Anthony Ciccotelli

Very cool game. I love the aesthetic and the narration from Ron Pearlman is incredible. The combination of twin-stick shooter, cover shooter, and rogue-like is something I really enjoy. However, the game definitely has its fair share of problems. The weapon variety is severely lacking early game and it will stay that way unless you have the foresight to unlock weapons early. Unfortunately, prioritizing weapon unlocks will stunt your healing potion stock and you may find yourself getting stuck on the later levels as a result. Some of the levels have an insane difficulty spike between them as well. For example, taking the alternate exit from level one brings you to an area where your guns are practically pea shooters compared to the standard enemies. What's worse yet is that I still haven't even mentioned all of the bugs that plague this game. In my five or so hours I've run into some half a dozen bugs. Some are minor annoyances like when a wall doesn't become properly transparent and you can't see your character in a hallway. Others, like a bug that locks you in place until you die if you happen to be standing in a spot that a piece of cover respawns on, can end your run completely. Overall, West of Dead barely misses the mark for me. I can tell that there is an incredible game just behind the layer of bugs. I could easily see it become a 4 - 4.5 star game if the devs just stick with it and give it the love it deserves.