Summary
- Weird West is a recent action RPG that stands out with its integration of supernatural elements, allowing players to face off against spooky creatures.
- Gun, a classic Wild West game, offers an immersive open-world experience with RPG elements and still holds up well today.
- Call of Juarez series, aside from one poorly received entry, offers top-notch Western first-person shooter gameplay, with Call of Juarez: Gunslinger being the best title in the series.
For the last decade or so, the Red Dead Redemption series has had a bit of a monopoly on the Wild West video game genre. While it certainly wasn't the first Wild West series, and it definitely won't be the last, Red Dead Redemption offers a complete package that only a few other Western games have, combining a riveting story with compelling characters, excellent gunplay, and a vast, realistic open-world to explore. But while they are admittedly rare, there are other Wild West games out there offering an equally compelling experience.
A genre all about gunslinging, horse riding, bounty hunting, and law-keeping, the Wild West genre naturally lends itself to certain gameplay archetypes. But while the vast majority of Wild West games are shooters of some sort, they almost always have a unique twist or hook, and that's exactly the case for these other excellent Western games.
Weird West
Developed by a studio helmed by Arkane's founder and ex-president, Weird West is an action RPG that initially launched back in March 2022, making it the most recent entry in this list. A top-down action RPG with a healthy helping of immersive sim components, Weird West's big hook is its integration of supernatural elements. As players take control of Weird West's five incredibly distinct characters, they'll come face-to-face with werewolves, wendigos, sirens, and many more spooky otherworldly creatures.
Gun
An absolute classic of the Wild West video game genre, Gun is a third-person action-adventure shooter that first released all the way back in 2005 for the original Xbox and PlayStation 2. Coming just a year after Red Dead Revolver, Gun was clearly heavily inspired by the old Rockstar title, though it surpassed it in almost every way. Featuring an open-world environment filled with RPG elements such as side missions and upgrades, Gun was essentially the most complete Wild West action-adventure experience until Red Dead Redemption's release in 2010, and it still holds up surprisingly well today, though its content doesn't come close to either Red Dead Redemption game.
Call of Juarez
This is a bit of a cheat entry, but the vast majority of the Call of Juarez series is well-deserving of a spot on this list. Aside from the dismal Call of Juarez: The Cartel, which swapped the Wild West setting for a Wild West-inspired modern-day L.A., the other three Call of Juarez entries are all top-notch Western first-person shooters. All developed by Techland - a studio now best known for its Dying Light series - Call of Juarez began life in 2006 as a relatively simple but fun Wild West FPS.
The 2009 sequel, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, was received a little better than the first entry, with many critics and fans praising the game's highly cinematic nature. But according to the critics, it's the most recent entry, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger that's technically the best title in the series. Released in 2013, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger continues the series' trend of simple but fun gameplay, but refines it to the point of near-perfection, giving players an extremely enjoyable Spaghetti Western shooting gallery to blast through.
Desperados 3
The latest entry in a series that debuted all the way back in 2001, Desperados 3 is technically the most critically acclaimed game on this list, earning a great deal of praise upon its initial launch back in 2020. A real-time strategy game, Desperados 3 puts a more tactical spin on the Wild West genre, and with a surprising emphasis on stealth, it becomes one of the most unique games on this list. The perfect blend of XCOM and Red Dead Redemption, Desperados 3 is worth checking out for those who want a fresh Wild West gaming experience.