Saddle yer hosses folks! I’m gonna tell you all about a super fun game to play!
I got West of Loathing a few years ago, and it never fails to keep me entertained. West of Loathing is a hilarious RPG game set in the wild west. The game was released in 2017 by Asymmetric Publications. The best part is you are a stick figure. All the characters are stick figures.
Story/Plot 5 of 5 ★★★★★
You choose your name and profession (Cow Puncher, Beanslinger, or Snake Oiler) and leave your family to head west. Along the way you meet all kinds of crazy people, some good, some not so good, and some pure evil. Traveling west you end up in a town called Dirtwater. Here is where the main gameplay takes place. While you are playing the game there doesn’t seem to be too much of a plot other than a lot of side quests happening. This isn’t the case. Yes there are a LOT of side quests to complete, but you are working to get the train in Dirtwater to it’s final destination. Your character gets to pick a sidekick to help you along the way so choose carefully because each one has their own perks. You can upgrade your character by equipping clothes and accessories. To do this, you must gather meat (the currency for the game). Your final destination is the city of Frisco where you are getting the train to go. Some of the side quests are like their own mini plots. You help different townsfolk along the way. There are cultist to battle. Bandits to arrest. Goblins to slay. Futuristic elements to explore. The more you explore the crazier it gets!
Visuals/Graphics 4 of 5 ★★★★
The graphics are pretty simple. It’s all done in black and white stick figure and cartoon drawings. This might seem like a negative, but it is most definitely not. The way they give the stick figures their own flair is great. They do this by adding different expressions, hats, and accessories. One incredibly silly but hilarious feature is the character reads a book and after reading it gains the “Walking Stupid” ability. So instead of walking like a normal basic stick figure, your character does a different funny walk for the rest of the game (although if you like the mundane, you can turn this feature off and walk normally). While the graphics are very simple, they are by no means boring.
Gameplay 4 of 5 ★★★★
The gameplay is very straightforward. Since it is a role playing game all the player has to do is select what choices they want to make. Most of those choices are based in the dialogue. The game is heavily based on the conversations between the player and the NPCs. The dialogue is not read aloud. If you aren’t a big reader, this might not be the game for you. I will say it is easy reading though. If you really like to get into character and have fun voice acting with crazy voices, then I would definitely give this game a go. Streamers this is a fun easy game to practice voices and playing around. The main example I have of this is Markiplier playing the game. I watched his playthrough, and he did crazy voices for all the characters. For me, I personally struggled playing it on stream because I didn’t want to read all the dialogue out loud; however, that being said, I absolutely love reading it to myself and playing it quietly. Another aspect of the game is there is some combat. The combat is turn based. This is where your choice of profession comes into play. Whichever profession you choose will give you certain skills to use in the fights. As the player goes through the game, they can gather items (clothing, weapons, etc.) and eat food to help boost these skills.
I highly recommend getting this game. The reading can be a little overwhelming without a narrator reading it aloud to you. Overall though, the story and art are delightfully hilarious. I play it on the PC, but it is available on the Nintendo Switch and Xbox. If you like West of Loathing the company, Asymmetric Publications, added a DLC expansion pack Reckonin’ at Gun Manor. They also came out with another game Shadows Over Loathing, and there is an online game available called Kingdom of Loathing. All of these are the same fun stick figure gameplay. Go check it out and have fun gaming!
West of Loathing 4.3 out of 5 stars
Game review by Margaret Chavez