Looking for the best wild west games on PC that you should play? This is not an easy decision. The Wild West is a time of lawlessness, gold mining and dangerous gunfights - it's no wonder that it has become the theme of many of the best cowboy games.
Western games are heavily inspired by the cowboy media that came before them, and it's fair to say that the humble western is a cornerstone of American culture. Game studios that decide to take the trouble to bring the American frontier into our lives have a heavy workload to do it right. Fortunately, some of them absolutely accurately conveyed what it was like to be a cowboy. And luckily for you, we've put in the hard work and put together an impressive list of the best wild west games on PC.
Here are the best wild west games on PC:
Red Dead Redemption 2
A prequel to one of the best wild west games of all time, Red Dead Redemption 2 throws you on the edge of life as a cowboy in an unforgiving open world. It's not that RDR2 didn't have whiskey, tavern brawls or night hikes under the stars, but now we're seeing another side of that scrappy lifestyle. You play as Van der Linde gang member Arthur Morgan and the right-hand man of Dutch, the sinister leader of a gang of criminals. The murky morals that the gang adheres to in order to survive in a world that no longer fits their way of life are constantly tested in this epic story - unlike many Western games, RDR2 takes a look at the American frontier in transition, and this is captured brilliantly in the oppressed Van der Linde gang.
In Red Dead Redemption 2, you'll learn how to be a cowboy, but along with horse taming and bounty hunting, here you can lasso fugitives and lay them down on railroad tracks like a pantomime villain, get drunk in a saloon and start a brawl throughout the city, as well as drive through dry dusty plains, shooting deer for dinner.
Evil West
If RDR2 seems too realistic to you, then why not instead put on a Stetson and jingle your boot spurs while exterminating vampires? There were quite a few vampire games in 2022, but Evil West brought the popular genre back to the Old West—well, a very fictional Old West, with electric weapons and demonic winged monsters.
This RPG takes you on a linear journey through this crazy historical story, so there's no free roaming on horseback. Nevertheless, Evil West still answers the call of western fans with their gorgeous surroundings and 19th century style. And if you don't like being a lonely rancher while you go through a series of chapters Evil West, then you can destroy old zombies in cooperative mode.
hard west 2
The original Hard West was a great mix of turn-based strategy, supernatural, and good old-fashioned cowboy style. The sequel, Hard West 2, was able to offer all this and more. When a heist on the infamous "Ghost Train" goes wrong, you and your merry band must forge a trail across the American frontier, battling everything from law enforcement to witches to demons that threaten to consume you.
Even though Hard Ward 2 is a turn-based tactics game, it still manages to keep the combat dynamic and lively, while also offering some satisfying moves and combos that allow you to take out a carload of enemies with one blow. Add in a thrilling adventure that even rivals Red Dead, and you've got a Western that's not only a great sequel, but a decent Western title in its own right.
Desperados III
The Desperados series is known for combining the iconic stealth action of Commandos with a Wild West theme and setting. Mimimi Games did a great job paying homage to Commandos-style tactical strategy in Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, and the studio applied the same formula to the third Desperados game.
Desperados III has everything you could want: stealth action, characters you'll love and care about, and exquisite tension when you need to get the timing right to take out a bunch of enemies without sounding the alarm. This story-driven game is a prequel to the original Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive, and you'll lead Cooper and his gang on a quest for redemption and epic western-style gunfights. Since launch, the game has been supported by a large amount of DLC, so here you will get a lot of useful things.
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger
The Call of Juarez series boasts some of the best westerns out there, but the inclusion of Gunslinger instead of the arguably more popular Bound In Blood might come as a surprise. While the previous games are undeniably excellent, they have aged quite a bit in places, while Call of Juarez: Gunslinger still looks great thanks to the wonderful cel-shaded art style.
Gunslinger also has a great cinematic "cheat death" mechanic that slows down time and zooms in on the bullet that's about to kill you, and if you dodge it you'll get your health back. When near death, the entire world in the game turns black and white except for enemies, allowing you to dodge bullets as if you were Max Payne. The one-on-one "Showdown" duels are also a standout, playing out almost like puzzles: you maneuver your arms and aim while keeping an eye on your opponent, and can even kill them before time runs out if you don't mind being called "dishonorable." There's even a bit of Bulletstorm in here, as you get bonus XP points for killing with style.
However, the real highlight of Gunslinger is its storytelling mechanics. You play as Silas Greaves, who tells his story years later - and sometimes he gets it wrong, or others interfere. Levels are actually shaped by the story being told, so enemies, locations, and even time itself can change right before your eyes. All this makes Call of Juarez: Gunslinger an unpredictable, incredibly enjoyable and unique wild west shooter on PC.
Outlaws
You're probably wondering what this game does on the list of the best wild west games on PC. There are none of the fancy ideas found in modern shooters here. Outlaws is one of the few original LucasArts games that wasn't an adventure game - it's a clean, straightforward, and well-designed FPS in the style of the original Doom and Star Wars: Dark Forces.
LucasArts was one of the few developers of the 90s who put story at the forefront of their games. That means the classic western-style revenge story Outlaws has a chance to shine. You play as retired U.S. Marshal James Anderson, who returns home to find that a gang of violent robbers have kidnapped his daughter and murdered his wife. You'll have to hunt them down through an excellent series of levels that are pure old school FPS action.
