West of Dead

What to Know

Critics Recommend

Average Score

Total Reviews: 42

Skip It

West of Dead shakes up the rogue-lite formula with a fantastic cover system, but there isn’t much polish here, and cruel difficulty spikes and unruly aiming hold the game back.

Skip It

Critics Recommend

Critic Reviews: 42

Critics Consensus

# Reviews: 42

West of Dead shakes up the rogue-lite formula with a fantastic cover system, but there isn't much polish here, and cruel difficulty spikes and unruly aiming hold the game back.

Where to Play

** VSG may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

Critic Reviews for West of Dead

Reviews

High Score - 90/100

Low Score - 40/100

Anthony Marzano (Destructoid)

6/10

“If you pumped hours upon hours into Enter the Gungeon then chances are you’ll find a similar grab in West of Dead, but be fair warned that there isn’t as much polish here. If it helps, it is launching day one on Xbox Game Pass so if you have that you can try it as soon as it launches.”

Read full review

Mike Epstein (GameSpot)

5/10

“West of Dead brings some interesting ideas to the well-trod Rogue-lite scene, but lots of technical and design flaws make it hard to enjoy them.”

Read full review

Phil Iwaniuk (PC Gamer)

83/100

“A fine balancing act of challenge and intrigue, with stabiliser wheels courtesy of Ron Perlman’s voice.”

Read full review

**Read all 42 critic reviews on the desktop version of VSG.

Read the Reviews (42 total)

