far west and the American gold hunt inspired any, even the successful series Tex of the very Spanish Bonelli. Now, imagine a steampunk western, add demons, vampires, and all sorts of hellspawn that might tickle your mind, and even so you'll see only the smallest part of what's going on in evil west, a title that we analyze today in review.
Vampire Hunters for Lincoln
We are at the end of the seventeenth century, Lincoln has been president of the United States for a while now, and in all free America (or that dreams of being free) rage demons, vampires and monsters. Hidden from sight but not too much, this spawn of hell plans to make a comeback by once again subjugating mankind.
A secret service organization, moved by the belief that evil should be eradicated from the country, recruits young people with peculiar abilities: bulwarks of their century, capable of using firearms properly, but also knives and bladed weapons. These young people are being trained by Rentier, the institution that has been involved in the fight against evil for generations, ever since the Pilgrim Fathers got off the Mayflower: today we are at the generational change, and Jesse Reindeer he finds himself on the threshold of forty years, torn by wanting to be a man of action in the field and the responsibility that his father tries to put on his shoulders, pushing him to take his place in the management of the family business.
Without spoiling anything about the narrative sector, we can tell you that everything happens quite quickly in evil west, and that the basis of the story - while sinking its roots in the true "history" that we all know - has solid foundations and that although it is a new IP vi you will want to know much more as you progress. There is no Spanish dubbing, but all the texts are well translated, and if you are an English speaker proficient enough, know that every collected document will be read with the voice of whoever wrote it, so in fact every element will be told and scanned the thought of reading.
Kratos or Jesse?
evil west has a gameplay very (but very) similar to that of God of War: The camera is placed three-quarters on the protagonist, with relative zoom when holding a weapon and with a viewfinder that appears on the screen. Some things border on plagiarism, like Jesse's movements when he finds a chest: the man will strike with his right arm strong with a special glove (which we'll talk about shortly) splitting the lid in half and extracting the contents; this is effectively the same modus operandi as Kratos, ditto when it comes to larger chests, where both men open the lid with two hands and flip it over.
Hordes of enemies of all kinds will surround you, and this is also an analogy with the title of Santa Monica: mind you, we liked all this déjà-vu a lot, and we will explain why shortly.
Finite le analogie, si passa alle weapons available, which are:
- Rentier glove: a steampunk mechanical glove with claws, electric generator and a brass knuckles complete with RENTIER written in large letters. This is Jesse's signature weapon, which is used to unleash vicious melee blows.
- Gun reindeer: A weapon that modifies over the course of history capable of firing regular bullets one at a time to keep enemies away, bursts of shots in sequence and shock projectiles when the reference skill is unlocked.
- Fucile Rentier: One of the few weapons to have a real scope, capable of inflicting huge damage but also much slower than the others.
- Doublet: a quick cut-off to use in close combat or at fairly close range, useful for shattering enemy shields or inflicting heavy damage on enemies who get too close.
- Electric cross: a sort of lightning rod capable of electrifying (stunning) enemies in a discrete area around Jesse.
- Rentier machine gun: Classic repeating gatling capable of inflicting huge area damage and, like all weapons in the game, if electrically enhanced it can emit a deadly current beam capable of frying enemies.
- Rentier flamethrower: Does what it was made to do, burn enemies and cause them to burn for damage over time as well as making enemies themselves explosive "bombs" if thrown at other opponents while they are burning.
- Throw Rentier Grenades: Shoot sticks of dynamite capable of massive destruction, or create areas of electricity that damage and stun enemies.
With the exception of the Rentier Glove, each weapon has its own cooldown which will regenerate over time, allowing you to recharge bullets which in fact they will be Unlimited. Jesse can also unlock new talents using the accumulated experience points to level up and, subsequently, buy in dollars (or "bucks" as they are called) the upgrade for each weapon, which can vary from capacity of the loaders, to the cadenza of fire or to the enhancement of their intrinsic capabilities, such as the ability to hit multiple targets with a single shot.
Il gunplay of the game is practical and satisfying but you must not see evil west like a shooter: it is in fact an action game, and should be treated as such, although the technical sector of weapons is well managed and the tactile feeling is certainly not lacking.
Sometimes you feel powerful in Jesse's shoes which in hand-to-hand combat is a real war machine, thanks to the Rentier glove which uses the right hand to attack and the left to generate an electric shield capable of attracting enemies, delivering them stunned (and from here you can start a combo of violent blows and that will culminate in a devastating final blow), or if you are more aggressive types you charge off riding the thunderbolt and swooping down on the enemy, stunning them as a result.
Dodge e jumps rapids will give rise to melee combos made not only of punches, but also of kicks capable of blocking the enemy while he is attempting an attack: bringing the enemy to death will unlock a final blow capable of making you recover health if performed. The game rewards aggression, but there will be room for the tactics. This is why we advise you to always keep yours in mind field position of battle because many missions can easily fail if you have your back exposed. The game's puzzle sessions are simple and intuitive, in general you can get stuck in some boss fights that are not at all obvious and trivial, far from it, and this is good, but it is unlikely that you will get lost in the course of the environmental problems to fix for Jesse.
A Rum-Punch in the stomach
Evil West is pure adrenaline: you will face everything in the course of what may be from 10 to 16 hours to get to the end of Jesse's journey, and it will be a crescendo of both twists and turns and pure and raw action. Evil West is a full stomach Run-Punch at 16 pm in the summer: it's that drink you don't expect, that strange and bizarre combination just like when your friend pours 7 Year Rum into a glass of ice cold Coke and the thing it hits you but you don't mind but indeed, you still want more.
Evil West is not for the faint of heart: the gameplay is as simple as it is complex, strong in a well-written main character and excellent supporting actors, capable of making us experience their dramas without the usual clichés. You will be constantly tested and each new weapon, each new chapter, will make you feel strong at the beginning and helpless as you progress, to then return to the crest of the wave again.
Evil West is an outstanding surprise, one of those adventures that you would like to become a series: certainly not missing a few flaws such as a not always very stable frame rate, some textures that disappear and reappear here and there, and in general that sort of déjà-vu in other productions that didn't spoil the experience for us, but rather, it's probably his ability to make something you've already seen “unique and personal”.. The multiplayer compartment offers an extra starting point for playing it with a friend in online mode, and if you are a true man of the Old West, you can venture a Hardcore mode where Jesse's death is permanent, and the game will start over.
Review- Evil West (Tested on PS5)8.5Final Vote
Evil West is a full stomach Run-Punch at 16pm in the summer: it strikes you but you don't mind, on the contrary, you still want more! An adrenaline-pumping game that mixes the steampunk world with that of the Old West capable of making almost anyone fall in love with it. Many game modes between Hardcore and co-op, as well as the possibility of replaying missions to complete them better. Interesting story that evolves over time, memorable boss fights and hordes of demonic enemies to deal with, make Evil West a real rarity these days. Although the game takes its cue (sometimes literally steals) from games of the past, it makes what it presents to us on the screen unique and original.
