This Co-Op Western Plays Like Helldivers At 2X Speed

Maybe it's because of how long it takes to make video games these days, but I've been surprised to see so few games going for what Helldivers 2 does so well. Its gameplay loop is extraction-ish in nature, but decidedly different too, as specific objectives keep players more focused than something like Arc Raiders, in which players might hop in just to screw around and see what happens. But one new game that just came out is wearing its inspiration on its sleeve, remolding Helldivers 2's core into a first-person co-op shooter set in a Western world full of color and personality.

Far Far West comes from Evil Raptor, a team I really hope you're already familiar with. If not, you've missed a few bangers. The team's debut, Pumpkin Jack, was an ode to the 3D platformers of yesteryear made even better by its Halloween-inspired characters and setting. The small studio followed that up with Akimbot, a more on-the-nose homage to Ratchet and Clank specifically, and it's well worth playing if you're waiting for more from Insomniac's mascots. Now, Far Far West retains those games' vibrant color palettes, but shifts to first-person for a game that feels like Helldivers and looks like a Saturday-morning cartoon.

In Far Far West, teams of up to four players will choose their destination and mission parameters, drop into an open-world setting, and giddy up. Around the world, hordes of skeletal six-shooters, charging bulls, and vultures flying overhead will take aim just below your cowboy hat. if played solo on normal difficulty, the game packs quite a punch. You'll need to complete a main objective, but you'll always face a boss before you can extract, too, which differs from Helldivers but fits right in anyway. It's definitely made for co-op, as some of the mission objectives can be completed alone, but just barely.