Hard West

The story and various game mechanics are really nice. The vibe, the atmosphere, everything here screams Deadlands. It is very interesting to see slightly different mechanics in each scenario – it keeps the game fresh throughout until the end. However, there are two significant downsides: 1) Lack of player overwatch makes the combat far less tactical than it's advertised (and than it could be). 2) The card mechanics force you to use weaker cards, to obtain a specific weaker hand. It would be better to be able to choose, which bonus to use (like, I want to use Pair instead of Three of a Kind often). Other than that: a decent game worth your buck. I spent 20 hours in it (including the expansion), and I enjoyed it for the most part.

I was wary about the lack of overwatch feature (and, no, the IA does not get it, more like a defensive overwatch if you get in contact with them), turns out it makes the gameplay quite different than X-Com and clones so it is actually a good thing. I was as well weary about the whole supernatural angle of the story but it is well done, consistent. And some game mechanics is different depending on the scenario. So, even though the game contains a few noticeables bugs (half of the UI disappearing, etc) it is enjoyable.

I feel like this game is actually two unrelated games bundled together: there's the combat system (the system you get a tutorial on when you start the game) and the Tropico-style resource management game. The combat is fun, but the story quickly falls to the wayside and you're dropped into a world map where you're told to invest in mines and visit general stores, which is entirely driven by dialogue-boxes. Sometimes, I guess, you end up in combat because you visited a dangerous location, but there's no real connection between the two systems. This might be exactly the game some people are looking for, but it's not for me. If you've seen videos of the combat system, don't be fooled: most of the game doesn't take place in that mode, and the story that the game claims to tell isn't really the story you get.

Easily one of the most underrated games I've ever played. Also story is better then 99% of AAA titles.

love the turn based combat, the luck element, the injury bonuses and how choices really matter