West of Loathing Reviews
Thanks to its superb writing and zany cast of characters, West of Loathing is a must-play turn-based RPG for the Switch. What it lacks in graphical special effects, it totally makes up for in the humor department. It is yet another great addition to your Switch library!
West of Loathing is one of those games that you go into not expecting much at all. My only previous experience of it was seeing it at EGX and I was watching someone else play. I thought it looked ok, but I didn't give it much thought after that. I went into this totally cold, expecting very little. That has taught me a very valuable lesson yet again to never judge a book by its cover. The game is rich with content, has an excellent and humorous story which will keep you entertained all the way through with great little brain teasers. The only slight let down is the battles, but it's not even that bigger deal as this has so much more to offer. Do yourself a favour and pick this one up because it's one of the best little games on Switch and one I will not hesitate in recommending.
I truly love West of Loathing. It's charming, silly, fun and, most surprisingly, offers genuinely engaging combat and questing.
Treating this game like a super-serious RPG is the wrong way to go about it, as that's where the holes start to emerge, whether it's the middling combat or the mildly annoying quest and item management troubles. This is a comedy, pure and simple, and thankfully it's one that's clever and funny in a way that makes up for any lesser gameplay segments. It's a great chaser between the ample supply of serious games out there, especially if you have Stupid Walking turned on.
Imagine a Western where scouring the American frontier is as urgent as calculating the severity of a hat. This balance sustains West of Loathing's mixture of zealous role-playing and profuse outpouring of absurdity. It's proof that capable writing can not only texture eccentric maneuvers in design and presentation, but also prevail as a primary attraction. West of Loathing celebrates Western ambience and revels in disciplined goofiness.
The game provides an excellent mixture of humour and exploration that is very easy to get sucked into.
West of Loathing may not be perfect, but it never needed to be. What it gives us, instead, is one of the funniest goddamn games I've played all year. I may be a bit late to the party, but I'm really glad that I gave it a chance. Anything capable of making me smile this much is an absolute blessing. This is something truly special, and I can't wait to see what the developers at Asymmetric have in store for us next.
From the charm that oozes out of the hand drawn simple animations to the writing that is absolutely on point from start to finish, West of Loathing really is something quite special.
I'm actually having more fun playing this ludicrous RPG parody drawn with stick people than I did with the bigger budget Wasteland 2.
West of Loathing is a highly entertaining, sometimes bizarre and mostly a charming RPG.
WoL is most easily described as a comedy game, and though it is indeed a prime-cut ribtickler, that can be a backhanded compliment – as if jokes are all it has. WoL does something far more accomplished, far more rare, which is to be joyful.
West of Loathing makes remarkable use of the space it inhabits. It just doesn't make navigating that space very fun at times. There is enough to this adventure to make it is easily recommendable to fans of CYOA style games, and those who enjoy tougher RPGs all around. For those who don't fall into those categories, there's nothing here that will likely entice you to stick around very long.
The turn-based combat isn't the best, but it's a delightfully written RPG absolutely packed with humor.
West of Loathing is one of the most memorable games I have played this year. It's unique simple-yet-detailed visuals and witty writing for everything from basic dialogue to item descriptions will keep fans of both westerns and RPGs very entertained. Unfortunately, once you hop into battle, the game's cracks start to show. While there is a great feeling of progression, West of Loathing's combat never did much to stand out from the systems in countless other turn-based RPGs. While I won't forget this Western romp anytime soon, I'll be remembering the witty dialogue exchanges and unique graphics more than its gameplay.
Asymmetric Then there's the lore. West of Loathing takes place after a major magical disaster: the Day the Cows Came Home. Portals to hell turned the cows demonic, and great darkness spread across the West. West of Loathing elicits this powerful emotional connection with stick figures. It bonds you to its world with nothing more than doodling and dialogue. There's a pretty good turn-based adventure game there, under the hood, but West of Loathing's many strengths are all personal: connections made between developer and player when you both laugh at the same time. Absurdism aside, there's something fundamentally human and direct baked into the game's whole design from aesthetic to script. On top of it, you can dunk your hand into a spittoon of caustic toxins to pull out an enchanted sword. That's the kind of player choice I didn't even know I wanted in a Western RPG.
If the thought of flinging fava beans instead of fireballs leaves you cold, then this isn't the game for you. But if you're smiling at the idea of a world where meateors crash into the earth and distribute bits of meat — then, hey, it's time to go west.