Hard West 2

To this date, 23/03/2023, the game is up to date. Don't believe in reviews that spread misinformation. It's the same version than Steam, GO BUY IT.

But if you haven't played either and like such tactical games, I'd recommend Hard West 1. I beat 2 on Nightmare mode. 😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎 This game improves on the in-map features. Melee bravado streaks are awesome. Nightmare mode requires a lot of bravado and the turn time issue can be tough, but it's all doable. Including all optional objectives. The first game felt darker. The second game's dark immersion was mildly tarnished with some out of tune jokes like "FAT LOOT" and mistaking one character's name as "Butt." Also, no demon transformations. Gameplay is changed up a bit too. I also felt more invested in the first game's characters, though the voice acting in 2 was great. The main adversary wasn't particularly enthralling. Still! Enjoyable enough. Good tactical combat and great OST. If there was another sequel, I'd love to see darker moments akin to the bodies mounted on crosses. Looking at the other review, learning it wasn't made by the same maker, makes sense.

This is an example a perfect game sequel. The first title enthralled me with the game mechanics, while entertaining me with an extremely well written storyline. Upon finishing the game, I wanted more. As soon as I saw the sequel was on sale, I bouth it for a little more than the $10 I usually spend on games. This series continues to impress on every aspect; gameplay, story, graphics. The poker-inspired special skills system is truly a work of programming art. As a programmer, this sort of creativity makes me want to work for this creative developer. Any fan of TBS games and/or the weird-west genre must play this game.

I love both tactical RPGs (it's my favourite genre) and puzzly games, so take the rest of the review with that in mind. Hard West 2 was a perfect fit for me, because its a blend of those two genres. Thematic world, nice graphics, great voice acting, good music, companions with personalities, good choices (with light consequences, but still) and sense of humor complements each other perfectly. Tactical combats are very well designed, and with competent enemies. Difficulty is on the easier side, meaning hard is about normal. For veterans, I recommend the highest one, it's super fun to have a turn limit. The Bravado! system is better than chain kills in Gears Tactics, CP system in Mechanicus and militia kills in Expeditions: Rome altogether, because of how cover and ricochets works in this game; it makes every turn an incredibly satisfying puzzle to solve. But the best thing about this game is NO FILLER MISSIONS, every mission has meaning, none feels like they were added just to prolong the game; this game respects your time and gives you a lot of fun in return, which is super important for me. I'm nitpicking here, but this game feels less epic than some of the other titles in the genre. No legendary gear makes it a little bit less fun too. And no actual boss encounters, with unique mechanics, feel a little bit like a wasted opportunity. The game was perfectly stable build and bug - free for me. So, Wasteland 3 and Pathfinder: WotR, it turns out you can make a stable and optimized game with Unity engine after all, right? ;-) Overall, this is an excellent game. Not a 60-hour chore for 60 bucks, stuffed with filler missions, but rather half that for half the price. And you know what? I, for one, prefer this style of desing. It's not revolutionary, but a 9/10 it gets from me is absolutely due in this case.