Hard west mining6/13/2023 ![]() ![]() Rather, you have to explore every inch of the map if you’re going to make any progress. It’s worth noting here that, while Xcom offered a handy audio indicator to tell you where the bad guys are located, Hard West: Ultimate Edition refrains from this. Although the maps are relatively smaller than those in Xcom, many of them contain buildings with multiple floors, all of which have to be explored if you want to take out the bad guys. As a hybrid between table top adventure and RTS, there are virtually no frame rate issues and each environment is filled with objects to navigate or take cover behind. Graphically Hard West: Ultimate Edition is not the prettiest game on the Xbox One, but does a pretty robust job of creating varying maps and scenarios. ![]() These are assigned before the fracas begins with Hard West: Ultimate Edition offers two empty slots for items, two for weapons and one for armour. Combat is also helped by the use of items such as health kits and bombs. In practice, this means if you miss a shot or the enemy doesn’t die from being shot, then their luck increases. Hard West: Ultimate Edition also has an element of Luck in combat. Another ability will force an enemy to scream and, consequently, rattle the nerve of their friends standing nearby. Our favourite has to be one that allows you to swap blood with an enemy and steal all of their health points. The abilities on offer are a pretty mixed bag with varying levels of effectiveness. Hard West: Ultimate Edition also mixes things up a little by providing you with ability cards that you can play during combat. An ironman option means, if a critical character is killed you’re whisked back to restart the level from scratch. These ranged from easy to normal and then hard. We were pleased to find that each of the scenarios allowed you to choose your own difficulty setting. The environment offers different types of cover, including items that can be hidden behind, but can still be fired through depending on line of sight. You have two moves per character and using power abilities will deplete your moves. Talking about combat, for anyone familiar with Xcom, the mechanics underpinning Hard West: Ultimate Edition will be instantly familiar. Although this was a nice, thoughtful touch, we didn’t notice any discernible difference in combat following any decisions we made. During Hard West: Ultimate Edition, you’re constantly presented with multiple choice options that will determine how the story unfolds. Your father falls victim to a curse and (yes, you guessed it) it’s your job to find a cure for him. Throughout this scenario, you’re tasked with setting up home, earning coin by mining gold and tracking down your mother’s killers. During the first and, in my mind, the most touching scenario, a family travelling along the Oregon trail are set upon by bandits who kill and decapitate the mother. The game offers eight unique scenarios, all set in the west and all pitting a protagonist against seemingly insurmountable odds. ![]() Envisioned as a gothic horror western, Hard West: Ultimate Edition utilises the familiar mechanics of Xcom and spice things up with a wild west horror setting and resource management elements bolted on. With the genre now firmly established, Poland-based CreativeForge Games (those of Phantom Doctrine and Blackthorn Arena fame) have now released Hard West: Ultimate Edition for the Xbox One. For many gamers, the turn based tactical strategy genre came into its own with the release of the critically acclaimed Xcom Enemy Unknown in 2012 and then revamped for the Xbox One in 2016 with Xcom 2. ![]()
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