West of Loathing

This year, Rockstar Games promises to take you an adventure through the best looking version of the Wild West you've ever seen in a little game called Red Dead Redemption 2. Before that happens, I want to introduce you to a decidedly more stripped down version of the Wild West that trades 4K graphics for stick figures and humor. But don't be fooled by West of Loathing's simplistic look, because Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang will have their work cut out for them if they hope to top this must-play western.

It's the 1800s and the call to head west is proving too strong for some. You play one of several unique characters who decide to leave everything behind with dreams of starting a new life filled with freedom and prosperity. In my case, I went with Victoria, a strong gunfighter with a penchant for punching cows. She's eager to travel across the country to the west coast, not realizing just how many obstacles stand in the way of the Pacific Ocean.

West of Loathing is an endlessly charming role-playing game where the idea is to take on quests in order to figure out how to get to the west coast. This involves a lot of riding around and discovering new settlements, mines, forts, graveyards and small towns, each with their own mysteries and puzzles to solve. It won't take long before you're bouncing between dozens of these simple locations and getting into dangerous gunfights with gangs, skeletons and, yes, cows.

The combat is turn-based, though nowhere near as complicated as some Japanese role-playing games you're probably picturing in your head. You have a melee weapon and a gun, along with a handful of special moves you can learn from reading books. You'll also have a partner with you who is good at both keeping track of quests and shooting at enemies. The battles are often short and straight-forward, and you'll rarely get into a situation where you'll be surprised by a random attack.

But the reason this game worked for me has almost little to do with the combat, as the real star here is the writing. This is the kind of game where we're constantly getting ourselves into silly situations and the gags come at a rapid pace. There's a bit where you go to a literal ghost town, complete with buildings you can barely see and a bunch of cranky citizens. This is already a funny concept, but the writing pushes it over the top when it quickly turns into a commentary on the complicated interworking of government bureaucracy. Every mission and character finds a way to tweak both western cliches and our modern world, always in a way that never feels forced or lame. This is easily one of the funniest games I've ever played.

And it's more than that, because West of Loathing is also an expertly designed game from beginning to end. Between the large map and overwhelming amount of quests, this is the type of game that could have just as easily been a slog full of mindless backtracking and random battles. But the developers have made a lot of smart interface decisions that speed up the action and make this a joy to play. It's in both subtle and obvious ways, like how you don't have to grind for levels, how you can teleport around the map no matter where you're standing, and how you can control pretty much everything using the Switch's touchscreen.

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West of Loathing is also good about not overstaying its welcome, all while simultaneously offering an almost overwhelming amount of content. What really stood out to me was how it never felt like it was repeating the same trick over and over. There's an incredible variety of puzzles and colorful characters to meet, and every time you think they have run out of funny gags, the game tosses another five at you. It always seems like you're discovering a new locations or uncovering a new mystery, and yet the narrative isn't muddled or aimless. The game manages to walk the line between being uproariously funny and being a compelling western.

While I'm sure there will be gamers who are turned off by the simple stick figures and penciled in look, I found every second of West of Loathing to be delightful. Sure, it's not exactly the flashiest game you'll play this year, but everything in this Wild West world is bursting with personality. I especially like some of the supernatural enemy designs and how playful they get with the different points of interest on the map. The whole thing is charming in a way that I wasn't expected, and it's just one of the reasons why West of Loathing is one of the best games I've played this year.

I implore you; do not sleep on this game. West of Loathing is not some stripped down adventure game, it's a masterclass in how to write and construct an irresistibly original Wild West RPG. This game is funny, charming, inventive and, best of all, expertly designed. I had a giant grin on my face for the entire playthrough, and there's not much I would want to change about this game. West of Loathing is easily one of the best games on the Switch.