Lately, we’ve been getting some lit spooky westerns. Games like West of Dead , Ritual: Crown of Horns , and Weird West are total vibes, blending eerie atmospheres with the rugged charm of the Wild West. If you’re into this genre mashup, Evil West fits right in with its vampire-hunting action and frontier chaos. And hey, if you’re hungry for more games that keep the vibe alive, it’s a great time to buy cheap Xbox games that bring these thrilling worlds straight to your console. Now, Evil West from the Shadow Warrior crew, Flying Wild Hog, is joining the squad. Honestly, it makes sense why this subgenre is blowing up. Cowboys are just cool, ya know? Throw them into any story and it instantly gets cooler. Same with pirates and vikings, but cowboys have that extra swagger. Like, a grungy face, scruffy beard, and layers upon layers of leather with a scarf and a massive coat just scream badass. And when it comes to total cowboy legends, Jesse Rentier is the GOAT. His duster coat? It’s actual armor. His revolver? Shoots lightning bullets. Jesse's a vampire hunter, the future boss of the Rentier Institute—a steampunk squad hunting vampires in Evil West’s alternate universe. Vampires, aka ticks, are a serious threat, and the Rentiers and their crew track them down all over the North American frontier. These vampires use Glamour magic to stay hidden, so the Institute’s got some next-level tech to sniff them out.
Wild and Powerful Combat Effects
With all the epic gear strapped to Jesse’s back throughout Evil West’s 15-hour campaign, you might think it's a third-person shooter. But the truth is, it’s more than that—it’s an experience. Still, after spending hours in this wild world, you might find yourself itching to buy cheap PS5 games for a change of pace and some well-deserved gaming variety. But nah, it's way more of a brawler at heart. The game really pushes you to use your fists to take down all the creepy things lurking in the dark. Jesse starts off with a standard gauntlet that can deliver serious punches, even launching enemies into the air with some savage uppercuts. Your punches actually pack more of a punch than a lot of the guns you pick up, and they also trigger brutal finishers, kinda like DOOM’s Glory Kills, which can give you a health boost and add some extra depth to the game’s fast-paced combat. The basic gauntlet does the job, but things get super hype once you get your hands on the experimental Zapper later in the game. This electrified gauntlet lets you yank enemies toward you for a savage beatdown or grab flying enemies and slam them into the ground like squishy footballs. And if that’s not wild enough, you can use the Zapper to teleport to enemies and unleash a storm of high-voltage hits that’ll leave them stunned and glowing like the world’s most busted Christmas tree.
Dive Back In After Your First Run
Evil West definitely gives you plenty of chances to go wild with your arsenal over its 16 chapters. You’ve got a whole array of weapons to play with, from your basic revolver to a lever-action rifle that targets enemy weak spots, and a crucifix that stuns enemies to give you a breather or set up for a big attack. Plus, there are multi-purpose tools like a crossbow for both zapping enemies and creating ziplines, and a flamethrower for roasting foes and burning through obstacles like thick foliage or spider webs. With all these tools, Evil West makes sure you’re using every button on your DualSense, with some moves needing multiple button combos. But don’t worry, it never feels too hectic. Before you know it, you’ll be pulling off slick combos, jumping from enemy to enemy, blasting them into the air with your pistols, and finishing them off in gory style. You can also level up and buy perks with points you find or earn by leveling up. These upgrades let you do cool stuff like block projectiles with your gauntlet (a must-have), unleash lightning shockwaves to fry enemies, or get more health drops. At first, your skills might seem basic, but by the end of the game, you’ll feel like a total powerhouse, wrecking whole groups of enemies effortlessly. It’s as epic as it sounds. If you’re into it, you’ll definitely want to replay Evil West to check out all the crazy upgrades and abilities. Plus, with different difficulty levels, a permadeath mode that makes every death count, and a co-op mode for teaming up with a friend, there’s tons of reasons to dive back in after your first run.
Solid Action Game with Unique Appeal
If you’re just looking for a solid action game that’s not afraid to stand out in a few ways and delivers on its strengths while respecting your time by wrapping up at just the right moment, Evil West is a top pick. As someone who’s all about that kind of game, I’d say it’s one of the standout action games of the year. I do wish it had a bit more depth with its characters and threw in a few more surprises with its story and level design, but Flying Wild Hog really knows how to maximize the fun from a few cool concepts, and they definitely nail it here.