{{Short description|2015 video game}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2016}} {{Infobox video game | title = Hard West | image = Hard West Cover.jpg | caption = Cover art by Grzegorz Przybys | developer = CreativeForge Games | publisher = Gambitious Digital Entertainment | designer = {{Unbulleted list|Kacper Szymczak|Paweł Kroenke|Kuba Palyska|Jan Rawski|Maciej Stańczyk|Damian Wyspiański}} | programmer = {{Unbulleted list|Łukasz Żarnowiecki|Dominik Franosik|Sebastian Gorazd}} | artist = {{Unbulleted list|Remigiusz Nowakowski|Tomasz Ćwik|Krzysztof Sąpor|Krzysztof Deoniziak|Krzysztof Mąka}} | writer = {{Unbulleted list|Scott Alexander|Haris Orkin}} | composer = Marcin Przybyłowicz | engine = Unity | platforms = {{Unbulleted list|Microsoft Windows|OS X|Linux| Nintendo Switch|PlayStation 4}} | released = {{unbulleted list|'''Windows, OS X, Linux'''|November 18, 2015|'''Nintendo Switch'''|March 7, 2019|'''Xbox One'''|June 19, 2020|'''PlayStation 4'''|June 28, 2020}} | genre = Turn-based tactics | modes = Single-player }}
'''''Hard West''''' is a turn-based tactical game developed by CreativeForge Games and published by Gambitious Digital Entertainment. It was released digitally on November 18, 2015, for Microsoft Windows, OS X and Linux, and was released for the Nintendo Switch on March 7, 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/02/hard_west_a_gunspinning_xcom-alike_is_coming_to_switch_very_soon|title=Hard West, A Gunspinning XCOM-Alike Is Coming To Switch Very Soon|last=Lane|first=Gavin|website=Nintendo Life|date=February 20, 2019|access-date=February 21, 2019}}</ref> A sequel, ''Hard West 2'', was released in August 2022.
==Setting== ''Hard West'' takes place in a heavily fictionalized version of the American Old West following standards of the Western genre but with the addition of supernatural elements, taking inspirations from ''XCOM: Enemy Unknown''.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/08/11/hard-west-kickstarter/ | title = Hard West Kickstarter Offers Turn-Based Cowboy Tactics | last = Smith | first = Graham | date = August 11, 2014 | website = Rock, Paper, Shotgun | access-date = January 31, 2016}}</ref> Themes typical of the Western genre, such as bank robberies, lynching and the gold rush are commonplace in the game's world but also metaphysical beings such as Death and the Devil directly influence the lives of the local population. Creatures such as demons, ghosts and undead gunslingers are present in the game's vision of the old west.
== Gameplay == The game is divided into two strictly separate modes, turn-based tactical encounters and a strategic exploration map where the player can travel a map and visit locations. Location visits on the strategic map are presented via simple text panels accompanied by static illustrations and allow the player to perform actions by picking entries from a list. This way players can interact with characters, perform a variety of custom actions, hire new characters into the player character's posse or initiate trade or combat.
''Hard West's'' tactical gameplay largely follows the standards set by ''XCOM: Enemy Unknown''. During combat every character starts each turn with two action points which can be spent on either a move or shot each, although most weapons instantly end a character's turn upon being fired. The game also uses a cover system based on two cover types which lower the chance to get hit and damage received. Low barriers constitute "half cover" and barriers taller than a character constitute "full cover", the latter providing more protection.
A major difference from most other turn-based tactical games is the absence of randomness in ''Hard West's'' core gameplay. Rather than relying on random number generation to determine hits, characters are given a luck attribute. Luck is reduced by the hit chance of a shot and a character is hit if a shot depletes his luck. Luck is replenished upon getting hit. At point-blank range every shot automatically hits.
Over the course of the game characters can be improved and given special abilities, some of which are active and can be used instead of moving or firing while others are passive. Instead of relying on experience points and skill trees ''Hard West'' uses a custom system based on poker cards. After every tactical encounter or performing pre-defined actions on the strategic map the player is rewarded with unique poker cards which can be assigned to characters, each of them providing a different bonus. Arranging cards in poker hands yields additional bonuses.
Reaction shots replace the overwatch mechanic of ''XCOM''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.destructoid.com/review-hard-west-321364.phtml|title=Review: Hard West|website=Destuctoid.com|access-date=20 October 2017|archive-date=January 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122013858/http://www.destructoid.com/review-hard-west-321364.phtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> Approaching an enemy up to point-blank range makes him automatically fire at the approaching player character if he could already see the player character before executing the move. Player characters are not protected from enemies by a reaction shot.
