Evil West

Evil West is an action-adventure game set in a dark fantasy version of the American Wild West, where players assume the role of a vampire hunter combating supernatural threats. Developed by Flying Wild Hog, the game blends hack-and-slash combat with shooting mechanics in a behind-the-view perspective, immersing players in a stylized frontier overrun by vampires and other evils.

Evil West: Review

In the shadow-dusted canyons of an alternate 1890s America, where revolvers crackle alongside the hiss of steam-powered gauntlets, lies a game that dares to resurrect the Gothic Western genre with unapologetic gusto. Evil West, the latest offering from Polish studio Flying Wild Hog (Shadow Warrior series), arrives not as a revolutionary reinvention, but as a masterful distillation of old-school action sensibilities retooled for a modern audience. It’s a blood-soaked love letter to B-movie horror, pulp adventure, and the cathartic joy of dismembering vampires with electrified brass knuckles. Yet, beneath its arresting aesthetic lies a familiar structure, one that balances explosive thrills with occasional repetition. This review dissects Evil West—its ambitions, its triumphs, and its place in the pantheon of action games.

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1. Introduction

The Wild West has long been fertile ground for mythmaking, but Evil West carves its own grotesque niche by inferring the frontier with existential dread. Here, the lawless expanses hide not only outlaws but Sanguisuge—ancient vampires plotting to overthrow humanity as industrialization encroaches. Developed by Flying Wild Hog and published by Focus Entertainment, the game positions itself as a pure, unfiltered action experience: a linear, arena-driven romp where every encounter is a miniature ballet of gore and lightning. Its thesis is clear: Evil West seeks to revive the visceral, story-driven spectacle of third-person shooters past, blending the combo-driven finesse of Devil May Cry with the atmospheric dread of classic Gothic Westerns like Darkwatch. It succeeds in delivering that core promise, but its journey is one of highs and compromises—a testament to the enduring appeal of focused, no-frills design.

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2. Development History & Context

Flying Wild Hog’s journey to Evil West was deliberate, spanning approximately four years from 2018 to 2022. The studio, known for its work on the Shadow Warrior reboot and Hard Reset, sought to pivot into a new IP that merged two beloved yet often disparate genres: the Western and supernatural horror. Announced with a bombastic trailer at The Game Awards 2020, the game’s reveal promised a “weird wild west” experience, emphasizing its fusion of steampunk technology and vampiric lore.

Technologically, the shift to Unreal Engine 4 presented both opportunities and hurdles. The engine enabled rich, dynamic environments—from fog-choked prairies to gothic citadels—but also demanded meticulous optimization across five platforms (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC). This multi-platform focus contributed to a delay from September to November 2022, as the team refined performance modes. For instance, Xbox Series S targets a stable 1080p/30fps, while Xbox Series X/S offers a choice between 4K/30fps (quality) or 1080p/60fps (performance).

The 2022 gaming landscape was saturated with open-world epics and live-service titles, making Evil West’s linear structure feel both retro-refreshing and commercially risky. Yet its focus resonated: it arrived as a rare “AA” contender—a polished, narrative-driven action game without live-service trappings or sprawling maps. This positioning, coupled with the studio’s established pedigree in kinetic combat, set the stage for a unique experiment in genre fusion.

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3. Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Evil West’s narrative unfolds across 16 chapters, chronicling Jesse Rentier’s quest to thwart a vampiric apocalypse. Jesse, voiced with gruff charisma by Derek Hagen, is the last scion of the Rentier Institute—a clandestine organization founded by his father, William, to combat the Sanguisuge. The plot kicks into gear when Felicity D’Abano, a ruthless vampire noble, orchestrates an attack on the Institute’s headquarters, infects William, and steals a captured vampire lord’s head. Jesse, armed with a prototype lightning gauntlet, must hunt Felicity across the American Southwest, all while wrestling with his father’s transformation and the moral decay of human allies like the corrupt Secretary of War, James Harrow.

The story leans heavily on Gothic Western tropes: the haunted mansion, the cursed town, the tragic vampire antagonist. Felicity, portrayed with chilling elegance by Emma Ballantine, embodies the “eternal child” archetype—transformed into a monster by her father, Peter D’Abano, yet driven by a nihilistic desire to plunge humanity into darkness. Her motivations—fear of technological progress—add a layer of socio-political commentary, though it’s often buried beneath B-movie melodrama.

Themes of legacy permeate the narrative. Jesse’s conflict—balancing duty to his father’s legacy with the moral compromises of his war—anchors the plot. The blurring of hunter and hunted is literalized when William turns, forcing Jesse to confront whether saving his father means destroying the man he once was. Yet for all its thematic ambition, the narrative is ultimately formulaic. Cutscenes are functional, dialogue leans on quips (“Never thought I’d be blowing up my own house!“), and character arcs, like Jesse’s bond with engineer Emilia Blackwell, feel underdeveloped. The result is a serviceable backdrop for the action—visceral and pulpy, but rarely profound.

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4. Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

At its heart, Evil West is a combat symphony, blending ranged and melee into a seamless, high-octane loop. Jesse’s arsenal is a masterpiece of steampunk ingenuity: a six-shooter revolver, a lever-action rifle, a flamethrower, and a crossbow—all with cooldown-based mechanics that eliminate ammo scavenging. Yet the star is the lightning gauntlet, which evolves from a simple punch tool into a multifaceted weapon capable of:
– Staggering enemies for visceral finishers.
– Teleporting short distances to reposition.
– Ground-pounding to clear crowds.
– Pulling distant foes into kill zones.