By today's standards the game is a bit basic, but if you see it as light-hearted fun with well-designed levels full of secrets, you'll enjoy Outlaws a lot. That being said, the game is surprisingly realistic - a couple of bullets from your basic pistol will kill any enemy (except bosses), and the range of weapons is better judged by accuracy rather than firepower. Special mention goes to the voice acting, which even features John de Lancie (Q from Star Trek) as “Dr. Death,” as well as the incredible orchestral score created by regular Indiana Jones writer Clint Bajakian.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
Much of the Oddworld series centers on a friendly Mudokon named Abe, who escapes and plots revenge against his corporate masters in a series of adventure games. But the most recent and original addition to Oddworld is an alien western—and it's great.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath follows Dunno, a bounty hunter who hunts down criminals for a reward to pay for a life-saving (and mysterious) operation. The gameplay is a strange mixture of third-person action-adventure and FPS. Both options are fun, but the shooter stands out because the Stranger's main weapon is a crossbow that shoots live animals. It's a lot less horrific than it looks, thanks to the muppet-like way it's portrayed. Most importantly, it never ceases to be fun as you set out to find traps made up of living monsters to maul your enemies to death.
All of this is backed up by a wonderful, mind-boggling world that developer Oddworld Inhabitants has clearly put a lot of time and effort into creating. Despite the fact that the game takes place on an alien planet, the Mongo River Valley feels more alive and believable than many locations in games set on Earth. Luckily, Stranger's Wrath received an HD re-release a few years ago, so it still looks great today.
Steamworld Dig 2
The original game SteamWorld Dig was a fun Metroidvania with a steampunk western feel. Sequel SteamWorld Dig 2 took everything from the first game and made it even better, starting with a vastly improved look and feel. She is gorgeous.
You explore this colorful, vibrant world as a robot named Dorothy, who is searching for the first game's protagonist, Rusty. The story is surprisingly deep - as are the holes you dig in search of minerals and crystals - and ties the entire universe together well Steamworld together. The sequel is about twice the size of its predecessor, which means that it will take about eight hours to complete the game, and you will enjoy every moment.
You explore mines, collect resources, solve puzzles, deal with enemies and traps like a normal Indiana Jones. What's most impressive is how all of these components are balanced so that the game flows naturally from one encounter to the next. Although SteamWorld Dig is still worth a look first. SteamWorld Dig 2 removes all the rough edges of its predecessor and polishes the gameplay to a shine. It's rare that a sequel is better than the original. That is why this game is on the list of the best wild west games on PC.
Gun
In 2005, developer Neversoft took a break from the Tony Hawk series to release one of the best Wild West sandbox games, Gun. Its initial appeal was due to its novelty, as it came out when the open-world Western game was a new concept. But Gun is still worth playing today because it has different ideas than Red Dead and its ilk - plus it's still a very fun shooter and a worthy entry into the list of best wild west games on PC.
In addition, Gun undoubtedly has a great story, written by screenwriter Randall Janson, known for the films “The Mask of Zorro” and “The Doors”. It comes with a great soundtrack and an impressive cast including Lance Henriksen, Ron Perlman, Kris Kristofferson, Brad Dourif and Thomas Jane as protagonist Colton White. The fun offered by shooting is enhanced by Neversoft's "QuickDraw" slow-motion aiming mechanism, which is incredibly enjoyable to use.
Although the game is a little short, and unfortunately Gun 2 never came after Activision put Neversoft on the Guitar Hero train, Gun is still a unique cowboy game that hits the spot, offering a glimpse of where it could go genre.
Fallout: New Vegas
We bet you never thought of Fallout: New Vegas as a Wild West game? In the sequel to Fallout 3, you take on the role of a mysterious stranger who seeks his destiny in the Mojave deserts, while facing all sorts of nuclear dangers and classic betrayal. Other than having to fight rodents and robots and Romans, this is about as western as it gets.
It's also arguably the best Fallout game - which isn't too surprising since developer Obsidian is made up of many of the people who originally created the series. The script - from Chris Avellone - is excellent, believable and takes on a twisted form as you wander the wasteland. The game is filled with memorable characters, many of whom have shocking backstories, making them some of the most memorable companions in Bethesda games. After New Vegas, you'll be wondering: Why didn't Fallout 4 and Skyrim allow us to give commands to our companions?
The conflict between the New California Republic and Caesar's Legion brings a dangerous and exciting edge to the world. VATS's robust aiming mechanics give the game a turn-based tactical feel. Get the Wild Wasteland perk and you'll be able to find all sorts of weird secrets, like aliens or the remains of Indiana Jones in the refrigerator - don't forget to grab his hat.
West of Loathing
Wild west games have a habit of taking things way too seriously. Where are the barrels of laughter? To the rescue comes West of Loathing, a comedy game about the Wild West in which all the characters are stick figures.
It's a turn-based combat role-playing game unlike the earlier games in the series. Final Fantasy, but that's not the point of West of Loathing. Instead, the game is about exploring this big, weird world and trying to do everything in it, from riding ghost horses to flushing toilets. It is full of mysteries and spooky events, including supernatural characters such as necromancers, goblins and demonic cows.
It has puzzles, tons of characters to talk to, and jokes that are delivered better than 99% of other video games. The deliberately poor graphics make the game even more attractive and funnier than it already is. It's Westworld meets Strong Bad. It's also the only game on this list to feature Daveyard, a graveyard for people named "Dave."
These were the best Wild West 2023 games you can find on PC. However, gunslingers can be found in games everywhere, such as the protagonist Caleb in Blood, the aptly named Gunslinger, one of DBD's many assassins, Overwatch characters like McCree, not to mention all the sci-fi games set in the wilds of outer space , including BattleTech or pretty much all of Star Wars. The influence of the Western is very strong, because who doesn't want to be a gunslinger?
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