Outlet	Author	Score	Date	Quote	Read
33bits	Rubén Rionegro	80 / 100	06-18-2020	West of Dead offers a spectacular roguelike fused with isometric twin stick shooter with a pretty good and addictive gunplay that will make us play again and again. It has some graphic flaws that need to be polished, as well as a dubious system of dialogues that become boring, but that does not prevent us from enjoying its good intentions.	Read review
3DNews	Денис Щенников	7 / 10	07-04-2020	West of Dead borrows a lot from Dead Cells and blends it with nice twin-stick shooter with covers mechanic. But it really suffers from lack of variety.	Read review
Area Xbox	Henry Hernández	7.5 / 10	07-01-2020	Upstream Arcade and Raw Fury bring us this fantastic shooter where you find your self doing several runs trying to discover why you end up in the Purgatory. The game is difficult and requires the player to keep trying and understand the mechanics in order to master it. Your allies will be the twin-stick controls and tactical cover to overcome all the terrors you will find in Purgatory. After every run, you will fell more powerful and uncover mysteries that will help you to understand how you end up there.	Read review
AusGamers	Steve Farrelly	8 / 10	07-08-2020	West of Dead isn’t without its standoff moments of frustration, but a squint of the eye and a sweat-bead zero-flinch will see you standing tall post-Purgatory call out.	Read review
Bazimag	Sina Golab Zade	8 / 10	06-18-2020	West of Dead is a nice combination of roguelike ideas and twin stick shooter genre inside a weird west tale with some nice visuals narrated by the always great Ron Perlman.	Read review
Chalgyr’s Game Room	Pierre-Yves Lanthier	7.75 / 10	07-23-2020	Overall, West of Dead is a really neat Twin-Stick Shooter style and I look forward to hopefully seeing more of it in the future.	Read review
COGconnected	Alexander Thomas	71 / 100	06-23-2020	West of Dead offers a satisfying blend of tactics and rogue-like gameplay that I didn’t expect. Levels offer plenty of options for how you want to approach a situation, the gunplay is fast and precise, and the execution of creating a wild west style shoot out is perfect. The game is dripping with personality and Ron Perlman delivers each word with purpose and meaning. Every aspect of gameplay and aesthetic is tailored to telling the story of Mason in a way that feels natural and unique. It’s a blast to play over and over again despite issues with the geometry interfering with aiming and dodging not quite feeling as useful as it ought to.	Read review
Critical Hit	Darryn Bonthuys	8 / 10	06-18-2020	West of Dead isn’t going to win any originality contests, but it knows how to draw with the best of them and it’s quick enough to hit you with six rounds of stylistic fun. Beneath the obvious comparisons, there’s a game that plays out like a passionate high noon homage to the best of film, games and comic books.	Read review
cublikefoot	Chase Ferrin	Not Recommended	06-18-2020	Although the core gameplay is solid, the lack of variety and numerous technical issues really bring down the experience. From the many design flaws to the actual bugs, there are quite a few issues plaguing an otherwise decent game. Perhaps this will be a game that I may recommend in the future, but as it stands, I cannot in good faith do so.	Read review
DarkZero	Simon Lundmark	6 / 10	06-21-2020	It’s a shame. Put into a different, more traditional action game structure, West of Dead would be a satisfying RPG flavoured shooter with a truly inspired combination of gameplay mechanics. What’s here offers plenty of great, timing driven moments, but when saddled with conventions of the genre it has chosen to adopt, it quickly becomes an exercise in frustration and simply doesn’t hold up to the scrutiny.	Read review
Destructoid	Anthony Marzano	6 / 10	06-18-2020	If you pumped hours upon hours into Enter the Gungeon then chances are you’ll find a similar grab in West of Dead, but be fair warned that there isn’t as much polish here. If it helps, it is launching day one on Xbox Game Pass so if you have that you can try it as soon as it launches.	Read review
DualShockers	Otto Kratky	7 / 10	06-25-2020	While West of Dead is subdued in many ways, I find it to be an easy recommendation for any fan of roguelike titles.	Read review
Echo Boomer	João Canelo	Recommended	06-24-2020	Striking visuals, fun combat and a lot of love for the supernatural western folklore.	Read review
Game Rant	Jonathan Ammerman	3.5 / 5 stars	06-28-2020	West of Dead elevates its experience thanks to to the storytelling and art design. Some aspects of the game can be frustrating, but the total package is generally rewarding in its gameplay and beautiful in its design.	Read review
Gameblog	Rami Bououd	7 / 10	07-03-2020	West of Dead is a very interesting action game, very punitive, as dying is definitive, but entertaining. If you manage to tame its camera angles, you’ll find a pleasant alternative to Hotline Miami.	Read review
GameCrate	David Sanchez	8.5 / 10	06-19-2020	West of Dead is a refreshing take on multiple genres. It’s a great cover-based twin-stick shooter. It’s a different kind of roguelite. And it’s just a solid all-around action game that’s a joy to play. It’s highly challenging, and it rewards smart play, so what you ultimately get is a satisfying experience that’s fun and invites you to put the time into learning its intricacies.	Read review
Gamerheadquarters	Jason Stettner	8 / 10	06-21-2020	West of Dead is a great rogue-like bringing a really gloomy atmosphere that matches this cowboy’s journey through purgatory perfectly.	Read review
GameSkinny	Jason D’Aprile	7 / 10	06-22-2020	West of Dead has plenty of great gunplay and a fascinating setting, but be prepared to die over and over and put up with an unrelentingly unfriendly continue system.	Read review
GameSpot	Mike Epstein	5 / 10	06-29-2020	West of Dead brings some interesting ideas to the well-trod Rogue-lite scene, but lots of technical and design flaws make it hard to enjoy them.	Read review
GameWatcher	Robert Honaker	6 / 10	06-18-2020	A run-of-the-mill procedural twin-stick roguelike that has a unique aesthetic and premise, but little else. Without more content, more variety, and more exciting unlockables, West of Dead is dead in the water. Or will remain in gaming purgatory. Either way, I have very little faith in West of Dead’s future.	Read review
Geeks Under Grace	E.L. Wilson	9 / 10	07-03-2020	West of Dead is an excellent, action-packed, Western twin-stick shooter that features smooth gameplay and striking atmosphere.	Read review
God is a Geek	Mick Fraser	8 / 10	06-24-2020	West of Dead is a compelling and enjoyable challenge, helped along by Ron Perlman’s undeniable charisma and a handful of interesting new ideas.	Read review
Guardian	Simon Parkin	3 / 5 stars	08-15-2020	While the game’s style is like a Homeric epic seen through the panel of a comic book, the soundtrack of melancholic twanging guitar complicates the theme to something new and unexpected, a kind of undead western. It’s slickly compelling stuff, if repetitive after a few hours and, invariably, punitive.	Read review
IGN Italy	Unknown	7.6 / 10	06-24-2020	West of Dead it’s quite a classic twin stick shooter roguelike with a twist: it chooses tactic and thoughtfully action instead of frenzy. The gameplay is quite derivative and basic, though everything works and it’s overall a fun game.	Read review
Impulsegamer	Tory Favro	3.7 / 5 stars	08-31-2020	Overall I’d still encourage people to get West of Dead. It would be one of the most enjoyable roguelike games I have played in a long time, and if those little niggly issues are ironed out then I think a lot of people are going to enjoy the challenge and story of this really cool game.	Read review
Jump Dash Roll	Ant Barlow	4 / 10	08-20-2020	West of Dead is a game that conceivably had a lot of potential. However, on PlayStation 4 at least, the game is far too broken in vital areas to ever let players discover whether there was any substance to back up its undeniable style.	Read review
New Game Network	Alex Varankou	65 / 100	06-23-2020	West of Dead is full of style and brooding atmosphere, but the clunky controls and a lack of polish overshadow a few of its original ideas.	Read review
Niche Gamer	Frank Streva	7 / 10	07-07-2020	It’s just a shame that the game is undeniably clunky. The PC port is pretty poor in terms of controls, and there really isn’t any reason why it should be. With some improvements here and there, West of Dead could become a really good entry to the roguelite genre. I still had enough fun to recommend it, just be prepared for some janky controls and mechanics here and there.	Read review
NoobFeed	Bogdan Robert Mateș	67 / 100	06-21-2020	West of Dead is constantly at odds with itself and, while that doesn’t make it a bad game, it does make it harder to love.	Read review
Pardis Game	Alireza Abroshan	5 / 10	06-28-2020	West of Dead is an interesting game with mechanics that look good on paper. However, many of these mechanics are poorly implemented and make rage-quits a regular occurrence! Fortunately, the game excels in some parts like the boss fights, and there are workarounds for minor issues. As such, there is a good chance this game can improve immensely with some titles. Maybe it would have been better if this title was released in Early Access first, so that player feedback could have played a bigger role in development	Read review
PC Gamer	Phil Iwaniuk	83 / 100	06-18-2020	A fine balancing act of challenge and intrigue, with stabiliser wheels courtesy of Ron Perlman’s voice.	Read review
PlayStation Universe	John-Paul Jones	8.5 / 10	08-05-2020	A furiously stylish roguelike gothic western that blends genres with deft and aplomb, West of Dead is a resoundingly enjoyable offering that makes picking yourself up and dusting yourself off after every death a ravenously compelling proposition.	Read review
Rapid Reviews UK	Tomas Rodriguez	3.5 / 5 stars	06-30-2020	The shootings are not bad for West of Dead, because after all, that’s where it has to stand out. What we have here is a twin-stick shooter with an aerial camera that stands out almost entirely from the frenzy that characterises this type of game. It’s not about moving very fast, shooting at full speed, and dodging thousands of enemy projectiles. On the contrary: West of Dead is a slow and methodical game.	Read review
Screen Rant	Peter Morics	4 / 5 stars	07-08-2020	West of Dead is a difficult but deeply satisfying twin-stick shooter with a unique cover-based twist and a strong performance from Ron Perlman.	Read review
SelectButton	Kevin Mitchell	8 / 10	07-07-2020	West of Dead provides an adequate challenge set across an intriguing premise.	Read review
Shacknews	Donovan Erskine	8 / 10	06-23-2020	Upstream Arcade’s West of Dead is an impressive roguelike. With a solid twin-stick shooting system, West of Dead has a more than serviceable gameplay loop. However, the game is truly anchored by it’s incredible visuals and art design. Add on top of this an excellent voice performance and unique sense of worldbuilding, and you’ve got a roguelike formidable in any standoff.	Read review
TechRaptor	Alex Santa Maria	9 / 10	06-18-2020	Thanks to a moody atmosphere and precise mechanics, West of Dead perfectly wraps the tense feeling of cover shooting around a solid roguelike core.	Read review
The Digital Fix	Andrew Shaw	7 / 10	09-02-2020	West of Dead adds enough new elements to an overdone genre to keep things interesting and the visual design is truly stunning. If it had more to offer in terms of exploration and map size along with some more enemies to shoot, this would be even better.	Read review
TheSixthAxis	Thomas Hughes	8 / 10	06-18-2020	West of Dead shakes up the roguelite formula with its fantastic cover system, but it’s more than that. With the addition of Ron Pearlman voicing William Mason, a stylistic cel-shaded art style and a captivating story to uncover, West of Dead is a winning combination that will have you as happy as a pup with two tails.	Read review
Video Chums	A.J. Maciejewski	4 / 10	07-02-2020	It may take a while to learn how to play West of Dead effectively but the journey is ultimately rewarding and a ton of gunslinging fun.	Read review
WayTooManyGames	Jordan Hawes	8 / 10	07-01-2020	Roguelikes are a dime a dozen nowadays, especially in the indie scene. A lot of them end up falling flat because they don’t understand what makes the genre so addicting to begin with. That wasn’t the case here. Aside from a few issues and its slow beginning, West of Dead sits at the top of the pile, being one of my favories games in the genre.	Read review

