Wild West Online Unveils First Look At Gameplay

The upcoming western game fittingly called Wild West Online has just gotten its first gameplay trailer that shows off some of the title's in-game interactions and mechanics, and gamedoesn't look half bad.

To start things off, the player begins their journey next to a train station where a newspaper is read nearby to figure out what's been going down lately. More newspapers were said to be added into the game as events progress, and the player's actions will also be able to affect what goes into the stories that you'll read — think of it like visiting various locations in Fallout 3 and having the news anchor Three Dog talk about your exploits via his radio show.

After putting on some stylish new clothes, the next reasonable stop would be at the nearby saloon where players can steal, drink, and gamble as much as they desire. A reputation system will also be in place in the game, so when it comes to stealing and other crimes, discretion is advised. Players can work together with friends to take on bounties that are posted inside populated areas on the bounty boards, and during their hunt, they can stop for refreshers at rest cabins that are located around the map. The map looks pretty large as well, as it should be for a western RPG, so the fast travel option will help cut back on those lengthy horse rides.

While it was warned that the gameplay was taken from a pre-Alpha version, the graphics and the mechanics still seem pretty reassuring for the upcoming game. Not too much of the combat was seen in the preview though, so more of that will hopefully come in future trailers.

When news of a new western game was first beginning to be revealed, many will likely remember that it was speculated to be Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2. The game's completely it's own entity, and while news that it wasn't Red Dead may have put some fans off, it still seems to be a prime example of a traditional western game, a field that's relatively untapped in games.

The beta for the PC version of Wild West Online is scheduled to begin this year, but there aren't currently any plans to bring the game to consoles.