Blood West Review: Outsmart the Supernatural Horrors of the Weird West

Weird west is having a moment. This mashup genre that blends supernatural horror with Wild West aesthetics has exploded in popularity recently across books, shows, and games. It’s not hard to see the appeal – the image of weathered cowboys fending off zombies, demons, and ghosts with revolvers and magical artifacts just plain works. Audiences can’t get enough.

Riding high on this wave of success is Blood West, a slick new horror game that dumps players into an undead cowboy’s boots for some good ol’ monster-hunting action. This ain’t your typical rootin’ tootin’ shooter though. Developer Hyperstrange serves up a tense, strategic stealth experience where ammo is scarce, enemies hit hard, and charging into danger guns-blazing is a quick way to get yourself killed. Consider it Oregon Trail meets immersive sims like Deus Ex, with a dash of Dark Souls for good measure.

While Blood West nails the weird west atmosphere with its retro pixel art style, the real draw here is the smart fusion of genres. You’ll need equal parts patience, exploration, and paranormal problem-solving if you hope to lift the curse on this land. It’s a tall order, but thankfully you’ve got some gnarly old west weapons and special abilities to even the odds against the horrors ahead. Just try not to die too much along the way – the spirits don’t take kindly to failure. Let the hunt begin.

A Cursed Land Crying Out for a Hero

It’s not easy being undead. Our protagonist finds this out the hard way when a well-meaning Native American shaman tries to put his corpse to peaceful rest, only to have his ritual backfire spectacularly. Now this nameless cowboy is yanked back to life by an alliance of ticked-off spirits who need someone to clean up the magical mess that’s infected their sacred land.

As backstories go, it’s just wacky enough to work. These mystical forces waste no time in laying out the problem: some kind of twisted plague has awakened hordes of monsters across the American frontier, and the infection continues to spread. Zombies, poltergeists, Lovecraftian squid-beasts – you name it, this cursed territory’s probably got it. The spirits promise our undead cowboy the rest he craves, but only if he can blast, stab, and sneak his way across the frontier to stop the supernatural contagion.

It’s a daunting task made even tougher by Blood West’s phenomenally creepy atmosphere. The haunted mining towns, decaying saloons, and mist-shrouded canyons you’ll traverse just ooze menace. It becomes clear fast that the wild west is wilder and deadlier than ever before. Making matters worse, the game splits the map into three distinct open worlds, each with their own aesthetic. So while the ghost town in zone one might be crawling with classic zombies, venture into the blood-red deserts of zone two and you’ll encounter wholly unique nasties like floating skull spirits and birdmen gunslingers.

The good news is our undead hero has plenty of weapons and magical trinkets to help tackle these threats across the varied regions – but it’s still gonna be one hell of a fight.

Choose Your Approach Carefully in This Deadly Playground

Before pulling any triggers, it’s critical to understand that Blood West is first and foremost a stealth game. Ammo scarcity, fragile health bars, and hard-hitting enemies all incentivize sticking to the shadows instead of rushing headlong into the fray. Make too much noise or leave yourself exposed for too long and you’ll quickly find yourself overwhelmed and killed – often in just a few hits. This is not a run-and-gun slaughterfest. Instead, Blood West rewards patience, caution, and strategy above all else.

That said, when violence proves unavoidable, players can unleash hell through satisfying old west-themed weaponry. You’ll start off weak with just an axe or revolver, but in time can unlock shotguns, rifles, dynamite bundles, and more. You can even procure magical artifacts that let you cast powerful single-use spells! Upgrading your arsenal becomes incredibly important because for all its emphasis on stealth, Blood West hosts no shortage of ways to die.

The wide range of grotesque monsters you’ll face all require unique tactics to take down efficiently. Floating skull spirits might be weak to headshots, whereas a shambling mass of fused undead flesh calls instead for molotov cocktails. You very much have to adjust your game plan on the fly based around unpredictable enemy placements and patrol routes. This ensures no two sessions play out quite the same.

Adding replayability are light RPG mechanics that let you customize your gunslinger’s abilities over time. A levelling system awards you perk points upon gaining XP which can then be invested into various passive buffs – increased running speed, better prices from vendors, bonus damage after chugging booze, etc. You won’t be creating completely unique builds here, but the flexibility to play to your strengths is much appreciated.

