While Hard West boasts an under represented old west aesthetic combined with elements of demonic blood and gore, the game's overall experience is merely 'okay'. Tactical RPGs strength lies in its mechanics and story, both of which Hard West accomplishes sure, but it does not go beyond what we can expect from the genre. From a gameplay perspective, Hard West is a collection of battle maps with brief moments of reading or problem-solving in between. While the game's characters are present, they lack depth and personality, leaving little emotional impact when they die. The card system, a unique feature of Hard West, is initially engaging. However, after a while, the power balance of cards does not incentivise variation in the future selection of cards. Unfortunately, the game's shortcomings have dampened my desire to buy its DLC. I hope that the sequel will improve upon the original and deliver a more satisfying experience.
Play it if you are into RPGs that are not turn-based and you like reading a lot of text. A few nitpicks from me: there are times where the voice-acted parts are not consistent, and not all skills open up a dialouge option.
This game offers a power fantasy where you can defeat orcs using a sword, bow, dagger, and magical abilities that are barely explained why such magics are accessible to a human. The nemesis system is an interesting feature when it functions properly, but I found that Talion becomes too powerful too quickly, resulting in the absence of a true nemesis. This left me confused during the final assault, as I was unsure who the orc claiming to be my nemesis actually was. For fans of the lore in either LoTR or the fantasy genre in general, there are numerous text entries and encyclopedia-like entries to explore. However, accessing this lore requires you to collect items and harvest plants, as it is not seamlessly integrated into the game world.
Do not dash while going down stairs, and I hope you like finding terminals and doors.
