Despite how crowded the shooter genre may feel, I must admit that I’m always glad that studios do their best to keep innovating and bring new formulas that more often than not are extremely enjoyable. That is the case of Far Far West. While I shamefully admit that this new Cowboys-Meet-Magic shooter flew above my radar, it is now one of the games I’m most looking forward to due to how well it mixes FPS mechanics with magic and one of the most addictive gameplay loops I’ve experienced recently, despite how grindy it might feel at times.
Shootin’ and Castin’
Far Far West throws you into this perilous wasteland with different biomes full of reanimated foes, floating saloons, and ghost trains. You are a robotic cowboy whose only job is to grab a new mission to gain currency and upgrade your arsenal to take on more difficult objectives.
The first thing that blew me away when I spawned in Far Far West was its style, which perfectly captures the wild west feel while also throwing in several supernatural and even steampunk elements to create one of the greatest looks I’ve seen in a modern first-person shooter. On top of that, all the missions, which take place in different biomes, feature large maps, which just enhances the feel of being a mechanical cowboy assailed by hordes of cryptid foes.
Yet, the bread and butter of this FPS lies in its gameplay loop and the many things you can do while on a mission. To start your objective, you pick one mission out of the ones the game offers you, all changing depending on the difficulty, and once you pick it, you’re thrown into a randomized map where your job is completing the objective, defeating the boss, and extracting.
However, there are many more things to do while in a match, from secret quests that unlock cosmetics or Jokers, to actual quests with different steps that you have to complete in different missions. I couldn’t help but compare Far Far West to Helldivers 2 at times, where every POI has something for you to discover and maybe even a few rewards that can help you during your current run.
Exploring the map is another big thing in the game, as there are so many secrets I was not expecting. For instance, in one biome, I talked to an NPC who mentioned that one Bell had been broken into three pieces. This led me to a scavenger hunt with no map markers, where I had to find the aforementioned bell fragments. While I didn’t find them, it was great to see that the game rewards exploration and throws in unmarked objectives for you to look for while you’re riding on your mechanical steed.
Then, to add even more elements to the ever-changing loop, you have these mystery zones with side objectives, often involving shooting sigils to obtain currency or just completing a short objective to obtain a Joker, which is a sort of roguelike upgrade that works for that mission alone. Every single detail adds to the unexpected yet welcome loop that quickly becomes addictive due to how varied, engaging, and rewarding it is.
Regarding combat, however, I did find it a bit too difficult, especially when playing solo. This will surely change throughout the early access period, but as many other FPS that have launched lately, such as Mycopunk, they usually feel tailored toward group play, and I do believe that is the best way to experience Far Far West. I’d just wish they would balance it a bit more for the lone wolves out there.
In terms of your arsenal, you begin with a revolver and an automatic rifle, as well as different spells from varied schools of magic. Combat usually revolves around shooting enemies, but also using spells that are on cooldown to create some destructive effects. For example, acid and fire create a huge explosion, encouraging you to find elemental combinations to help you clear enemies faster.
Bosses, which are the true highlights of every round, are extremely challenging, but also pretty amusing to fight. My favorite so far was a haunted saloon that had its weak points in its windows and shot explosive shockwaves at me and even fired a ray of energy that I had to evade as the building spun around the arena—it was a true marvel to watch.
Of course, as I mentioned before, you need to clear the mission’s main objective, which usually involves a multi-stage challenge depending on the mission. One, for instance, required me to fire a giant laser. But for that, I had to turn up a valve, defend it, and then solve a mathematical problem to figure out the code. Add to that hordes of enemies assailing you at the same time, and you have one chaotic yet extremely entertaining match that is really hard to replicate in other shooters.
Last but not least, there are also several things to do at base, such as upgrading your character by spending gold, unlocking weapons with fragments, purchasing permanent Jokers with souls, and even working toward unlocking several cosmetics for your cowboy or your steed. Every single thing you do in this game is highly rewarding, and while I do think the grind will take a lot of time unless you’re playing in the greatest difficulties, it is one grind I don’t mind doing due to how fantastic this FPS is.
The Sheriff of FPS Is In Town
It is rare to see a modern shooter nowadays that nails every single one of its aspects and, most importantly, stands out among a crowded sea of FPS games, yet Far Far West does that and more. The surprising thing is that this is just what it is offering in its early access, meaning that there are many more features to come, and while I tend to wait until a game fully launches, I can’t wait to keep diving into this cryptid-filled map to do what robotic cowboys do best: shoot guns and fling spells with style.