== Development == Development on ''Hard West'' began before the release of CreativeForge Games' previous game, the sci-fi RTS game ''Ancient Space'', and was first publicly announced in the context of its crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter in August 2014 which quickly found support from well-known game developers such as John Romero and Brian Fargo.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1752350052/hard-west/description|title=Hard West|website=Kickstarter.com|access-date=20 October 2017}}</ref> It had a goal of $70,000 CAD and reached $94,183 CAD pledged by 4,398 backers. On July 30, 2015, the developers announced that Gambitious Digital Entertainment would publish the game and soon-after announced a release set for November 4.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1752350052/hard-west/posts/1309137|title=Update 34: One Giant Leap for Hard West but One Giant Leap.. wait · Hard West|website=Kickstarter.com|access-date=20 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/hard-west-launch-date-announced/|title=Hard West launch date announced|website=Pcgamer.com|date=October 19, 2015|access-date=20 October 2017}}</ref> On October 30 Gambitious announced that the release would be delayed by two weeks and the game was ultimately released on Steam on November 18, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_1_KenSQEk|title=Hard West - New Release Date Announcement Message|last=Good Shepherd Entertainment|date=October 30, 2015|publisher=YouTube}}</ref> A limited physical release distributed by CDP.pl, including the soundtrack and a comic book, followed in early 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cdp.pl/hard-west-pud-pc.html |title=Hard West + artbook (PC) | CDP.pl |access-date=2016-03-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308070834/https://cdp.pl/hard-west-pud-pc.html |archive-date=March 8, 2016 |df=mdy-all }} </ref>
In February 2016 development of DLC titled ''Scars of Freedom'' was announced which would move away from the supernatural themes of the base game towards Frankenstein-esque Gothic horror.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2016/2/26/11113740/hard-west-scars-of-freedom-release-date-dlc-preview-video|title=Hard West's Scars of Freedom DLC augments the game with new limbs and organs|first=Samit|last=Sarkar|date=February 26, 2016|website=Polygon.com}}</ref> It was also announced that the character customization system would be replaced with a new one based on harvesting organs and ether. The DLC was released on Steam and GOG.com on March 3, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://store.steampowered.com/app/441700/|title=Save 75% on Hard West: Scars of Freedom DLC on Steam|website=Store.steampowered.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gog.com/news/release_hard_west_scars_of_freedom|title=Release: Hard West: Scars of Freedom|website=GOG.com}}</ref>
A sequel developed by Ice Code Games and published by Good Shepherd Entertainment, titled ''Hard West'' ''II'', has been announced, and was released for Windows via Steam and GOG on August 4, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-21 |title=Hard West II launches August 4 |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2022/07/hard-west-ii-launches-august-4 |access-date=2022-07-21 |website=Gematsu |language=en-US}}</ref> {{Clear}}
==Reception== {{Video game reviews | MC = 73/100<ref name="MC">{{cite web | url = https://www.metacritic.com/game/hard-west/critic-reviews/?platform=pc | title = Hard West Critic Reviews for PC | website = Metacritic | publisher = CBS Interactive | access-date = January 31, 2016}}</ref> | Destruct = 5/10<ref name="Destruct">{{cite web | url = http://www.destructoid.com/review-hard-west-321364.phtml | title = Review: Hard West | last = Fumiss | first = Zack | date = November 18, 2015 | website = Destructoid | publisher = ModernMethod | access-date = January 31, 2016 | archive-date = January 22, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160122013858/http://www.destructoid.com/review-hard-west-321364.phtml | url-status = dead }}</ref> | GSpot = 7/10<ref name="GSpot">{{cite web | url = http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/hard-west-review/1900-6416346/ | title = Hard West Review | last = Todd | first = Brett | date = January 29, 2016 | website = GameSpot | publisher = CBS Interactive | access-date = January 31, 2016}}</ref> | IGN = 7.3/10<ref name="IGN">{{cite web | url = http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/11/18/hard-west-review | title = Hard West Review | last = Ingenito | first = Vince | date = November 18, 2015 | website = IGN | publisher = IGN Entertainment | access-date = January 31, 2016}}</ref> | PCGUS = 61/100<ref name="PCGUS">{{cite web | url = http://www.pcgamer.com/hard-west-review/ | title = Hard West review | last = Wilde | first = Tyler | date = December 3, 2015 | website = PC Gamer | publisher = Future US | access-date = January 31, 2016}}</ref> }} Aggregate review website Metacritic assigned it a score of 73/100 based on 42 critic reviews.<ref name="MC" /> Vince Ingenito from ''IGN'' awarded it a score of 7.3/10, saying "Hard West trades some tactical grit for a touch of mystical fun, and a flair for the supernatural."<ref name="IGN" /> Tyler Wilde of ''PC Gamer'' awarded it a score of 6.1/10, saying "The presentation is aced, but Hard West's turn-based combat is too rote to be engrossing."<ref name="PCGUS" /> Zack Fumiss from ''Destructoid'' awarded it a score of 5/10, saying "What I'd really like to see is a tabletop game in this setting, because it honestly feels like it might be better suited in that realm. Either way, I hope there'll be a reason to come back.<ref name="Destruct" /> Brett Todd of ''GameSpot'' awarded it 7/10, saying "Tactical combat fans and horror buffs alike will find a lot to like here in both the spooky surroundings and the shoot-em-up scenarios."<ref name="GSpot" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{official website|https://www.hardwestgame.com/hard-west}}
Category:2015 video games Category:CreativeForge Games games Category:Crowdfunded video games Category:Fiction about the Devil Category:Good Shepherd Entertainment games Category:Horror Westerns Category:Kickstarter-funded video games Category:Linux games Category:MacOS games Category:Nintendo Switch games Category:Single-player video games Category:Turn-based tactics video games Category:Video games about cults Category:Video games about curses Category:Video games about demons Category:Video games about the paranormal Category:Video games developed in Poland Category:Video games featuring black protagonists Category:Video games scored by Marcin Przybyłowicz Category:Video games set in Texas Category:Western (genre) video games Category:Windows games