6 features we’re looking forward to in Evil West

It’s almost time to get our hands dirty cleaning out vampires from the Old West. Evil West features a story centered around an institute and its members slaying monsters in the American frontier, and some high-octane gameplay to go alongside it.

We can’t wait to sink our teeth (hah, vampire joke!) into Evil West when it launches on November 22. But we’ve had plenty of previews to absorb in the meantime as new trailers and gameplay reveals go live.

Developer Flying Wild Hog and publisher Focus Entertainment have been keeping us fulfilled with these trailers, showing off more of what the game has to offer. We’ve also seen a number of the game’s mechanics in action, which has gotten us even more excited. There’s plenty of specific things we’re looking forward to, with a fun combat system and a spectacular gory atmosphere to delight us.

Let’s talk about the six features in Evil West that have caught our attention the most.

1. Stunning melee and ranged combat

Being an action-heavy game, Evil West is naturally putting a lot of attention into its combat. As Jesse Rentier, you’ll have access to all the tools of the Rentier Institute at your disposal. With powerful gauntlets and a couple of guns on hand, Jesse can tackle just about any threat that comes his way.

But Jesse doesn’t just rely on gadgets to deliver a beatdown. In Evil West, you’ll have a litany of combat maneuvers at your disposal that helps you deal with foes. You’ve got your basic punches and kicks, of course, and you can combine these together into devastating combos.

With the Rentier Institute gauntlets equipped, however, you can dish out plenty of fun punishments. Stunning the vampires you fight is crucial, with the gauntlets’ electrical powers able to disrupt enemy attacks. Then you can knock enemies into the air with a powerful slam, allowing you to deliver a finishing move.

But let’s dig deeper into the weapons you have in your arsenal.

2. Weapons galore

One of the most important features for an action hack-and-slash game like this is the weapons library, and Evil West doesn’t disappoint on that front. Your selection of tools isn’t huge by any means, but each one has its own unique functions that help you keep the tide of battle in your favor.

We’ve already talked about the Rentier Institute gauntlets, which let you shock your opponents in addition to punching their daylights out. You’ve also got a trusty revolver for keeping vampires away as well as getting them from a distance. You can knock enemies into the air with your gauntlets and finish them off with your six shooter — a stylish finisher indeed.

There’s two other options for firepower as well, increasing your range and flexibility.

3. Enemies abound in the Old West

In Evil West, your main enemies are a race of creatures known as the Sanguisuge. These vampiric monsters have existed on the Earth for a long time, but had historically stayed in the shadows. Until now, that is.

The Rentier Institute and its agents, Jesse included, make it their mission to eradicate the Sanguisuge scourge. In combat, Jesse will go toe-to-toe with a number of these foes. The vampires come in all shapes and sizes, and each enemy type requires a different strategy.

We know a few enemy varieties already, such as the lightweight Nagals who specialize in ambushing prey, dodging small caliber gunshots, and boosting other enemy’s power. Then there’s the defense Leecher, equipped with a nasty spiked shield which makes attacking them from the front a foolish endeavor.

4. Beating a bunch of bosses

You’ll have plenty of regular enemies to deal with throughout the game. But every so often, Jesse will face off against a much larger monster. And they don’t pull any punches.

One such boss encounter we’ve seen is the Highborn. Highborns not only attack from the air, making melee attacks more challenging, but can also heal themselves by summoning a swarm of bats. They move fast and can strike at Jesse in an instant, keeping you on your toes and forcing you to dodge out of the way.

From the story trailers, we’ve been teased a couple of other villains as well. The Sanguisuge have no shortage of human or human-like allies on their side. It goes to show that not every monster looks like a demon in the world of Evil West.

5. Head out into the wastelands

We haven’t seen a ton of footage showing off the game’s story yet. Obviously, Flying Wild Hog wants to keep that under wraps until launch.

But what we have seen teased to us are the game’s environments. And it could just be my opinion, but they look pretty damn awesome. You’ll be sent to a number of different places throughout your journey. There’s plenty of sandy, dirty desert settlements as you’d expect, but you’ll also head through caves, forests, cliffsides, and snowy passes.

They’re not just pretty levels to look at, though. Many areas contain hidden paths that can provide an alternate means of travelling through the level or contain secret items. The game encourages you to explore as you progress, and it looks like going off the beaten path will reward you.

And, of course, what would any monster-slaying game be without destruction abound? There’s plenty of convenient TNT and spike traps lying around major set pieces that gives you an edge in combat — provided you’re not standing too close.

6. Co-op shenanigans

Evil West is designed as a single-player game first and foremost. Flying Wild Hog built the missions and difficulty curve with a single-player campaign in mind right from the game’s inception. Still, you’ll be able to take a buddy along with you as you hunt vampires through the Old West.

By choosing the co-op campaign, you and a partner can play through all six story missions and slay monsters together. Both players will play as their own Jesse Rentier and will each have their own set of weapons and combat maneuvers. The challenge will scale up if you’re playing co-op, so the hordes of the wastelands will still pose a threat to you and your partner.

As we mentioned, the game wasn’t created with co-op in mind. Flying Wild Hog has clarified that while co-op is possible for each of the game’s missions, the game is crafted as a single-player experience. That means that only the host player can trigger story events. Also, it seems that for the time being, co-op gameplay is strictly online; there aren’t any options for couch co-op at launch.

When can you play Evil West?

You won’t have to wait too much longer to experience all the features Evil West has on offer. Evil West is developed by Flying Wild Hog and published by Focus Entertainment. It will be available on Nov. 22 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam. If you pre-order now (which you can do via our affiliate links below), you’ll gain access to the Wild Wild East Skin Pack. This DLC contains the Golden Defender outfit for Jesse and the Golden Relics weapon skins.

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What are your thoughts on Evil West? Will you be picking it up when it launches? Let us know!