Written by Anthony L. Cuaycong
Title: Hard West
Developer: CreativeForge Games S.A.
Publisher: Forever Entertainment
Genre: Adventure, Simulation, Role-Playing
Price: $19.99
Also Available On: Steam
Hard West is exactly that: a gritty nineteenth-century Western that boasts of an outstanding story told from varying points of view via distinct character campaigns. Heavily influenced by XCOM: Enemy Unknown, it features turn-based tactical gameplay through a handful of modes that serve to drive the narrative forward. Even seemingly inconsequential decisions to further strategic objectives weigh on how events unfold and are appreciated. In this regard, the text-heavy interface benefits from tight editing (although, admittedly, sometimes too tight as to border on dismissive).
Lest Hard West be judged as a copycat, it separates itself from other similar tactical titles, and even from XCOM, in its conscious effort to avoid randomness and instead introduce "luck" as an integral component to character development and advancement; depending on circumstances and turns of events, it can either be replenished or reduced to positive or negative effect. Additionally, CreativeForge Games chucked experience points in tracking protagonists' upgrades, instead relying on playing cards — collected following the attainment of specific mission parameters — to form poker hands that provide corresponding buffs and bonuses.
The enemy artificial intelligence is occasionally a letdown, but, overall, Hard West delivers on its premise and promise of a Cowboys and Aliens experience. At $19.99, it's a good buy, especially since it runs well on the go and includes from the outset all content previously released on other platforms. Recommended.
THE GOOD
- Supernatural Western told extremely well
- Benefits from XCOM: Enemy Unknown influences
- Unique gameplay offerings
THE BAD
- Text-heavy narrative alternates between dense and condensed
- Enemy AI can stand some improvement
- Absence of capacity to save during battles can lead to frustrating replays
RATING: 7.5/10
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