Red Dead Redemption 2’s release date is confirmed: The game is coming to PC on the Rockstar launcher on November 5. This is great news to those who have waited for months for the game’s PC version, after wonderful console launch.
While waiting, you might want to check out some of the games with the same western theme. In this list below, we have collected some of the best western on PC
12 is Better Than 6
This weirdly named shooter is pretty similar to Hotline Miami, however, the gameplay is more focused on saving ammunition, carefully aiming, and stealth. Shooting is pretty clunky, as you have to move your hand with the right button while fire using the left, with R as the, reload hotkey. If you run out of bullets mid-fight, your only choice is to rush out of with a knife. This game has been very successful in recreating the rhythm of a wild west fight gone south, in which everyone is attacking at each other in the street or a barn.
Hunt: Showdown
Hunt: Showdown is a product of Crytek, with the usual settings of the wild west twisted into darkness. The game is a part competitive shooter, part survival with a horror theme in a western backdrop. You would play as a bounty hunter in a twisted version of the west, which has zombies and giant spiders. The character design and weapons are very appropriate for the setting in the 1800s Louisianna.
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
The best Call of Juarez amongst the three, Call of Duty is an Action-Adventure game with RPG elements. It is not nearly as good as Red Dead, however, the game would serve well if you are just looking for some wild west fun actions. Quests are rather simple, as you just go to the objective marker and shoot everyone on the way. The game is pretty much perfect if you do not want to use your brain much and just want a bit of fun.
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger
Gunslinger is rather different from other Call of Juarez games, as it is an arcade-style cover shooter. You would duck inside covers and shoot at your enemies, with bonus points assigned for every headshot and combo. The game is set in a comic-book style of the west, with the protag pursuing the frontier’s most dangerous outlaws.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
Oddworld is just as weird as its name implies. The usual western setting was twisted into comedy and madness, with the series’ own unique brand of comedy. The world is filled with the usual dusty shantytowns, populated with anthropomorphized redneck chickens. The protagonist is a bounty hunter, and his job is to catch the target dead or alive – very similar to an Eastwood movie. The best part of this game, however, is the strange guns that use living ammo. Stunkz would send your enemies into vomiting fits, Stinbees would chase your targets, and Chippunks would distract them by constantly making noises. Stranger’s Wrath is not your usual Western settings, but sometimes it would have to do.
A Fistful of Gun
In this game, you would get to choose between eleven characters, each with their own unique control scheme and attack patterns and shoot your way out in the colorful landscape of the west. Some characters would require a gamepad to work properly – while some can only be bound to mouse controls. The game has both local multiplayer and online coop, for the maximum amount of jolly cooperation. You can gather a team to fight against other teams or play solo in a free-for-all battle royale.
Luckslinger
A western-themed side scroller, with an amazing soundtrack and the creative “luck” system. You can collect and store luck while playing – with a decent amount of luck stored, fortunate events would happen, such as a shot missing you or a platform appear out of nowhere to save you from a failed leap. As the usual side scroller goes, Luckslinger requires you to have the patience of a Mega Man player, in which you would have to redo stuff over and over until it works.
Westerado: Double Barreled
Westerado is a pixelated open-world Western RPG with plenty of gunslinging to do. There are combat, exploration, side missions, expertly weaved into a tale of revenge. As you track down the man who murdered your family through various towns, you would be able to piece together a general portrait of him, through interrogations and investigations. As Westerado is a rogue-like, every time you start a new adventure, the enemy you have to hunt would be re-rolled again so each playthrough would be a unique experience.
Hard West
Hard West is a turn-based strategy game in which you would be given control of a party of four, doing objectives in a series of tactical maps. The setting of Hard West is a twist to the usual western genre: demons, arcane rituals, and satanic cults are swarming Western America. Your job is to protect a group of settlers so that they can establish some measure of civilization amongst the chaos.
Outlaws
Outlaws is the only western FPS game LucasArts ever released. It is rather dated, built on the 1997 engine of Star Wars: Dark Forces. The protagonist is a retired U.S. Marshall, who returns home only to find his wife dying and his daughter missing. After that, he embarks on a roaring rampage of revenge. The game generally has good level and enemy designs, a fantastic soundtrack, and decent shooting mechanics for the 90s.
Interested in more of our video games related articles? Please check out this post for everything to expect from the PC version of Red Dead Redemption 2.