Combat excels in its responsiveness. Combos flow effortlessly—melee hits build a “chain” gauge that replenishes weapon cooldowns, encouraging aggressive play. Environmental kills (shooting explosive barrels, kicking foes into spike traps) add tactical flair, while boss battles demand pattern recognition and resource management. Enemy variety is a strength: agile “Ticks” swarm, burrowing “Wendigos” hurl boulders, and shielded “Brutes” require specific tactics.

Progression is straightforward but satisfying. Currency (“Bucks”) collected from fallen foes and destructible objects funds upgrades at hub checkpoints. Skill trees split into:
– Perks: Enhancing the gauntlet (e.g., “Quake Punch” for area damage) or granting new abilities.
– Weapons: Upgrades like increased rifle damage or extended flamethrower range.
– Hidden Perks: Eight unlockable bonuses for meticulous explorers.

However, the game’s linearity betrays its combat brilliance. Levels are segmented into arenas separated by brief traversal, with combat zones demarcated by invisible walls. This design, while streamlining pacing, breeds repetition. By the third act, arena layouts and enemy compositions feel recycled, sapping the initial thrill. The co-op mode, while fun, lacks shared progression, making it a purely casual experience.

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5. World-Building, Art & Sound

Evil West’s greatest triumph is its atmosphere. The world is a synthesis of grimy realism and Gothic fantasy:
– Settings: Dusty towns like Calico glow with gas lamps, while vampire lairs like Persephone’s trainyard ooze industrial decay. Carmine City’s bank, doubling as a blood farm, juxtaposes Victorian opulence with viscera.
– Art Direction: Character designs are striking—Jesse’s battered leather coat contrasts Felicity’s decaying Victorian finery. Monsters blend animalistic grotesquerie with human pathos, like Foulbloods (mutated leech-sired creatures) that evoke body horror.
– Sound Design: Nima Fakhrara’s orchestral score swells during boss fights, while Michał Korniewicz’s sound effects make every shotgun blast and lightning crack feel weighty. The gauntlet’s hum and vampire shrieks create auditory tension, though dialogue occasionally dips into camp.

The visual palette is rich but inconsistent. On PC and Xbox Series X, environments dazzle with dynamic lighting and particle effects—blood sprays, electrical discharges, and ember-filled skies. Yet on PS4 and Xbox One, textures blur, and frame rate hiccups mar the immersion. The art’s strength lies in its commitment to the “weird West”: steam-powered carriages rumble past haunted canyons, and vampire lords wear top hats while wielding serrated blades. It’s a world that feels both lived-in and nightmarish—a testament to Flying Wild Hog’s world-building prowess.

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6. Reception & Legacy

Evil West arrived to a chorus of mixed but generally positive reviews. On Metacritic, it scored 73/100 across platforms, with Xbox Series X/S (75) edging out PC and PS5 (73). Critics lauded its combat:

“Evil West nails the most important parts of its old-school, monster-killing campaign.” — IGN
“The combat is glorious when it clicks… Smacking vampires into clouds of red mist is something every video game needs.” — Eurogamer

However, repetition and pacing drew criticism:

“Formulaic level design and pacing issues lead to tedium in the later stages.” — GameSpot
“It’s a fun vampire-slaying romp, but a short campaign and underwhelming story hold it back.” — VG247

Commercially, the game performed solidly. On Steam, it sold ~352,000 units by late 2023, grossing $11.3 million. Inclusion in PlayStation Plus (January 2024) and Xbox Game Pass (October 2025) sustained its player base. Awards followed: it won “Best PC Game” and “Best Weapon Design” at the 2023 NYX Game Awards, cementing its technical merits.

Legacy-wise, Evil West has carved a niche as a cult favorite. It revitalized the Gothic Western genre for gaming, drawing explicit comparisons to Darkwatch and inspiring hope for a sequel. Its greatest influence lies in proving that linear, story-driven action games can thrive amid live-service saturation. Yet its flaws—repetition, narrative thinness—prevent it from reaching classic status. It’s a reminder that “fun” need not equate to “innovative.”

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7. Conclusion

Evil West is a game of potent contrasts. It’s a B-movie wrapped in AAA polish, a Western steeped in Gothic dread, and a throwback that feels refreshingly modern. Its combat system is a triumph—fluid, customizable, and dripping with satisfying violence—while its art and sound design conjure a world that lingers in memory. Yet these highs are tempered by structural rigidity: linear arenas that grow repetitive, a narrative that prioritizes pulp over profundity, and technical hiccups on older hardware.

In the grand tapestry of video game history, Evil West will not be remembered as a revolutionary. Instead, it stands as a testament to the enduring power of focused design. It asks not to redefine the action genre, but to perfect its most primal pleasures: the crack of a six-shooter, the sizzle of lightning, and the thud of a vampire’s skull meeting a fist. For players seeking a weekend of unapologetic, blood-soaked fun, Evil West is a shot of whiskey in a saloon full of lukewarm sarsaparilla. It may not change the West, but it certainly makes it evil—and that’s more than enough.

Final Verdict: A flawed but fiercely entertaining revival of the Gothic Western. Essential for action fans, but temper expectations for narrative depth.

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This review is based on the provided source material, including MobyGames, Wikipedia, and critical reviews from outlets like IGN and GameSpot. All facts, quotes, and analysis are synthesized from these sources.