Hard West 2

1st of The Magnificent 7 and The Feel of the Game Series

It took some hard fights to steal the train and obtain the Gatling gun to face off against Death himself, but it was worth it. Not every tactical RPG comes with cut scenes… Hard West 2 has got plenty. Source: Author’s Hard West 2 gameplay.

Feel of the Game

The story, the art, the UI, the mechanics, the writing, the voice-overs, the music, the cards, the little things, and above all the vibe! When I started playing this game, it was so shiny, so fresh, and cozy I felt like a freshly carved-out Pinocchio screaming “I love it, I love it, I love it… what is it?”

I am not a Western fan nor a horror fan for that matter, though it only has a tinge of that, and yet I’ve simply fallen head over heels with this game. I love games made with lots of love, and this one is so well polished it’s worth a try even if you’re not Polish and it falls out slightly of your realm of interests. You just may acquire the taste.

If you already enjoy tactical role-playing games you don’t want to miss this title as it has it all. The Polish developers at Creative Forge that brought us Phantom Doctrine a few years back have outdone themselves - brawo! This game was executed with some serious bravado. So much so that I lost myself in it for almost 300 hours and can’t wait for more.

Character development is clean, satisfying and pretty. Assembling a hand of these beautifully drawn cards to unlock character bonuses is so much fun, they even make that subtle card shuffling sound. Source: Author’s Hard West 2 gameplay.

At first glance, it can be easily mistaken for a classic Western gig. You shoot through a rich, well-told story, complete some scenarios, score new gear, evolve your character, and face off against a well known enemy. Well yes, but with a twist. Death is out there, yeah the guy that’s always open to striking some kind of a fishy deal with us mortals, he’s out there in full force, and he sure makes this fun.

If someone asked me what I love the most about this game, I’d have a hard time nailing it down as it is all so well meshed together. The shooting is so satisfying it could be enough, but so is the writing. Typically, these kinds of turn-based tactical games are all about the tactics, and the story is just there, kind of plopped in like a squished bun on a burger — often stale. This is not the case here. It goes west, and then it goes hard. It’s bleak, it’s against all odds, but you got your companions, and they’re in it with you, for better or worse, and it’s hard to let go until Death himself gets what he deserves, ha!, and when do you get to do that?

Train heists are tough, make every turn count.

These close encounters (and conversations) with Death made Hard West 1 fresh and interesting. Hiding behind those corners, and coming up with the best approaches to get that 100% shot lined up, and suddenly facing an otherworldly demon was already great fun.

Hard West 2 is even better, with chess-like transparency of targeting mechanics you can turn it into a puzzle-like engagement on higher settings where every shot must count. If you get into a tight spot, and I assure you, you will, just turn down that difficulty setting for a bit and get on with the story, because it’s sweet and juicy and wrapped in the most gorgeous, eye-and-ear-pleasing wrapper. You can almost smell the gunpowder.

When you hit 100+ hours into a title it’s rare not to get annoyed by the ever-repeating music, but this is not the case here, the score is so good I let it sit in the background as I trail off to do something else. The high-quality sound effects round off the ambiance. Sometimes, I just want to hear that cling of the revolver and Flynn’s almost French-sounding exclamation “Whoohoo, just warmin’ up boys” one more time after she goes on a shooting spree. There are a few things out there as satisfying as going on a bravado run when your character gets all action points back after downing a foe. If executed well, you can go on a true rampage, and potentially finish some scenarios in a single turn! Not easy that, unless you’re playing on easy.

Flynn can swap places with an opponent — at later stages causing bleeding to the transferee.

Equipping your posse or party with new gear and beautifully drawn cards that unlock a variety of bonuses and unique character abilities allowing you to customize your party’s boosts is equally satisfying. It’s the little things that make this game tick. It’s like a little gadgety box that you sometimes take out just to tinker with it — it’s so damn cute and fun to play with.

Did I mention train heists and a full strategy map where the bigger story unfolds? Yeah, I won’t spoil it all, this game has most unexpectedly compelled me to spend almost 300 hours on it and I can’t wait to jump back right into it. I will be following CreativeForge closely as they sure know how to polish a game.

No Story, No Glory.

This is the first of the Magnificent 7 Strategy Games worth playing that will be featured in this series.

It’s all about the feeling and I will be showcasing more Feel of the Game in an ongoing series.