Flying Wild Hog is totally vibing with their knack for making epic, gory fun. From the insane sword fights in Trek to Yomi to the wild, supernatural shootouts in Shadow Warrior 3 , these guys know how to deliver cool games with heroes who aren’t afraid to get messy. And with Evil West , they’ve done it again—this time with vampires and cowboy vibes. If you’re into this kind of chaotic brilliance, now’s the perfect moment to buy Xbox games that showcase their unique style and keep the adrenaline pumping. Their new game, Evil West, keeps that trend going. Set in the Wild West, you step into the boots of Jesse Rentier, a gravelly-voiced, vampire-hunting cowboy who’s a beast with a six-shooter and can smash zombies and werewolves into a red mush with his steampunk gauntlet. The whole concept feels like a wacky Robert Rodriguez x Cliffy B collab, packed with huge guys with massive guns taking down supernatural creeps across Wild West settings. And yeah, it’s as wild as it sounds, with a combat system that makes every gory kill super satisfying. When it's on point, Evil West is seriously addictive, but its meh level design and lack of enemy variety hold it back from being totally next-level. It’s the late 1800s in the U.S., under President Grover Cleveland, and Jesse Rentier, our main character, is a vampire hunter repping the Rentier Institute, which his dad runs. Their job? Taking down “ticks” (vamps) while keeping them on the down-low. Vamps use wicked illusions to stay off the radar, but the Institute just scored a gadget that can smash those illusions. Things are about to get wild… Evil West totally lives up to its name, blending the Wild West with some seriously spooky folklore. The vibe is set right away with our first mission, where we have to hit a train full of human blood and vamps. The steampunk aesthetic delivers epic sunsets, zeppelins, creepy churches, a saloon hiding a rebel squad, some gnarly weapons, and a lineup of grotesque ghouls. The vamps are hella gross, especially the old noble dude and his “adopted” daughter. The human characters are just as memorable—from the swearing, sleazy politician to the chill but stern doctor, and of course, our hero who’s a mix of muscle and hustler. The character design is top-notch, with a realistic feel but some cool cartoonish touches.
Narrative Impact May Vary
This game is a third-person action banger that vibes way more with the new God of War games than anything else. It’s got that close-up camera angle, climbing chains like a beast, ripping open treasure chests with some serious overkill, and arrows showing when you’re about to get hit from off-screen. Honestly, it’s so immersive that taking a break to buy cheap PS5 games might be the only way to step away from its intense grip—even if just for a little while. Beyond that, it’s pretty unique. The combat’s a mashup of different styles—using firearms with different buttons instead of an inventory wheel, and managing cooldowns instead of ammo, which actually feels pretty smooth once you get the hang of it. There’s also this dope electricity leash move like Bulletstorm’s that can yank enemies towards you or pull you to them for a quick beatdown. The combat rewards patience by giving you moments to shoot enemies in specific spots for bonus damage and extra health and energy drops. Knocking enemies into spiked barrels, TNT piles, and each other adds a nice touch, especially with the big enemy groups you face. Jesse feels like a solid tank, which is rare in action-heavy games, and it makes for some really satisfying fights once you get used to it. As for the story and characters, they’re pretty basic and lack depth. Unlike the engaging combat, the plot doesn’t have anything flashy to make up for it. This is probably the letdown of the game—not because I was expecting a lot, but because I found myself losing interest as the game went on, unlike the gameplay which stayed fun throughout. The story isn’t the main focus, and while it’s not terrible, I hoped for something more engaging to justify all the action. Evil West’s narrative has some bright spots, especially towards the end, but overall, I struggled to care about the main character or his crew, even though they’re well-designed and acted.
Hits the Sweet Spot for Us
The characters and monsters in Evil West are totally wild and over-the-top—they look both awesome and hilariously weird, making them super memorable. I’m especially into how so many of the creatures have giant nails randomly stuck in their legs and feet. There’s no real reason for it other than to look gross and cool. While you don’t see a ton of actual vampires, you’ll face off against plenty of beehive demons, ripped werewolves, and creepy leech-limbed monstrosities. Evil West is the kind of gloriously messy game I wish we saw more of. It’s a ridiculous blast with no higher goal than turning monsters into a pile of goo, and I’m all about that. Sure, combat can feel a bit off balance at times, but the fantastic weapon variety, over-the-top finishers, and nonstop action make up for it. The design is pretty sick overall—monsters look mega creepy and the character models are solid. The locations aren’t too shabby either, with some cool scenery to peep while you’re taking out the undead. The audio is on point too, with solid voice acting and a killer dark country soundtrack. There are eleven big levels in the game, so it’s not huge, but it’s definitely long enough. It can get a bit repetitive after a while, though. Still, we’re total stans for this kind of story. Vampire hunters wreaking havoc in the backwoods of America is exactly why we’re obsessed with John Carpenter’s Vampires, and this game kinda hits that sweet spot for us. We get why some people might see it as a bit old-school, but not every game needs a massive open world. The way Evil West keeps the action rolling through a linear path really takes us back to when gaming was just pure fun. We’re all in on this one.