From start to finish, the Gunfight at the OK Corral lasted 30 seconds which, incidentally, is about how long it takes to grasp the concept of Hard West. CreativeForge Games has produced a turn-based strategy game with a dark, supernatural story set in the wild west. Think XCOM, but with cowboys (howdy, commander).
The reasons why it's an interesting game, however, require a more detailed explanation. Hard West is deeply ambitious; it boasts a few mechanics that could prop up a game like this on their own. Combined, they make for a refreshing take on the genre that - in spite of its faults - is rather special. We'll start, as all good westerns do, with a bit of story.
Hard West
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I love pen and paper role playing games. I've co-written two of them, in fact, though neither has been released yet (thanks failed kickstarter campaign). My obsession began a few years ago with a game called Deadlands: Reloaded, a fast-paced western crammed with supernatural elements.
Hard West reimagines the wild west as a demonic battlefield played in a turn-based XCOM-esque strategy game. Developed by Creative Forge Games (Ancient Space), Hard West is set for a 4th November release on PC.
Pre-orders are already available on Steam, GOG and the Humble Store. £14.99 / €19.99 / $19.99 gets you the Standard Edition, while £18.99 / €24.99 / $24.99 bumps you up to the Collector's Edition that includes a digital art book, comic-book and soundtrack by The Witcher 3 composer Marcin Przybylowicz.
Hard West's campaign is comprised of eight different story scenarios with more than 40 missions in total. Each mission will let you control one-to-four characters as you fend of the forces of evil. Outside of combat there will be multiple story decisions to make that will drastically affect the plot.
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