Almost two years after its reveal trailer debuted at the Game Awards in 2020, Evil West is finally here and many are already raving about its inventive concept and engrossing action. One of the things critics have been impressed by is how the game manages to feel like a fresh of breath air despite its simple concept.
Luckily, that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of amazing games that satisfy the same urge for adrenaline-fueled third-person action in a visually striking setting. From Red Dead Redemption 2 to God of War: Ragnarök, these are the titles that any Evil West fan is bound to love too.
Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
From the moment Evil West opens with a thrilling train plot that showcases its beautiful Wild West setting, it's impossible not to be reminded of Red Dead Redemption 2 and its equally breathtaking train heists. Simply by being a story-based Western, Evil West opens itself up to comparisons with one of the best story-driven games of its generation.
They aren't the same, however, with Red Dead Redemption 2 leaning a lot more into the 3rd-person shooter side of combat rather than melee and also focusing more on grounded story-telling. Both are beautiful games that get the most out of their Old West setting and both are well worth playing for their reasons.
Devil May Cry 5 (2019)
One of the best parts of Evil West is when the player gets to chain combos seamlessly with different weapons to destroy a group of undead enemies. Fans of the Devil May Cry series will likely have found it a very familiar thrill, as it's also a concept that's at the heart of the hack-and-slash franchise.
Devil May Cry 5 showcases the series' stylish action at its best and it also introduces some brand new Devil Arms for Dante to use for even more epic weapon-switching combos. According to The Escapist, a producer even explicitly confirmed Evil West's DMC inspirations so it makes sense that the games have plenty in common.
Shadow Warrior 3 (2022)
For players interested in how the developers at Flying Wild Hog developed their skills in the lead-up to Evil West, the Shadow Warrior series is perhaps their best-known title and they unveiled the latest installment earlier this year. By the time Shadow Warrior 3 begins, the world is already overrun with demonic beings.
Instead of the Wild West, it's Japanese and Chinese mythologies that provide the backdrop to the game's fantastical elements but the mix of gunplay and close-quarters melee combat is still the same. Along with dramatic executions on low-health enemies, gory environmental kills, and a foul-mouthed sense of humor, it's clear where the studio developed some of the elements at the heart of Evil West.
Doom Eternal (2020)
With its setting that veers between futuristic and hellish throughout, Doom Eternal might not look a lot like Evil West but its intense demon-stomping action means both satisfy a very similar urge. Though it's a first-person shooter, Doom Eternal differs from many of its peers in rewarding the player for being aggressive and throwing themselves at enemy hordes with reckless abandon.
Violent executions and the ability to switch to melee for some gory chainsaw kills means destroying demons doesn't feel too far different from killing vampires in Evil West. At their best, both games are great at making the player feel powerful in the face of monstrous enemies.
Weird West (2022)
Surprisingly, Evil West isn't the only dark, fantastical reimagining of the Wild West in 2022 as Weird West arrived in March with very similar aims. Developed by indie developers WolfEye Studios, the game combines the traditional lawmen and gunslingers of the west with fantasy creatures but ones that provide a lot more complexity and intrigue than the vampire hordes of Evil West.
Whilst its immersive sim style differs completely from the all-out action of Evil West, it still provides plenty of opportunities for action as its fascinating story unfolds and changes depending on the player's choices. Just like Evil West, Weird West is a must-play for Western fans this year.
Days Gone (2019)
Though vampires are the monstrous enemies in Evil West, they often feel a lot closer to traditional zombies in other games and that's why the gameplay sometimes feels reminiscent of games like Days Gone. Trading the Wild West setting for the equally striking vistas of post-apocalyptic Oregon, both games force the player to use a variety of weapons to contend with these undead enemies.
Days Gone uses a similar third-person perspective too but takes place in a large open world where its central character, a former outlaw called Deacon St. John, now works as a bounty hunter. Whilst it lacks the combo-based melee combat of Evil West, there's still plenty of high-adrenaline action to ensure things never get boring.
Evil Dead: The Game (2022)
When it comes to good old-fashioned, foul-mouthed demon-slaying action, there aren't many more perfect offerings than Evil Dead: The Game. Featuring the iconic characters from the Evil Dead franchise, the gameplay takes its inspiration from PvP survival games like Dead By Daylight and Friday the 13th.
Whilst that means the combat is a lot less complex than Evil West's, it's no less engrossing thanks to the multiplayer element that ensures it's never quite possible to know what the enemies are going to do. However, ultimately it's less the gameplay and more the gory, tongue-in-cheek style of Evil Dead: The Game that makes it a great warm-up to playing Evil West.
Trek To Yomi (2022)
Polish developers Flying Wild Hog have had a busy 2022 and that means their other nostalgic offering from this year might sadly end up slipping below the radar. That game is Trek to Yomi and, where Evil West draws its inspiration from Westerns, it's inspired by Akira Kurosawa's iconic samurai movies.
Set in the Edo period of Japan, the game uses a mix of side-scrolling combat and freeform exploration to show off its beautiful setting whilst the player engages enemies in hard-hitting melee action. The game's combat arguably has more depth than that of Evil West and is perfect for a player looking for more of a challenge.
Resident Evil Village (2021)
Although Evil West offers a very distinctive experience, it's fair to say that it exists in the same gory third-person shooter space that Resident Evil dominated for a long time before switching to a first-person style for recent titles. Resident Evil remains a fan-favorite and there's no better way to jump into it than with one of the best games in the series in the form of Resident Evil Village.
Like Evil West, it pits the player against a variety of different monsters as they are put in the shoes of Ethan Winters and forced to search for his kidnapped daughter in a village full of terrifying mutants. Though the combat is a lot less stylish than Evil West, it's no less engrossing thanks to some very real scares.
God Of War Ragnarök (2022)
One of the most obvious inspirations behind Evil West that comes across when playing it is 2018's God of War. Indeed, it's hard not to be reminded of the massive hack-and-slash franchise considering the hard-hitting combat, camera angle, and satisfying melee finishers that define the game's action.
Since many have even described Evil West as a Western-styled, vampire-infused God of War, anyone enjoying the game is bound to enjoy the most recent addition to the franchise, God of War Ragnarök. With an incredibly ambitious story, beautiful visuals, and refinements to the already amazing combat, Ragnarök is enough to leave any player wanting more.
Source:gamerant.com