In keeping with immersive sim classics like Deus Ex, Blood West also encourages freedom through its open-ended levels. Maps sport all kinds of hidden paths, optional objectives, and secrets for curious players to uncover at their discretion. You might stumble on treasure maps that ultimately lead to unique weapons, for example, or choose to take on additional monster hunting side-quests from grateful townsfolk. Where you go and what you do is largely your call.

Just don’t expect the road ahead to be easy. As mentioned earlier, enemies dish out truckloads of damage and can chase you across entire zones once alerted. Dying also confers nasty curses that cripple your attributes until special removal conditions are met. It’s not quite as punishing as Dark Souls, but feels influenced enough by FromSoftware’s masterpiece to keep tension high. Expect lots of desperate scrambles to reach campfires so you can briefly rest and heal up safely. Assuming no baddies are nearby, that is…

Outsmart Your Prey and Strike From the Shadows

Combat in Blood West quickly trains players to avoid reckless gunfights whenever possible. Enemies feature diverse attack patterns and damage capabilities that together form a brutal challenge for the unprepared. With no easy wins in sight, stealth kills become essential.

The humans, beasts, and supernatural baddies roaming these parts each boast specific weaknesses to leverage for quick, quiet takedowns. Ghostly skulls floating through abandoned mineshafts, for example, can’t take much punishment but will swarm you vigorously if they catch your scent. Getting the jump on them from behind with a silver dagger or well-placed revolver headshot makes all the difference. Later on, past a particular story quest, you’ll gain access to a sniper rifle that can instantly kill these annoying specters from a distance.

Of course, what works against ghosts likely won’t cut it against hulking golem guardians made of gnarled bone and flesh. These juggernauts can soak up damage for days and pack quite a wallop in close quarters. Instead of facing them head-on, you’d do well to set traps or lure them towards explosive barrels that’ll blow the monsters to chunks.

Acid-spitting undead miners, fireball-casting wraiths, crossbow-toting birdmen – the variety keeps things interesting while guaranteeing that no single approach will carry you through to the end. Only through research, preparation, and vigilance can you reliably counter the roster of horrors gunning for your head. There’s no shame in beating feet and regrouping when the risk proves too great. That’s just smart tactics.

Not that it stops Blood West from frequently kicking your teeth in early on. Most enemies move swiftly and hit brutally hard. Don’t expect many desperation kills or last stands here – if you get caught unprepared, you will die. Repeatedly. Your best means of defense thus becomes offense. Analyze monster patrols from cover, look for environmental advantages, and strike decisively when victory seems assured. Rinse and repeat across multiple skillful stealth kills and soon you’ll have thinned an area’s population enough to clean up any stragglers directly.

It takes time adapting to this measured style of play if you’re used to more gung-ho shooters. But those willing to shift gears and intelligently tackle these challenges will find Blood West’s action extremely gratifying.

A Visual Treat That’ll Send Shivers Down Your Spine

It only takes one glimpse at Blood West’s pixelated landscapes to feel transported back to FPS classics of the 90s and early 2000s. The entire presentation basks in retro nostalgia, from the polygonal character models to faux-grainy texture work. Yet rather than feel dated, it leverages this lo-fi aesthetic to deliver a visually distinct style where every dilapidated building and hellish canyon pops with grisly personality. Haunting vistas lurk around every corner thanks to some seriously moody lighting as well.

Fans of old school shooters will adore the immersive period details too. Buzzing flies hover over decaying corpses, moonlight filters through broken saloon windows, and dust swirls menacingly through abandoned frontier towns. The paranormal influence only amplifies the creep factor. Ghosts phase in and out of reality, spectral tumors pulsate along walls, and bloody pentagrams trigger arcane apparitions. Just arriving in a new zone will raise goosebumps as you wonder what fresh horrors await. It’s clear a lot of effort went towards crafting this otherworldly wild west setting.

