Far Far West Preview

I don’t know why, but the combination of the Wild West and rusty, beat-up robots just clicks together like chocolate and more chocolate. Maybe it’s the inherent ruggedness of both or some deep-seated need to see iron horses and laser revolvers that has us enthralled. Regardless, it is this famous combination that developer Evil Raptor has conjured up in their co-op extraction shooter, Far Far West.

The setting of the game is pretty simple: the player hops into the spurs of a robotic bounty hunter living in a small town in the West. Taking contracts from the sheriff, teams of up to four can hop onto the grav-train and set off to take on hordes of undead monsters, supernatural forces, and their target, the boss behind it all.

 Each mission boils down to three phases: first, the iron cowboys mosey on in and are tasked with finding a way to force the big bad out of hiding; this usually takes the form of overcharged TNT, a giant missile, or using a magical ritual. Each kind of wake-up call has its own related challenges and steps to perform.

Second, the rough-riding robots must use said method to both enrage and then defeat the boss in question. In the version we were given access to, this could be a giant undead buzzard, a ghost train, or an undead spellcaster, all with unique attacks and movesets! Finally, once the target is down, it’s time to get out while the getting is good.

Extraction is done by running back to the grav-train station and ring-ding-dingaling the station bell. This will, naturally, alert the nearby enemies, forcing a final stand off as the train arrives. If all goes well, the victorious droids ride the rails back home in triumph! If, however, all participants lose their lives, it’s mission over.

Between the three-step plan to riches, the open area in which the mission takes place offers an abundance of side activities to try. Ranging from fighting a horde of enemies to figuring out a puzzle while being harried by skeletons. While optional and even a bit difficult, these goals net you more resources for the mission and outside of it as well, so they’re usually worth doing.

The enemies themselves are also fun, running the gamut from plain skeletons and demonic, bladed bone warriors to flying magic casters and walking barrels with a nuclear payload. There are also quite a few of them, which act as a fair incentive to keep moving. In general, the game’s graphical style and animations have an air of humour and tongue-in-cheek, which just makes it all adorable.

Outside of missions, the small town you live in has a few locations of note. You can play darts in the pub, or use currency earned by doing missions (souls and gold) to upgrade your character, your guns, or unlock new weapons and cosmetics. You can even buy Tweaks, which add a layer of gameplay fun. I got one where my feet made squeaky duck noises when I walked.

My only issue with Far Far West was how playing it solo was nowhere near as fun or balanced as going at it as a team. You see, when alone, if you drop dead, that’s it. Mission over. If there are other robo-wranglers nearby, however, they can resurrect you easily. You can even hurt enemies as a bundle of souls, dealing a respectable amount of damage.

In summary, I think Far Far West has the potential to be a very fun, frenetic shooter to play with friends. The unlockable skills and upgrades go a long way to incentivise you to keep going and the missions don’t usually take that long. If you have a group of friends hankering for some shooting fun, this is definitely worth keeping an eye on!