Evil West Review – SHOOTIN’ TOOTIN’ FUN!

Evil West is a cross between God of War and any gothic, steampunk western game, with the final product being an exciting game of hunting beasts and creatures featuring some exceptionally satisfying gameplay.

A Linear Western Story

You play the game as a vampire-hunting cowboy named Jesse Rentier. Heir to the Vampire Slaying group called the Rentier Institute led by his father, William, you start by capturing a vampire with your father’s right-hand man, Edgar Gravenor, in an effort to find and kill Peter D’Abano (A dangerous vampire). Jesse fights his way past countless numbers of evil creatures in an effort to kill this blood-sucking threat. Once successful, someone takes out their revenge on the Rentier Institute, killing and injuring many vampire hunters. Now Jesse must step up and take out those responsible.

The story, although interesting is relatively basic.

The story, although interesting is relatively basic. There are several intriguing characters with their own backstories. Although, the narrative itself is mostly surface-level. It has some compelling characters and evil beings, moving you along from mission to mission seamlessly. However, that is all it does. It is used to move the game forward. Still enjoyable, but not the best story around.

A Gunslingin’ Good Time

The gameplay is where Evil West shines. There is just an endless amount of fun to be had running around and killing every ugly creature that pops up. As a frontline agent, Jesse has many ways of eliminating vampires and their creatures. He has the basic revolver and rifle, his fists, a lightning gauntlet, the zipper (a shotgun-like weapon) and the crippling rod (a crucifix that emits a wave of electricity, stunning everyone). Working your way through each mission, you may come across many unique creatures to fight as well as several distinct big boss encounters. It can lag a tad in places, but generally, the game plays amazingly well. And just an FYI, check to see if Vertical Sync is turned on. If not, apply the setting, otherwise, you’ll be treated to significant screen tearing in the cutscenes.

Not only is the gameplay fun, but it can also be incredibly challenging, with a nice mix of ranged and melee fighting and elemental damage as well. You can also find some nice collectibles along the way and little hidden chests for extra goodies. These missions are very linear, but it works incredibly well with how the story is told. Basically, Evil West gives me God of War vibes but set in the Wild West… or in this case, Evil West.

The world design of Evil West neatly plays into the feel of the game. It really sets up a big gothic steampunk vibe, which is amazing. All of the monsters look incredible and the world itself looks stunning, with an old Victorian style set in the Wild West. Not to mention the different skins for Jesse’s clothes and weapons. The design of the game is done incredibly well, where nothing really feels out of place. 

Decision

Evil West’s gameplay is so addictive, with many enemies to fight and many challenging bosses to destroy. The scenery looks awesome with its gothic and steampunk ambience, and there are many different weapons to use and upgrade. Not to mention the easy flow of the story adding up to an incredibly enjoyable game.

By Dillon Van Der Putten – Reviewed on PC

This game was reviewed using a download code provided by Focus Entertainment. The Beta Network uses affiliate partnerships, however, this does not influence reviews or any other content published. The Beta Network may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links that are on the website.