Matching the dreadful sights is equally disturbing sound design. Errie ambient tracks fade in and out unpredictably to keep you anxious and alert to danger. Haunting echoes permeate underground tunnels. And the throaty roars of nearby beasts are liable to make you jump out of your chair if they catch you unprepared. Even the audio cues indicating low health or an emptied weapon clip ramp up stress levels. It all serves the tense, high-stakes gameplay beautifully.

Capping off the exceptional atmosphere is top-shelf voice talent, most notably Stephen Russell’s protag. Veterans will instantly recognize Russell as the voice of Thief’s Garrett, which feels appropriate given Blood West’s stealth focus. His grim deadpan delivery works wonders though at grounding the weirdness and making this curse-spreading plight feel believable. The man sells it.

If the presentation falters at all, it’s through occasional frame rate dips and hitching. It’s never frequent or impactful enough to sabotage the experience, but worth mentioning all the same. Given the game remains in Early Access, hopefully the devs can smooth things out in time for final release. Otherwise, Blood West fires on all cylinders. This adventure oozes passion and polish at every turn.

Hours of Supernatural Slaughter Await Across Endless Adventures

Given three sizeable open world areas brimming with optional content, Blood West should keep occult-loving gunslingers busy for dozens of hours. There’s just so much to see and do across the hellish frontier that return visits seem guaranteed.

Each zone packs its own visual flavor, monster varieties, and hand-crafted points of interest to uncover. Ghost towns, abandoned mines, trap-laden military fortresses – the list goes on. What secrets and precious loot might you find exploring off the beaten trail? The potential rewards for curiosity feel endless. Of course, not everything you discover will be pleasant. Riddle-spewing demons, jump scare poltergeist events, or cursed artifacts that randomly teleport you promise plenty of memorable “what the hell?!” moments too.

Sprinkled throughout as well are numerous side quests to undertake at your discretion. While the overarching story pushes you to remove the supernatural infection plaguing the land, grateful locals might also task you with exterminating particularly troublesome beasts that have been harassing their settlements. The artifact-hunting Fetch Quests for assorted creepy traders pose an additional temptation for profit-seeking undead gunslingers.

And if that STILL wasn’t enough, New Game Plus allows carrying over everything earned from a past run for a tougher, more empowered playthrough. You could spend days experimenting with different ability combinations and gear loadouts tailored to melee combat or extreme long-range sniping this second time around. The potential for varied playstyles feels outstanding.

Ultimately, Blood West keeps you enthralled via extremely rewarding progression and discovering new sights and gear at every turn. There’s simply no shortage of things to accomplish across its dreadful wastelands. Just make sure your revolver stays loaded, partner. No rest for the wicked undead ’round these parts.

A Macabre Triumph That Resurrects Glory Days of Genre Mashing

When all’s said and done, Blood West accomplishes something special by fusing multiple genres into a cohesive and rewarding whole. It smartly modernizes immersive sim classics using familiar ingredients – open-ended stealth gameplay, threatening magic and monsters, methodical preparation emphasized over brute force – then upgrades the presentation with gorgeous atmosphere, haunting sound design, and satisfying RPG progression mechanics. What results feels distinctly retro yet viscerally exciting all the same thanks to the calculated risk-reward structure.

Fans of tactical games like Deus Ex and STALKER who don’t mind stricter checkpoints or highly lethal enemies should feel right at home with the tense, high stakes gameplay. Similarly, the unflinching difficulty and curse system appeal directly to grizzled masochists who cut their teeth on early Souls-likes. There’s an admirable commitment to challenge here. But make no mistake – Blood West very much does its own thing rather than chase trends. This weird wild west setting filled with secrets begs you to soak in its brand of slow-burning dread.

And you should absolutely indulge it if you have any fondness for old school horror aesthetics or FPS/RPG hybrids. The sheer amount of chilling environmental details and fully-realized monster designs stem from clear reverance for the 90s classics many of us grew up idolizing. It’s a hardcore throwback that understands exactly why those earlier mashups worked so well. Blood West confidently resurrects that brilliance while introducing plenty of novel ideas and mechanics.

This horror-steeped trip to the literal Ghost Town delivers on nearly every front thanks to smart genre fusion and an abundance of ghastly personality. Just be sure to mind your ammo, partner. These spirits don’t aim to make your journey easy.

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