Summary
- Sci-fi/western crossovers have gained popularity in various media due to seamless genre blending.
- Video games like Rebel Galaxy offer unique space western adventures with intense battles and frontier settings.
- Games like Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath and The Outer Worlds combine immersive gameplay with space western settings and unique character diversity.
From the escapades of the rag-tag crew of the Serenity in the cult-classic Firefly to the dogged bounty-hunting of Cowboy Bebop, the sci-fi western provides a unique combination of frontier action, adventure, and fantasy. The blend is one that's proven wildly popular, both with the aforementioned examples and with more recent sci-fi, such as The Mandalorian.
Why The Sci-Fi/Western Genre Crossover Works So Well
Westerns and science-fiction genres have enough in common to make their crossovers seamless.
Video games have taken this genre and run with it in many ways, offering a great variety of swashbuckling adventures across the stars or otherwise. From managing a colony on a hostile frontier planet to gun-fighting with steampunk robots, there's something here for every sci-fi western fan.
7 Rebel Galaxy
Space Combat With A Firefly-Esque Atmosphere
Rebel Galaxy
- Released
- October 20, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Double Damage Games
- Publisher(s)
- Double Damage Games
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Rebel Galaxy is a fast-paced adventure through space with a swashbuckling spirit, focusing its efforts on atmosphere and action over simulation. With its bluesy soundtrack and frontier setting, Rebel Galaxy is perfect for fans of science-fiction such as Firefly and space westerns as a whole.
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The combat is particularly unique, offering explosive broadside battles with a variety of spaceships. It's the visceral nature and frequency of these battles, as well as the game's adventurous spirit, that allows it to stand out.
6 SteamWorld Heist
Innovative Tactics In A Steampunk World
SteamWorld Heist
- Released
- December 10, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
SteamWorld Heist combines typical steampunk imagery with a space western look and feel. The game's unique character designs and colorful neon visuals do a lot for the overall atmosphere, but SteamWorld Heist is elevated by its gun-slinging combat system.
In SteamWorld Heist, players must contend with enemies in tight, claustrophobic firefights. While turn-based and tactical, these gunfights are made expressive by allowing players to manually aim their shots, even providing the ability to bounce bullets for trick-shots.
5 Wild Bastards
Unique Action In A Distinctive Sci-Fi World
Wild Bastards
- Released
- September 12, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Blue Manchu
- Publisher(s)
- Modus Games, Maximum Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Strategy
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Sporting more of a spaghetti western feel than anything else, this pulpy space western is slick with its visual style. Wild Bastards is a roguelite, but it remains an experience that excels with its atmosphere, thanks in large part to its creative character designs, stylized visuals, and evocative soundtrack.
Gameplay combines tabletop-esque node exploration with frantic gunfights, but Wild Bastards is elevated by the variety of its characters. These heroes, numbered thirteen, are immensely diverse, facilitating different play-styles with their unique weapons and abilities.
4 Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
Bounty Hunting In A Truly Strange World
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
- Released
- January 25, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Oddworld Inhabitants
- Publisher(s)
- EA Games, Oddworld Inhabitants, Microids
- Genre(s)
- Shooter, Action-Adventure
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Taking place in a veritable dust bowl rife with dangerous outlaws, Stranger's Wrath is a decidedly western experience. However, the variety of alien characters and steampunk technology they wield give it a unique look and tone.
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While its setting and overall atmosphere make for an immersive backdrop, Stranger's Wrath excels primarily with its gameplay. Combining typical 3D platforming with dynamic action sequences, Stranger's Wrath is able to stand out from the crowd, especially so with its live ammunition system, which has players collecting various critters to fire from a powerful crossbow.
3 Fallout: New Vegas
A Retro-Futuristic Wasteland
Fallout: New Vegas
- Released
- October 19, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
With its post-apocalyptic wasteland setting and retro-futurism, Fallout: New Vegas continues its series' trend of quirky technology and mutated creatures. However, New Vegas adds a decidedly western twist with its desert setting.
The wild nature of the post-nuclear Mojave Desert and the dangerous factions and outlaws that roam it make New Vegas perfect for fans of the Wild West. Furthermore, the nostalgic sci-fi imagery and unconventional technology that frequents its desert expanses present a unique landscape to explore.
2 RimWorld
Colony Management On The Outer Rim
RimWorld
- Released
- October 17, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
RimWorld is a comparatively accessible sci-fi colony-sim with a space western setting akin to Firefly, with influences from works such as Dune thrown in for good measure. The outer-rim setting and frequently low-tech weaponry are particularly reminiscent of westerns, but RimWorld is packed with alien creatures and powerful technology that pushes it firmly into the realm of sci-fi.
Deeply mechanical and heavily simulated, RimWorld is also able to offer an immersive experience despite its minimalist visuals. Elevating the overall experience is an atmospheric soundtrack that sets the mood with a combination of alien, electronic sounds and spaghetti western stings.
1 The Outer Worlds
A Gun-Slinging, Spacefaring Adventure
The Outer Worlds
- Released
- October 25, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Private Division
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
From the minds of Fallout pioneers Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky, The Outer Worlds combines the immersive RPG gameplay of games such as Fallout: New Vegas with a space western setting similar to that of Firefly. However, The Outer Worlds' colorful world design, quirky characters, and unique humor allow it to stand out both as a game and as a setting.
The Outer Worlds excels with its adventurous spirit, allowing players to explore multiple planets and locations with their own distinctive look and feel. However, it's the game's characters and, more specifically, the variety of companions, that make it a particularly immersive RPG.
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