Review of Evil West – America Under Siege of Bloodsuckers

Evil West is an action-adventure game from developer studio Flying Wild Hog, who are the team behind the insane action game Shadow Warrior 3. A lot has been expected from their new release. However, the only thing that was not in the game from the very beginning was boredom. Our review will tell you how the transition from FPS mode to TPS mode suited these authors.

• Platform: PC (Verified Version), PS5, PS4, X1, XSX
• Publication date: November 22, 2022
• Developer: Flying wild boar
• Publisher: Focus Entertainment
• Genre: adventure game
• Czech localization: Yes
• Multiplayer: Yes (collaboration)
• Game time: 9 hours (main story)
• Price: around 1225 CZK (Steam)

Vampires want to change the course of the world in Evil West

The Wild West was a place where one could not be sure of life due to the presence of various influences. As part of the history of the Evil West, we have the opportunity to see a more chaotic version of it, inhabited not only by people, but also by vampires, whose goal is to exist most of the time without the knowledge of society. But then a more ambitious personality appeared on the scene, determined to change the old order and openly oppose the human race.

Our race certainly does not play the role of innocent victims in the entire narrative. Exactly the opposite. There is a whole community of hunters who make sure that no leech bothers ordinary tax-paying citizens with their presence of the undead. The protagonist Jesse turns out to be the son of the man who leads this group, which puts him in an unenviable position.

The story of Evil West is a popcorn ride that takes you from one place to another accompanied by very beautifully crafted story videos. They slowly show you separate pieces of the game world and, above all, the plans of your enemies, who are definitely not such soulless monsters as it might seem at first glance. Or at least some of them are on a completely different level than others.

The main character is a very tough but likable character. Other characters in the Evil West story are also plausible. I find the presentation itself very intense. However, one should not look for too much depth here, because there is not much room for philosophy or the absence of classical clichés that can suit someone and frankly annoy someone. However, there is no shortage of jokes, which we certainly owe to the developers at Flying Wild Hog. The story of the game world is also beautifully designed, which, like the rest of the story, is also completely translated into Czech, so that even those who do not speak a foreign language will like it.

Right on the nose

Maps benefit mainly from decent graphics, thanks to which you can fully immerse yourself in the dense atmosphere of a story full of bloody monsters. You will be able to visit forgotten ruins, mining enterprises, mysterious factories and wooden towns that are saturated with the Wild West. Most of the time, with one exception, it’s the thoroughbred corridors you race down.

The very format of more or less constant movement would not bother me too much if the game did not periodically offer various diversions with shelters. Sometimes, as a result, you go on a certain path with no way to return, although it is really possible to jump off the bridge. Personally, I wouldn’t complain at all if, for example, I could back off a bit in Evil West. At least, provided that there is an opportunity and conditions for this.

Luckily, the levels are repeatable, so at least if you want and have the time, you can go back to the destinations you’ve already completed. However, history stops at such a return and does not move forward. But you may find unfound money, diaries and equipment that you missed or were not allowed to take due to the aforementioned shortage. If you want to relive the story and make it more challenging, New Game+ is a must.

There are many ways to wreak havoc in Evil West.

The Evil West is a linear experience. However, there is no shortage of two development formats with which you can improve your cowboy. The first clearly depends on how many enemies have already fallen under your onslaught and improves the hero, making him an increasingly effective weapon. However, sometimes this may not be particularly useful for you. The amount of points you can unlock in the skill tree often results in you trading one item for another, or even allowing yourself to constantly suffer at the cost of buffing. I probably would have liked the presence of an increase in the movement speed of the main character, but unfortunately I was not lucky in this regard, since there is nothing like that.

While development in one direction in Evil West is mainly paid for with experience points, the other is based on investment in gold. It’s a tech tree based on gear upgrades that the company simply refuses to upgrade for free, so you always have to come up with a certain amount. Luckily, you don’t have to go to the base of operations to upgrade items, you just need to accumulate the necessary amount and then invest it in one of the upgrades.

There are many things that can be upgraded on your weapons of destruction. In the case of a repeating rifle, for example, you have the option to improve its effectiveness or add the ability to restore one round when hitting weak spots, so you can shoot hallelujah. Also, a special nozzle can be installed on the pistol in Evil West, which turns the projectiles fired into a creation that eliminates not only one enemy, but to a certain extent all those in close proximity to the affected one. And of course, the range of improved weapons does not end there. There are many options, but there is always not enough money, so you need to think a lot about investments, at least at the initial stage.

The development of the main character as a whole is an element that affects the gameplay itself. The farther, the more interesting opportunities are provided to Jesse in Evil West. While in the beginning you can easily take on some enemies for a few minutes, they can be easily dealt with later on, mainly thanks to improved electric gloves and new seconds options. It’s nice to see the progress of a champion who at first glance looks like a brutal finishing machine, but he still has room to grow.

Your blood sucks a lot here

If you’re expecting the Wicked West to be nothing more than vampires trying to suck the blood out of your veins with their overgrown fangs, you might be in for a pleasant surprise. The creators here managed to create a rather interesting circle of enemies that you have the opportunity to meet during the passage of different levels. Initially, this is an alternative to zombies with leeches. Neither speed nor martial prowess are their forte. However, you will soon discover that they are just expendable items to protect the big boys’ asses.

True vampires here come in many forms. We have those who do not have wings and, of course, those who have them and are not afraid to use them in combat. In addition to them, however, there are various mutated creatures whose appearance and abilities can terrify you even before the fight itself begins. There are also encounters with bosses, which are enough to not get bored in 9 hours of play, but in terms of number they do not exceed the norms of the classic genre.

While the range of enemies isn’t all that poor, after a while I couldn’t get rid of the stereotype caused by facing more or less the same opponents in skirmishes. It’s a bit of a shame there aren’t multiple options representing the same species within individual monsters, because then she wouldn’t search as fast. Likewise, it wouldn’t hurt if Evil West increased opponents’ abilities as the player leveled up. I almost couldn’t tell the hell level from the story level, which is very disappointing, because that’s what could turn a more or less ordinary beater into a long-term memorable game.

Evil West don’t mess around

Vampire hunting is what you can enjoy in this adventure game. Like previous games from Flying Wild Hog, this one also puts a lot of emphasis on humor and the speed of storytelling that manages to dazzle both the characters and the background, which is really interesting despite the lack of depth. In addition, you can enjoy everything in Czech, which will also win a lot of Evil West hearts.

The combat system is well thought out, however, the protagonist is a relatively clumsy fighter who, fortunately, can be dealt with with the help of technologies that he gets by playing through the development process. On higher difficulties, the enemies are strong and can attack you, but the range of abilities does not change when the difficulty changes. Their range could be wider, and, above all, the creators could endow them with a wider range of skills. Thanks to this, their creation could reach the big leagues. As such, this is an above-average piece that fans of bloodsucker hunting will really enjoy.