10 Best Video Games Set In The Wild West, According To Metacritic
Rockstar Games certainly helped revolutionize the open-world format with the western epic Red Dead Redemption II, and elsewhere with the seemingly endless (and most recent) re-release of GTA V. But the western genre and setting that “Wild West” fills. a particular niche that is not explored very often.
The 2018 sequel became arguably the most beloved and popular of its time, but there are other standout titles from years past. Metacritic ranks the best in this particular setting, from the cult series Oddworld to the JRPG Wild Arms.
10/10 Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger – 76 (Xbox 360, 36 Reviews)
The Call of Juarez games had a short run from the mid-2000s to the early 2010s, but they made some solid entries. Gunslinger is the latest release, putting the Wild West setting into a first-person shooter package.
His story also takes a creative spin on real world characters from the American Wild West, from Billy the Kid to the Sundance Kid and more. Critical reception highlighted arcade-style shooter action and an interesting storytelling approach
9/10 Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood – 77 (Xbox 360, 77 reviews)
Bound in Blood is the first sequel in the Call of Juarez series, and it’s also the most beloved. Set 16 years after the original game, Bound in Blood revolves around the story of two brothers who fought on the side of the Confederacy during the American Civil War.
Later, the two leave the war to return and save their families, while trying to throw their former commander off their trail. It’s a shame that the series was effectively put on hold, because in addition to giving this exciting setting more variety in the games, they were underrated games that would have benefited from modern advancements in gameplay design.
8/10 Desperados: Wanted Dead Or Alive – 78 (PC, 12 Reviews)
A PC-exclusive series, the Desperados trilogy of games is an interesting choice for gamers who want to experience a Wild West-themed game through the lens of a different genre. Games like this usually opt for first- or third-person action-adventure, if not outright shooters.
However, the early 2000s Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive allows players to cross the border in a top-down, real-time strategy format. The game has received praise for its use of tactical combat, as well as an engaging western story.
7/10 Wild Arms 3 – 78 (PlayStation 2, 30 reviews)
There are plenty of great contemporary JRPGs to play for newcomers and veterans alike that use familiar fantasy or sci-fi settings, but one might be surprised to learn that there’s a western-themed game like this under the guise of Wild Arms 3. Released for PlayStation 2, Wild Arms 3 is not set in a fictionalized version of the real-world Western Frontier, but it uses a sci-fi planet that draws heavily from it.
Players take on the role of protagonist Virginia Maxwell as she sets out on an adventure on the vast desert planet of Filgaia. And since most JRPG combat (especially nowadays) involves turn-based action, it’s praised as well as its cast of characters and story.
6/10 Pistol – 79 (Xbox, 55 Reviews)
Red Dead Redemption undoubtedly popularized the Western open-world game concept, but Gun did solid work years before Rockstar’s first mainline game. The aptly titled game draws inspiration from classic Clint Eastwood spaghetti western movies for its setting and opts for a third-person action-adventure game format.
Players can use different types of guns, as well as explosives and bows for combat. Additionally, there was also an option to switch to a first-person camera to engage the battle from a different angle.
5/10 Red Steel 2 – 80 (Nintendo Wii, 73 Reviews)
Nintendo has released some of the most memorable games in the medium’s history, spanning console generations. The usual suspects like Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda will naturally be the center of attention, but the Wii has had its fair share of hidden gems. It includes the inventive game of Wild West Red Steel 2, thanks to its gameplay techniques.
It revolves around an unnamed hero of the Kusanagi clan as he becomes involved with the vicious Desert Jackal gang. But what makes this game such a creative game is the way it mixes the Wild West with a samurai story, emphasizing its story premise and its fun mix of first-person shooter and hack-and-slash sword. game action.
4/10 Desperados III – 86 (PC, 61 Reviews)
After the sophomore entry was released to more lackluster reviews, Desperados III launched in 2006 to easily become the most critically acclaimed game of the series. Set in the Wild West of the 1870s, this sequel explores the origins of series protagonist John Cooper, while drawing on themes from spaghetti westerns like Once Upon a Time in the West.
Reviewers cited the unique personalities of each of the game’s characters as refreshing while providing rewarding gameplay with mechanics that include significant player choice. Also, standout characters help diversify and make tactical combat more engaging.
3/10 Oddworld: The Stranger’s Wrath – 88 (Xbox, 65 reviews)
The Oddworld series is a cult classic from the original PlayStation era, mainly using the platforming and action-adventure genres as the basis for its gameplay. The games usually put the player in the position of a protagonist fighting the industrial conglomerates of Oddworld’s destructive ecosystem. And with Stranger’s Wrath, the game puts a sci-fi Wild West twist on its usual formula.
The titular protagonist of Stranger embarks on a series of bounty hunts to pay for a cure for a mysterious disease. Stranger’s Wrath is highly regarded for its unique experience, using a third-person suit for platforming exploration and melee combat, with first-person used for shooting mechanics.
2/10 Red Dead Redemption – 95 (Xbox 360, 96 reviews)
Its sequel is expected to get its share of accolades for improving on an already stellar base, but the original Red Dead Redemption remains one of Rockstar’s best games. Much of the game’s acclaim came from the game’s intricate open-world design and the way it used a western setting to adapt it.
Taking on the role of John Marston, the player embarks on a wild and rough western story that sees the former outlaw find himself tied to his life of crime. At the same time, players could shape John’s personality and his development throughout the world through a morality system that affected how characters interacted with him.
1/10 Red Dead Redemption II – 97 (PlayStation 4, 99 reviews)
One of the biggest flagship games of recent years, Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption II is a huge step forward in both the open-world gameplay and the dynamic systems within it. Although a sequel in name, the story is a true prequel.
This time around, players follow protagonist Arthur Morgan and his gang – including the aforementioned Marston – as they come to grips with the dying age of the “western outlaw”. Its world is huge with great mechanical depth, with lots of dynamic character interactions and changing environmental effects that combine for one of the most immersive Wild West games to date.