** Learn more about how to become a MetaMeter-approved Critic.

Game Info

Game Description / Storyline:

Purgatory, Wyoming, 1888. A place of gun smoke and darkness, sin and damnation, wendigos and witches. A shifting, chaotic world that takes its form from the memories, culture or beliefs of the souls who pass through. When a dead man awakens with only the memory of a figure in black, he sets into motion a chain of events that have truly mythic consequences. Step into the boots of the dead man William Mason (voiced by Ron Perlman) and descend into the grim and gritty world of Purgatory in this fast-paced twin-stick shooter that’ll put your skills to test. Dodge behind cover as you try to outgun your enemies in the unknown procedurally generated hunting grounds. The Wild West has never been this dark.

RELEASE DATES:

DEVELOPER(S):

PUBLISHER(S):

GENRES:

SERIES/FRANCHISE:

GAME MODES:

GAME ENGINE:

DLC:

BUNDLED IN:

DIRECTOR(S):

PRODUCER(S):

DESIGNER(S):

PROGRAMMER(S):

ARTIST(S):

WRITER(S):

COMPOSER(S):

LINKS:

AGE RATING:

Detailed Information

GAME MODES:

GAME ENGINE:

DLC:

BUNDLED IN:

DIRECTOR(S):

PRODUCER(S):

DESIGNER(S):

PROGRAMMER(S):

ARTIST(S):

WRITER(S):

COMPOSER(S):

Developed by Upstream Arcade. All titles, content, brand names, trademarks, logos, artwork, and associated imagery are trademarks and/or copyright material of their respective owners. © All rights reserved.