A new challenger in the action role-playing game genre: The Dark West promises classic hack & slay in a cursed Wild West scenario.
There are those moments when you see a trailer and immediately know: this is going to be expensive. Not necessarily for your wallet, but for your time. The Dark West is just such a case. When I saw the first images, I initially thought it was just another bullet hell shooter.
But far from it! This is a full-fledged action RPG that aims to follow in the footsteps of Diablo or Grim Dawn – only with cowboy hats, Winchesters, and a truckload of occult magic. And my goodness, it looks good!
Finally, a cowboy Diablo!
Let’s not kid ourselves: the setting is the real star here. We’re familiar with the dark, muddy look from Crytek’s Hunt: Showdown. This mixture of the Wild West, swamplands, and grotesque horror has a fascination all its own. The Dark West captures this mood perfectly, but transports it into an isometric perspective.
Instead of fearing every creaking branch like in an extraction shooter, here you can live out the classic action RPG power fantasy. You are the lone gunslinger shooting your way through hordes of undead and demons.
The developers at Black Hand promise a world where “faith is thinly sown and hope is rare.” Visually, that means lots of shadows, atmospheric lighting, and monster designs that are wonderfully disgusting.
Looting, Leveling, Poker
What sets The Dark West apart from the crowd are specific mechanics that translate the Western theme directly into gameplay. At its core, it remains a hack & slay game with a focus on loot, but with interesting twists:
- Your abilities are apparently influenced by a card system. You put together poker hands that change your skills and bonuses.
- An exciting risk-reward system involves alcohol. In the game, consuming alcohol gives you strength, but at the same time dulls your senses. So you have to weigh up the pros and cons: do you want to hit harder, but accept the disadvantages in terms of perception or control?
Despite all the enthusiasm for the fresh setting, we have to remain realistic. So far, there are only announcements and promises on paper. The Black Hand studio is an unknown quantity, and a good action RPG stands or falls on how it feels to play.
The announced mechanics in particular harbor risks: The alcohol system sounds immersive, but could quickly turn out to be an annoying distraction in the game if, for example, the controls become sluggish or screen effects make it difficult to see what’s going on. The poker system is also a double-edged sword: Action RPG fans love to have control over their builds. If the random factor when drawing cards is too high, frustration could arise.
The scope also raises questions: The roadmap for the full version mentions adding several classes. This suggests that the selection of characters could still be very limited at the start of early access. Early Access has yet to prove whether a small indie team can deliver the necessary variety of enemies, items, and skills to compete in the long term with top dogs like Grim Dawn or Path of Exile.
Early Access coming this year
The developers make no secret of the fact that they need feedback. The launch of Early Access is planned for this year and is expected to last about a year. Several acts, bosses, and functioning systems such as crafting are to be included at launch. Five acts and a “unique endgame” are planned for the full version.
The focus is currently on balancing the loot. So if you’re interested in actively shaping the development of a dark Western ARPG – and are willing to put up with the teething problems of an early version – you should add the title to your wish list.