The Game Awards is always a spectacle for gamers, as apart from the expected handing out of various awards, this show is also used as a promotional platform for a variety of upcoming games. Case in point – Evil West, an unexpected announcement from developers Flying Wild Hog.
Flying Wild Hog is mostly known for their reboot of the FPS Shadow Warrior series, which has garnered pretty favourable reviews overall. Evil West looks to bring the bombastic and fast-paced FPS action that series is known for to an entirely new IP.
The official Steam page describes the game as “A dark menace consumes the American frontier. As one of the last agents in a top-secret vampire-hunting institute, you are the final line between humanity and a deep-rooted terror that now emerges from the shadows.”
Evil West will task you with fighting a variety of bloodthirsty monstrosities in brutal and visceral combat, either by yourself or with a friend in co-op. A narrative-driven campaign will be present, providing an engrossing story whilst you slay monsters and upgrade your weapons and abilities to defend the old west. The player will also get to utilise a “lightning-fueled gauntlet” to wreak havoc on enemies, which is shown in the trailer, but no idea yet how that may function in gameplay.
I personally love how the trailer opens like a standard western set game complete with a gruff cowboy, sun-bleached backdrop and spurs clanging as he walks towards the camera, before transitioning into a nightmare fueled setting with all manner of monsters approaching our protagonist to tear off a piece of his flesh.
The Shadow Warrior series is well-known for its face-paced, up-close, and stylised combat, which I would expect to be included in this title, along with a little tongue-in-cheek humour. The aesthetic reminds me of Darkwatch, a relatively hidden gem for the original Xbox and PS2, and I think it’s a fantastic setting that could provide a whole lot of intrigue and fun.
We don’t know much more about Evil West at this stage, or what the actual gameplay will entail, but we do know that it doesn’t currently have a firm release date, instead simply being slated for release in 2021 on all major platforms.
About the Author
Justin White
He/Him
Justin is known for being the clown of any group and has spent his entire life playing and collecting video games. When he is not playing video games he is usually hanging out with his two American Staffies named Django and King (after Django Unchained characters) or his son Shia (yes, after Shia Labeouf).
