Cursed West

I went into Cursed West expecting almost nothing, and walked out with a genuine appreciation for what a tiny solo developer was trying to pull off. This is a 2.5D action-platformer and arcade shooter built around old-school Western aesthetics, the kind of thing that feels spiritually descended from cabinet classics like Sunset Riders - run forward, shoot everything, do not stop moving. The community has even noted that resemblance directly, and it is not an unfair one. The structure alternates between traditional flat 2D side-scrolling levels and 3D stages that shift the camera perspective entirely. That perspective switch is the most interesting creative choice here. It keeps the experience from feeling monotonous, even if the execution on the 3D sections is rougher than the 2D ones. The difficulty leans punishing in a way that feels intentional rather than accidental - this is not a game that pads its runtime with checkpoints and hand-holding. If that framing appeals to you, it will click. If you need modern conveniences baked in, it will frustrate you early. The visual presentation is modest but functional. Environments carry a dusty frontier mood, and the 2.5D design choice gives GoeX GameS room to blend sprite-based charm with slightly more spatial depth. The game runs at 1280x720, and you should not go in expecting anything beyond that. Gamepad support is present, though the implementation requires you to already be inside the game before a controller is recognized, which is a small but telling sign of the rough-around-the-edges quality this title carries throughout. Seven Steam Achievements give completionists a light checklist to chase, nothing more. For a first commercial release from a small developer, Cursed West earns its Mostly Positive standing on Steam - around 71 to 72 percent of reviewers approved, which for a low-budget genre experiment is a meaningful signal. The ceiling is low, and longtime action-platformer veterans will see the seams quickly. But there is something honest about the whole package. It does not pretend to be more than it is. The developer even posted in the community hub noting the game is finished but open to player feedback on mechanics, stages, and difficulty, which reads as genuine engagement rather than corporate PR.

Kai · Scout Team

Indie & narrative

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