West Hunt: You Have Yee’d Your Last Haw

Hide as an outlaw or patrol as a sheriff. West Hunt has you doubting everyone.

West Hunt is an early access game that involves players pitted against each other. Brought to us by NewGen an indie studio in Tunisia. This indie gem is fun for all players. Set in the Wild West, players must play as the sheriff to uncover outlaws. Otherwise play as the outlaw and hide from the sheriff. Fun maps, fun game play and hilarious moments combine to make this a multiplayer experience you should try. As always, thanks for joining us here at VIBE and lets get down to reviewing West Hunt.

PVE & PVP

West Hunt allows players to be pit against each other or players versus bots. The aim of the game is for one player or bot to be the sheriff and the other to be the outlaw. The outlaw will be tasked with carrying out several nefarious tasks such as poisoning the water supply or stealing medicine. Additionally, every time the outlaw carries out a task the sheriff will be tipped off anonymously with a letter in the mail box. However, it only tells the sheriff the task that has been completed and not the actual location. Therefore, players must use their deductive skills to sus out where the player could be and investigate any of the NPC’s to see if they are acting “shifty”.

Overall, the element of PVP and PVE is exhilarating. Whilst playing as an outlaw I felt genuine fear every time I messed up and did something suspicious or everytime the sheriff raised his gun. Thus, creating an adrenaline inducing experience from start to finish. Also, despite being pitted against bots they definitely did not show mercy and were quick to ensure the player was discovered.

GAMEPLAY

The gameplay is simplistic and most of the time players are just interacting with objects by pressing E. However, it takes a great deal of skill to traverse around the enemy AI or enemy player and make your actions look less suspicious. Therefore, the player must walk like the other NPCS, act like them and blend in as much as possible. In the picture above, I am desperately trying to blend in as an NPC and with the sheriff coming right for you, there is no room for error. The notoriety level in the top left gives the player an inkling on when they are becoming increasingly suspicious.

The game runs pretty smoothly. At first I was apprehensive due to “tank” controls but after getting in the groove of things you realize this is for the benefit of the player. Playing as an NPC you would be robotic and if you’re trying to blend in it’s best to act exactly like everyone else on the map.

MAPS

At the moment West Hunt offers three maps. Each map looks plucked from a spaghetti western film. The town is big and features a train platform with several houses, shops and even an old fashioned bank and jail. However, the fortress is even bigger with a wooden perimeter, teaming with soldiers and dotted with tents and weapons. Lastly, is Mexico City. Mexico City seems like an oasis in the dry desert filled with tiled houses and fountains.

CUSTOMIZATION

Ultimately, the game has something for players to work towards. Leveling up yields several different skins, pets, emotes and titles for the sheriff. Who doesn’t love parading on online games with their hard earned cosmetics. Additionally, strolling around the Wild West with a dog is a welcome for players who love companions of the canine variety. The outlaw does not have any skins which makes perfect sense as this would definitely make them stand out and be an easy target for the sheriff.

ROAD MAP

West Hunt is currently in early access. However, the developers have kept fans in the loop regularly about what updates and new features are on the horizon. NewGen have even established a discord server to search for players, report bugs or just get info on the game. This server can be joined here: https://discordapp.com/invite/y9V6tDCFS5

The road map announces more DLC’s with a personal favorite of mine a Halloween DLC. Additionally, A new mode named “assassins” is set to be released at the start of 2023. The developers have been consistent in communicating with their players and keeping them up to date with everything going on with West Hunt. Therefore, instilling faith in the fans that this will be a game that is worked on with regular updates for the foreseeable future.

VIBES SCORE

7/10

Thank You

Thank you for checking my review for West Hunt. As always, I extend my warmest thanks and encourage you to check out this game. If you’re still on the fence please give the trailer below a watch for some clips of game play and a bit more about the game overall. If you disagree with the score or have any comments to add don’t forget to let us know! We love hearing from our readers.

Also, if you enjoyed this article check out another review of an indie favorite Stray: https://vibethenook.com/stray-the-purrfect-cat-that-strays-into-your-heart/. I have been writing with VIBE for 8 months and have accumulated several articles.