The era of the Wild West is long gone, but before going away for good, it gave us some of the most iconic films that feature the hardiest and grittiest of men facing off against each other at high noon in the deserted streets of a rickety town, a rusty revolver in their hands and a cigar in the corner of their mouth.
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It was only natural that this iconic Wild West charm bled into video games as well, and game developers started to pick the West as the setting of their game and a cowboy as the game’s protagonist. Here are a few of the best Western games that are guaranteed to put you in the sweaty boots of a gritty cowboy to truly make you feel the air of the Wild West.
10Weird West
A Strange, Twisted Take On The Old West
Weird West
The frontier is already a brutal and lawless place, butWeird Westtakes it several steps further by throwing insupernatural horrors. Bandits, bounty hunters, and corrupt lawmen still roam the dust-choked trails, but so do werewolves, witches, and ancient evils lurking in the shadows. Developed by WolfEye Studios, this immersive sim blends twin-stick shooter mechanics with RPG elements, allowing players to approach situations in a variety of ways, be it guns blazing, using stealth, or even harnessing dark magic.
Each playthrough follows five different characters, from a cursed bounty hunter seeking vengeance to a pigman struggling to reclaim his past life. Every decision leaves a lasting impact, making the world feel reactive and alive. While its bird’s-eye perspective sets it apart from traditional third-person cowboy games, its commitment to player choice and emergent storytelling cements it as one of the most unique Western-themed video games.
9Desperados 3
The Art Of The Ambush
Desperados 3
Tactical combat in the Wild West is rarely done better than in Desperados III. Set before the events of Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive, this real-time tactics game follows John Cooper and his ragtag crew as they cross the frontier, taking down outlaws and corrupt officials in highly strategic showdowns. The game plays like a Western-flavored Commandos, where players must utilize each character’s unique abilities, be it McCoy’s long-range sniping or Kate’s ability to disguise herself, to set up the perfect ambush.
Mimimi Games masterfully crafted a sandbox that rewards patience and planning. Every stage presents multiple solutions, making it one of the best Western games for fans who enjoy methodical gameplay over frantic shootouts. And when things do go sideways, the game’s Showdown Mode allows players to pause the action and rethink their approach before bullets start flying.
8Hard West
A Western With A Dark Twist
Hard West features a world where the sun sets not just on the frontier, but on humanity itself, blending the classic cowboy trope with supernatural horrors. This turn-basedstrategy gameplays like XCOM but trades aliens for vengeful spirits and cultists. Set across a series of interconnected stories, the game tells tales of outlaws cursed by demons, desperate men making pacts with the devil, and the terrifying consequences of greed.
Combat is unforgiving, requiring careful use of cover and precise shots to survive. Bullets ricochet off metal surfaces, adding an extra layer of tactical depth. While the mechanics are solid, it’s the grim storytelling that sets Hard West apart from other Wild West games. With a brooding atmosphere and a relentless sense of doom hanging over its world, it turns the American frontier into something far more sinister.
7Evil West
Bloodsuckers And Buckshot
What’s the only thing worse than outlaws terrorizing the frontier? Vampires. Evil West takes a more action-packed approach to the genre, putting players in control of Jesse Rentier, a vampire hunter with a gauntlet that can punch the fangs out of the undead. Developed by Flying Wild Hog, the game is a high-octane mix of third-person melee combat and gunplay, featuring everything from explosive shotgun blasts to electrically charged brawls.
While the narrative leans heavily into pulpy action-horror, Evil West still delivers plenty of Western atmosphere, with dusty towns, eerie swamps, and derelict mines crawling with creatures of the night. It’s a far cry from the more grounded Western-themed video games, but for those looking for something loud, violent, and unapologetically ridiculous, it fits the bill.
Where It All Began
Red Dead Revolver
Before Red Dead Redemption took the gaming world by storm, Rockstar introduced players to the Wild West with Red Dead Revolver. Released in 2004 for the PS2 and Xbox, this third-person shooter tells the story of Red Harlow, a bounty hunter on a quest for vengeance after his parents were murdered.
