
November is going to be a huge month in the gaming world, with a whole host of major releases vying for everyone’s Christmas cash. Each platform has at least one impressive release on the way as an exclusive, with plenty of much-loved franchises coming out as well as some newcomers with intriguing themes and characters. Of course, there is a handful that looks to be the biggest winners of the month.
On November 8, with it being a World Cup year – or rather, the World Cup month – Football Manager 23 will almost certainly rake in huge sales figures. Just after, on November 9 and exclusive to PlayStation, God of War concludes its Norse chapter with Ragnarök. From battling the gods to having several shield options, few are looking beyond God of War as the frontrunner for the Game of the Year awards. The Nintendo Switch will also be getting a major exclusive in the form of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Dotted around these guaranteed best-sellers, we’ve got Sonic Frontiers, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, and the particularly intriguing Evil West. Playing as a vampire hunter with fantastical gear and powers in the Old West, the premise is certainly unique, and the game’s arriving at a time when there’s a good amount of interest in the Old West across media. Having already hit a major milestone, Evil West could be a sneaky hidden gem on November 22.
Vampire slaying in the Old West goes gold.
Evil West saw its release date nudged back a couple of months earlier in the year, but there’s firm news that it’s November 22 release will stick. On October 11, Evil West went gold, meaning that the game is completed, has been confirmed as such, and put into a gold disc to be duplicated and shipped. So, Evil West will launch roughly two weeks after God of War Ragnarök.
Tasked with protecting the American frontier from the supernatural, you play as Jesse Rentier, equipped with a pulsating gauntlet, a classic six-shooter, and a flamethrower – among many other weapons. As you defeat more and more of the ungodly creatures coming your way, you’ll learn to utilize the environment to defeat them, such as by exploding barrels or forcing the denizens of the night into traps.
The Evil West team and publishers Focus Entertainment have been very forthcoming with reveals and information to help explain the niche premise to gamers. As you can see above, it was only in September that a second extended gameplay trailer was put out online. That video had been viewed over 212,000 times at the time of writing, with it showcasing the RPG mechanics, creepy cut-scenes, and emphatic third-person combat missions. The Final Preview, which came out September 21, hit over 360,000 views.
Somewhat subtly, the Evil West Bestiary series put out on the Focus Entertainment Community channel is also demonstrating that there’s a lot to look forward to in the upcoming release. The Boo-Hag mat-bat creatures look to be fun, squishy villains to take on until they pile up on you. Beyond them, the Screeching Devil, Leecher, and Highborn look to be much tougher foes. It’s going to throw you into the deep dark depths of killer vampiric creatures, and all in the popular Old West setting, which could prove to be gaming gold.
Old West is riding high in entertainment right now
Most of the best western games that will be popular in 2022 were released a few years ago. Red Dead Redemption 2, Desperados III, Hard West 2, and Call of Juarez: Gunslinger all hold up today, especially in the case of the former. Being such a vast and sprawling world, gamers are still happy to jump into the Old West game to hunt the big horn or complete the voodoo side quests.
It’s not just the games that are blasting back to the Old West, though. On the big screen, 2021’s late hit The Power of the Dog earned 12 Oscar nominations, and Jane Campion netted Best Director. In the entertainment space of online casinos, developers have struck gold with old western-themed games. Western Gold 2: Double Barrel remains a favorite among top games, so in comes the brand-new Outlaw Saloon slot with its high volatility that’s befitting of the classic, tense saloon scenes in western flicks.
While movies, slots, and video games aren’t connected as entertainment mediums, they all contribute to the landscape, and all too often, we see popular themes explode and get embraced by all. The American frontier, Old West, Wild West, and western themes are seeing a resurgence in pop culture, which looks to help Evil West become a hit in the incredibly crowded November release window.
Even though it has a rather unusual premise, the Evil West has done well to give gamers as much information as possible to bridge the gap between vampire hunters and the Old West. If reviews land with good scores, Evil West has a chance.