Blood West - Western stealth FPS with Stephen Russell

[Carnage]

New western stealth FPS inspired by Thief, Stalker and Hunt: Showdown with Stephen Russell as the voice actor. Haven't tried it myself yet but reviews on Steam are very positive.

 

[datiswous]

I probably shouldn't have watched this. I imagined Stephen Russell a bit different. In my imagination he looked more closely to Neil Gaiman.

Game seems a bit too simplistic from the footage. I don't see much stealth gameplay and the graphics look bad.

Edited December 8, 2023 by datiswous

[chakkman]

I don't see a lot of stealth gameplay either. 

The graphics are alright, no issue with that.

Guess I'll buy it.  

Edited December 8, 2023 by chakkman

[Carnage]

13 hours ago, datiswous said:

I imagined Stephen Russell a bit different

Me too, but it makes it even more suprising how he's able to do his iconic voice.

13 hours ago, datiswous said:

I don't see much stealth gameplay and the graphics look bad.

I think on the Steam page they show a bit how the stealth part works. Not sure if you can stealth large parts and then all hell breaks lose if you're detected. Graphics I never care about in these kind of games, gameplay is what it's all about for me. Nowadays a lot of times there's too much focus on making a game beatiful and then they forget to actually make an entertaining game.

[JackFarmer]

When will it be released?

[chakkman]

As far as I understand (and as it is for sale on Steam), it already is released.

[datiswous]

20 hours ago, Carnage said:

Graphics I never care about in these kind of games, gameplay is what it's all about for me. Nowadays a lot of times there's too much focus on making a game beatiful and then they forget to actually make an entertaining game.

Well I don't need AAA graphics, but I don't like the pixelated look. If the graphics are technology close to something from 2008, I'm fine with that. But it seems fps's look either close to Daikatana or it's over the top the best looking.

Edited December 9, 2023 by datiswous

[chakkman]

I find that pixelated look silly as well. If then do it like Gloomwood: Less detailled graphics. But, not that ridiculous Minecraft look.

Don't think it would actually bother me that much in game though.

Edited December 9, 2023 by chakkman

[Carnage]

I played it for about 2 hours and you can certainly feel the inspiration by the old Thief games, which is also the reason they went for the pixelated look I assume. First few minutes you're immediately taught how the stealth works and certainly in the early game playing stealth is a must. Enemies hit hard and if they swarm you after being detected you're pretty much dead if you don't make a run for it. Hit and run when there a multiple enemies seems to be the best strategy in the beginning or try to sneak past them (you can use skill points to improve stealth and other skills).

Exploring is rewarding as you can find hidden passages with some good loot (guns, ammunition, potions). Storywise the game is bit weak IMO and it's lacking the atmosphere (it feels barebones) that the old Thief games were able to give you despite the outdated graphics, although this last point might be due to the starting location (canyon). There's no quick save and you can only exit the game by saving, so if you screw up you have to accept the consequences. You receive a curse after dying 3 times (but there are items that can prevent or cure this). All in all I would give the game a 7/10 based on my early gameplay.

[datiswous]

I just find this a bit cheap. Instead of making a really good game, you can also make it look retro and make it seem Thief-like by using Stephen Russell as the voice, then everyone will believe it's good stealth and immersive.

[chakkman]

TBH, the videos I've seen so far don't really turn me on.

[Carnage]

7 hours ago, datiswous said:

I just find this a bit cheap. Instead of making a really good game, you can also make it look retro and make it seem Thief-like by using Stephen Russell as the voice, then everyone will believe it's good stealth and immersive.

Agree with you 100%.

7 hours ago, chakkman said:

TBH, the videos I've seen so far don't really turn me on.

Maybe wait for a big sale. After not playing Thief for such a long time it never gave me the same goosebump feeling I got from playing The Black Parade. Blood West gets repetitive very fast and for me the difficulty is bit too much (but I also suck in soulslike games, so it might just be me).

[Näkki]

22 hours ago, datiswous said:

make it seem Thief-like by using Stephen Russell as the voice, then everyone will believe it's good stealth and immersive

I don't think they're trying to make anyone believe it's 1800s Thief: the trailer is mostly blowing zombies up and away with an explosive Sharps and a coach gun. I appreciate that this is a forum for a Thief fan game, but from what little I've read it seems like you guys are very cynical here. Games should be celebrated in their own right, and not how they match up with a 25 y/o game because they share a VA.

I played it all the way through thanks to this post and had a great time: it's part Resident Evil, part Deus Ex and part Hunt Showdown, all of which are fantastic. I'd have liked more enemy and weapon variety, but it was a very fun 8 hours.

[chakkman]

57 minutes ago, Näkki said:

Games should be celebrated in their own right, and not how they match up with a 25 y/o game because they share a VA.

True, but, 1. this thread is called "Western stealth FPS with Stephen Russell", and, 2. nothing you said changes anything for me. The gameplay still doesn't look like something I'd enjoy.

And, if you really think this forum is cynical, then you don't visit forums much. Actually, the majority of the users are are pretty mature, unlike in other forums.

Edited December 15, 2023 by chakkman

[datiswous]

2 hours ago, Näkki said:

part Deus Ex

How?

[Näkki]

1 hour ago, chakkman said:

True, but, 1. this thread is called "Western stealth FPS with Stephen Russell"

The devs didn't title this thread, and @datiswous said they're attempting to mislead people by using Russell's name and a retro style to make it resemble Thief, which is cynical.

2 hours ago, chakkman said:

you don't visit forums much. Actually, the majority of the users are are pretty mature

I grew up on forums like I'm sure anyone who likes a game from '98 did. I actually left the Discord immediately after joining it because it was more off-topic doom-posting than anything relevant to the mod. I thought the forums might be better, but it's mostly just grown men yelling at clouds and telling strangers how mature they are, and a few brave souls actually developing anything. Depressing place, I'll just stick to enjoying new missions every 6 months without an account.

[chakkman]

Hey, you don't have to visit this place, if it's so gruesome.

[Carnage]

Relax @Näkki, it's great to hear you enjoyed the game. My personal expectations were just a bit different when I read the Steam page, although the various trailers should have been a warning that stealth maybe wasn't the biggest priority of the devs.

From the Steam page:

"Weird west legends meet eldritch horror in BLOOD WEST, an immersive stealth FPS."

Also

"Blood West is a stealth FPS inspired by the genre classics such as the Thief series (whose fans will be happy to hear the voice of Stephen Russell, the actor voicing the master-thief Garrett, returning here as the protagonist), S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games, or - from the contemporary catalog - Hunt: Showdown. The gameplay rewards the careful approach: scouting the area, stalking your enemies, and striking from the shadows. Can you figure out a way to clear a fort full of ghouls and monsters without raising an alarm?"

From my personal experience I think the game is predominantly Hunt: Showdown, a bit of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and a very small portion Thief. Stealth is very unforgiving and makes it almost impossible early game when there are various enemies around, but hey maybe I just suck at it. I don't see Deus Ex in it, unless the skill leveling is the Deus Ex part for you and then I have to disagree with you, as that seems like the trait system in Hunt: Showdown.

Edit: What I also understood from the Steam forums is that the original VA was dropped close before the release of the full version and replaced by Russell with no real explanation from the devs why this was done.

Edited December 15, 2023 by Carnage

[STiFU]

I do enjoy oldschool looking games with modern tech. This one however is lacking the modern tech part. The lighting looks really boring. Should've used proper GI lightmaps or something to make it look more interesting. Compare this to AMID EVIL, Prodeus or Graven, and you'll know what I mean.