Unlike its open-world successors, Red Dead Revolver follows a more linear structure, with levels playing out as intense gunfights across saloons, trains, and dusty canyons. Its arcade-style Dead Eye targeting system allowed for cinematic shootouts long before Red Dead Redemption refined it into a series staple. While it lacks theimmersive open worldof later titles, Red Dead Revolver set the foundation for Rockstar’s take on cowboy games.
The One That Defined A Generation
Red Dead Redemption
For many,Red Dead Redemptionwas the definitive Western experience in gaming. Taking place in the dying days of the frontier, it follows John Marston, a former outlaw forced to hunt down his old gang members to secure his family’s freedom. Rockstar’s open world captured the feeling of the West in a way few games had before, from the desolate deserts of New Austin to the lawless border towns of Mexico.
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Gunfights carried weight thanks to the refined Dead Eye mechanic, while the story unfolded with the tragic inevitability of a classic Western film. Its haunting finale cemented it as one of the top Western video games of all time, setting a benchmark that few cowboy games have been able to match.
4Call of Juarez: Gunslinger
Gunslinger’s Tales Told Tall
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger
Few Wild West games embrace the mythology of the frontier as much as Call of Juarez: Gunslinger. Unlike its more serious predecessors, this entry fully leans into the idea of larger-than-life storytelling, following bounty hunter Silas Greaves as he recounts his past adventures, often embellishing them to the point of absurdity.
The gameplay shifts in real time depending on his narration, leading to moments where enemies disappear mid-fight or entire landscapes change based on how he remembers events. The exaggerated gunplay, arcade-style scoring system, and stylish cel-shaded visuals make it a love letter to classic cowboy games, turning every shootout into a fast-paced, bullet-riddled spectacle.
3Hunt: Showdown
The Hunt Is On
Hunt: Showdown 1896
Where most Western-themed video games embrace the romance of the frontier,Hunt: Showdowndrags players into its most terrifying corners. Set in a nightmarish 1890s Louisiana, this multiplayer shooter pits bounty hunters against supernatural horrors, all while forcing them to contend with rival players looking to steal their kills.
Gunplay is deliberately slow and methodical, with period-accurate firearms that demand precision. Every match is a tense balance between tracking monstrous targets and avoiding ambushes from human opponents. The thick bayou fog, distant gunfire, and eerie sound design make it one of the most intense Wild West games out there, where the real enemy is often another player lurking just out of sight.
2Gun (2005)
The Forgotten Classic
While Red Dead Redemption often gets credit for revolutionizing Western open-world games, Gun did it first. Released in 2005, it followed Colton White, a gunslinger unraveling a conspiracy involving corrupt lawmen, Native American tribes, and a lost Spanish treasure.
Its open world was smaller than what would come later, but it was packed with side missions, bounty hunting, and horseback combat that felt dynamic for its time. Featuring voice acting from the likes of Kris Kristofferson and Thomas Jane, Gun set the standard for the cowboy games that followed, proving there was an audience for sprawling Western adventures.
The Pinnacle Of The Wild West In Gaming
Red Dead Redemption 2
No other game captures the grandeur, brutality, and inevitability of the Old West quite like Red Dead Redemption 2. A prequel to the first game, it follows Arthur Morgan, an outlaw struggling with loyalty and survival as the days of the Wild West fade into history.
Every element is meticulously crafted, from the weighty gunfights to the vast open world brimming with wildlife, dynamic encounters, and moral choices that shape Arthur’s fate. There are beautiful vistas to gawk at in the game’s beautiful world, emotional moments to bawl at when the story really starts to unfold, and countless small things to do that help make the world feel more like an immersive sim than anything else.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a masterpiece and a league above most other video games, let alone the Western-themed ones, and an experience everyone should play through at least once during their lifetime.
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By doing these 7 things, you can make things more streamlined and easier for you in your playthrough of Red Dead Redemption 2.
