Raw Fury Announces West of Dead

At this weekend’s X019 event, publisher Raw Fury pulled back the curtain on West of Dead, an [...]

By Marc Deschamps

At this weekend's X019 event, publisher Raw Fury pulled back the curtain on West of Dead, an upcoming twin-stick shooter from developer Upstream Arcade. Starring the voice talents of Ron Perlman, West of Dead casts players in the role of the amnesic William Mason, a character that bears a striking resemblance to a Marvel Comics anti-hero that also has a flaming skull for a head.

Like that particular character, Mason will encounter a fair number of undead opponents as players battle through the game's roguelike stages. West of Dead seems to have a bit in common with developer Dodge Roll's Enter the Gungeon, as players will similarly be able to flip tables for cover and polish off foes with some rather unique gunplay. The trailer showcases some bullets that can bounce off walls, for example. However, while the gamplay between the two titles seems similar, they have very different presentations. Enter the Gungeon offered pixelated graphics, but West of Dead features a cel-shaded approach that looks a bit like the Hellboy comics that inspired Perlman's big screen alter-ego. The result looks rather impressive and fits the tone nicely.

West of Dead takes place in 1888 in the fictional town of Purgatory, Wyoming. Microsoft describes the town as "A place of gun smoke and darkness, sin and damnation, wendigos and witches. A shifting, chaotic world that takes its form from the memories, culture or beliefs of the souls who pass through." Purgatory definitely sounds like the kind of place that would need a gun-toting vigilante like Mason to keep things in line! That sort of shifting backdrop should also lend itself nicely to the type of procedurally generated stages offered in this sort of roguelike game.

With Perlman's iconic voice and its western setting, West of Dead seems to be a game that fans of the genre will want to keep an eye on. The West of Dead open beta is currently available on Xbox One through November 25th. The title will also arrive on PC, though no release date has yet been announced.

What do you think of West of Dead so far? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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