Ghosts, demons, werewolves, cowboys, and outlaws. They are all positive things. The Weird Western genre is created when you combine both, so that must be even better, right? As a tactical strange western that understands this genre must look, feel, and sound fantastic first and foremost — even if that sometimes means it does not really play as smoothly as you would want – Hard West 2 makes a strong argument for it.
Hard West 2 is less of a literal sequel than it is a metaphorical one to the film from 2015. Even completionists need not worry about playing the first game before this one because it presents a different, unconnected tale over the course of its 20–30 hour campaign and offers three options for increased cruelty.
Hard West 2 Is Extremely Entertaining
Beyond the surface, the world’s design is actually what captures your attention. You command a group of fearsome cowboys in the Hard West who are on the verge of something otherworldly. You are down a few souls after a poor bargain with a nasty devil goes horribly wrong, and you would really want them back. In actuality, the goal is to return them to a gun’s barrel. The devil, whose name is Mammon, has a really fantastic ghost train with enormous metal centipede legs. The tactical combat in Hard West 2 is its focal point.
On the harder levels, this makes the battle feel more like a puzzle than a tactical exercise, despite the combat being solid and having little annoying unpredictability. The rules often favor defensive fighting because you only receive three actions every turn, with shooting typically consuming two or three of those. Your attacks provide constant damage depending on the weapon you employ; the only variable is your likelihood of hitting an opponent based on range, elevation, and cover. When you combine that defensive emphasis with the fact that you are likely to be fired at before you are shot at by fresh groups of adversaries, you have a significant obstacle to overcome.
