Photo: Rockstar Games
If by any impossible chance the video games industry had an early start and was in its prime during the 1950s, we would now have as many western games as we have sword and magic RPGs. A lot. That is not the case, so there are not that many western video games around, yet in the small talent pool there are several luxurious cruise ships of games anyone can enjoy.
These five games will help you satisfy your thirst for some saloon fights, gun duels, and train robberies until highly awaited season 2 of HBO’s Westworld gets on our screens again.
Red Dead Redemption (2010) – PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
A cause of jealousy for legions of disappointed PC gamers who only got to peek over their console-loving peers’ shoulders while they were playing the best western game there is. Rockstar Games made what could easily be described as a GTA game set in the wild west. An action-adventure video game in which you can’t truly ride off into the sunset as the vast open-world of the game is too rich and tempting. The pinnacles of western games. And Red Dead Redemption 2 is coming in 2018, coinciding with the season 2 of Westworld!
Photo: Fistful of Frags team
As you might’ve guessed, Fistful of Frags is not your typical game, it’s a first-person shooter that was first developed as a Half-Life 2 modification. Then got a proper Steam release. There are 6 different official game modes in Fistful of Frags, even a train robbery mode, which brings out competitive, familiar multiplayer of the Counter-Strike games, and puts an interesting twist to it. The setting in the wild west and the weapons that come with it are enough for experienced FPS players to find this game truly refreshing.
Photo: Ubisoft
The fourth iteration in the longest running western game franchise, Call of Juarez is such a perfect example of what sequels need to do to keep the fan base loyal and attract new players. A first-person shooter, the game is viewed as the story recollections of a bounty hunter named Silas Greaves, giving the game a nice touch of innovation through it. It’s a linear video game, but the player can earn experience points and level up their skills, giving the game a broader feel. Gunslinger is as fun as they come, has stunning graphics, and since it’s a franchise, offers enough playing time if you come to like this, newest title.
Photo: Activision
Another third-person action-adventure western video game, but also one that surprisingly holds up despite being released in 2005 for outdated consoles and by the developers not famed for these types of games. Gun takes an interesting step into the revisionist western sub-genre, which takes a different, more real, gray look at the morality of the era. You get with you might expect with Gun, but also some significantly cool innovative features like causing mayhem in communities, minigames, and proper showdowns.
Photo: Infogrames
If Red Dead Redemption is the GTA of the wild west, Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive is the Commandos of it. An old game, but one that can still be played and enjoyed today thanks to its style. A stealth-based real-time tactics game enables you to take control of up to six characters with the final goal of capturing a train robber named “El Diablo”, while trying to outsmart very advanced AI. But not the kind you see in Westworld. A specific art style goes great with the period, and all in all, Desperados is a game that will really challenge you.
That’s it partner, pour yourself a glass of whiskey, have a laugh on us, take off your hat and start playing and shooting! But first, tell us which of these western games do you like the most?
