It was a weird year for Gamescom in 2022; with the absence of two of the big three (and Microsoft only making a showing of a few Game Pass hits), the schedule was cleared for smaller publishers to put their best foot forward and show off the goods. The result? A pretty interesting and esoteric show, with a massive focus on horror, and with the spotlight shining bright on studios that may otherwise have been overshadowed by their first-party peers.
Smaller publishers, then, had a killer show. Whether that was Koch with System Shock, Dead Island 2, and Goat Simulator 3, or Krafton with Moonbreaker and The Callisto Protocol, the not-Ubisofts and not-Microsofts of Gamescom made a lasting impact. But amongst them all, there was one publisher that really stood out to me, and you’ll probably be able to guess who that was based on the coverage myself and Alex Donaldson have put out from the show to date. It was Focus Home Interactive.
First up, there’s Evil West: a game which sells you as a Wild West Superhero, armed to the teeth and pissed off about the vampire threat that threatens to shake the frontier lands of a fledgling USA. Part-Bulletstorm, part-Devil May Cry, and part-Clint Eastwood via Tarantino Western B-movie, Evil West has everything I want from my action games in 2022. Explosions, foul mouths, tight and responsive gameplay, and the most ludicrous, over-the-top nonsense you could ask for.
About Author
