El Hijo: A Wild West Tale

If movies are to be believed, the West was won by cowboys chasing indigenous people on horseback and getting into tense gunfights at high noon. But what if you were a small child who was simply trying to survive this wild and often violent time in our history? Perhaps it may look a bit like El Hijo: A Wild West Tale, a brand-new stealth game where an abandoned youngster sneaks through all of the western cliches in hopes of reuniting with his mother. Equipped with only a slingshot, sombrero and a few special toys, this is a cute and largely non-violent take on the Old West that will bring a smile to the face of anybody who grew up loving those classic Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns.

You've already met the Man With No Name, so let me introduce you to the Child With No Name. He's the titular star who has been thrust into a situation so dangerous that even Clint Eastwood may have second thoughts about going on the adventure. He's been dropped off by his mother at a secluded monastery in hopes of protecting the boy from local bandits. But while this may have been for the six-year-old child's safety, he's clearly not interested in being locked up in this boring old building. Instead of being forced to do chores, he decides to break free and sneak his way through 29 harrowing stages in a last-ditch effort to reunite with his mother.

As you might imagine, the kid is not exactly equipped for this wild west world. He's not a gunslinger and doesn't even have a six-shooter, so he'll need to avoid conflict as much as possible. This sets up an adventure where the whole goal is to stealth your way around the guards, monks, cowboys, dogs and anything else that might get between our hero and freedom. But watch out, because the child is now a wanted man, er boy, which means that just about everybody will be after him by the end of this surprisingly lengthy game.

In a lot of ways, El Hijo is a paint-by-numbers stealth game. You'll have to stay out of the enemy's line of sight, crouch behind boxes, slip into the shadows, hide in clay jars, create distractions and do whatever you can to avoid detection. Every level offers a slightly different challenge that will require the player to puzzle their way through all kinds of danger before eventually locating the exit. Along the way, our hero will have the opportunity to free and inspire other kids who have been forced to do hard labor for these evil adults.

Beyond simply sneaking around, the boy also has a few moves that will help to keep him safe. He comes prepared for each obstacle with a trusty slingshot, which he can use to distract the guards and shoot out lights. There's also a toy that he can use to guide the guards away from ladders and walkways, as well as a stink bomb that will make it hard for the bad guys to see. By the end of the game, we're hiding out in a sombrero and even using fireworks to stun guards and destroy boxes. All of this is playful in spirit and never too violent, so don't expect the child to suddenly start taking out enemies like a six-year-old Solid Snake.

One thing that I really like about the level designs is how open and detailed they are. Most stages can be completed in a number of different ways, especially once you've earned a few of those special toys. And because there are so many different checkpoints to trigger, the game rewards players for exploring and experimenting with different strategies. I knew that even if I got caught by a guard or a dog, I wouldn't lose much progress and could try it again without risking anything. There's a freedom to the stealth action that really shines here and helps keep the game from becoming too frustrating. That's not to say El Hijo is too easy, but it's a whole lot more forgiving than some of the more mature games in the genre.

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Part of the reason for this is because the guards are really stupid. Look, I get it, this is a cliche of stealth games, but these enemies seem even dumber than usual. Just as long as he can jump into a box or some other hiding spot, the child can usually avoid getting caught. Sometimes that means ducking behind something for a couple seconds, which is just enough time for the guard to relax and go back to their usual routine. The enemies are incredibly bad at staying alert or even seeing a small boy that is right in front of them. And who knew that buildings were so dark that standing just outside of the lit area meant that you were invisible, even if that's just an inch or two from the bad guys. Like I said, none of this is new to the stealth genre, but I couldn't get over how bad the adults were at their relatively simple jobs.

Another thing I couldn't get over was the inconsistent interaction the boy has with the level. In theory, you should be able to snap the boy behind a box or into a hiding spot at the push of a button, but I found that it didn't always work as well as I would have hoped. You sometimes have to hit the button a couple times, which will often have the bad result of going into hiding and then quickly jumping back out. The game needs to be a little more forgiving when it comes to interacting with items around the stage, especially when you sometimes only have a split-second to react. This also goes for the slingshot and toys, which don't always act the way they should. Thankfully, these gameplay issues aren't too frustrating, but that's mostly because the checkpointing is so damn good.

Visually speaking, I really liked the look of El Hijo. The minimalist art style really stands out and keeps the game from being too serious. This is especially true during the tense shootouts, which probably should have been scary, but are played off as almost cartoony in this game. There's also a nice variety of locations, including the dreary monastery, the underground mines, the open fields and all kinds of great outdoor stages. El Hijo is bright and inviting, even when the subject matter is dark and disturbing. It's a tough balancing act that first-time developer Honig Studios somehow gets right.