Undead West: Everything We Know

Roguelite Bullet lell fans are in for a treat. With a release date tentatively set for 2024, developer Deathless Games, in collaboration with Retrovibe, is planning to bring you Undead West. The game gives players a variety of tools at their disposal, including a wide array of weapons, whiskey infusions, and buffs from defeating bosses to conquer each stage of the game. 

But what more do we know about Undead West? Is there a gameplay trailer? What platforms will the game launch on? Tag along as we uncover everything we know about Undead West in the article below. A bullet storm awaits.

What is Undead West?

Undead West is an upcoming western-themed rogue-lite bullet hell game currently in development by Deathless Games in collaboration with Retrovibe. While the tentative release date is set for sometime in 2024, there are quite a number of story and gameplay details we know of already. 

Story

Undead West follows a cowboy who dies in a revolver duel against the infamous Man in Red. He gets another shot at revenge when he’s brought back to life to finish what he started. There’s a catch, though. Each life you take is a new soul you can use to unlock new guns. 

There’s also an interesting whiskey gameplay system where certain mixtures give you an extra boost during combat. Overall, the story will unfold via a noir-tinged pixel art visual aesthetic, which makes the game stand out and gives it a unique, atmospheric style.

The official description of the story via Steam reads:

The cowboy you play has been killed in a revolver duel against the Man in Red. Death agrees to resurrect you so that you may carry out your quest for revenge. But there is a catch. 

Death requests that you pay back your revival debt in souls. Every adversary killed on the road to vengeance grants you a soul that can be used to unlock various new guns, as well as whiskey infusions – a mixture used during combat to give you a short boost.

Gameplay

Undead West features three main gameplay elements: whiskey infusions, weapons, and buffs. The whiskey infusions are concoctions that you can make to give you an extra short boost during battle. Weapons come in a variety, primarily guns like shotguns, rifles, miniguns, revolvers, and even bows. Buffs, on the other hand, must be earned by taking down bosses across seven Western-themed stages.

The game will mainly use a top-down perspective. Players will move around areas crawling with hazards and all kinds of obstacles. They will run into all sorts of enemies, from demons to skeletons. Bullets will fly as players go up against individual bosses in each stage. Thereafter, they will go up against the final big boss, called the “Man in Red.”

To progress through the game, players will need to fight their way through levels. The levels are seven in total and consist of randomized rooms and enemy spawns. They’ll engage in fast-paced action culminating in a bullet storm spectacle. 

Players will need to dodge multiple traps. They will unlock new guns and whiskey infusions, likely more powerful than the last. Players will also unlock colorful outfits that will perhaps lighten up the overall black, red, and white color palette. Additionally, players will earn special buffs and boon rewards the more they progress. Undead West is single-player.

Take a look at the official key features via Steam:

• A wide array of weapons, including various types of revolvers, shotguns, rifles, or even bows and miniguns!
• 7 western themed stages with randomized rooms and enemy spawns
• Unique enemies and bosses to defeat in each stage
• Whiskey infusions, special buffs, and boon rewards
• Unlockable outfits for your character!
• Noir-tinged pixel art visuals

Development

Developer Deathless Games is currently working on Undead West. Thereafter, developer Retrovibe will publish it. The game focuses on the action, bullet-hell, and rogue-lite genres. It’s quite similar to OTXO (pronounced oh-cho), a violent top-down shooter with roguelite elements. So, fans of OXTO will likely love Undead West. Also, Deathless Games has confirmed via a Steam post that “Undead West will have gamepad controller support with twin-stick aiming.”

Trailer

There’s a reveal trailer currently out. It was released on October 1, 2023, at the Realms Deep 2023 digital event. The reveal trailer shows snippets of swarms of bullets flying in perfect harmony. We see snippets of the traps and obstacles you’ll need to dodge and overcome. As well as the variety of skeletal enemies and big bosses you’ll need to face. All culminate in a beautiful synchrony of gunslinging action and demise.

The game’s visual style offers a distinct and atmospheric personality, using noir-tinged pixel art to stand out. It’s interesting because the overall visual style uses a black, white, and red color palette. Yet, there’s a certain charm that, paired with the game’s roguelite and challenging gameplay, will offer a thrilling addition to the gaming sphere.

Release Date, Platform & Editions

Undead West is currently slated for a TBA 2024 release. We don’t have an exact launch date at the moment. However, we presume it’ll be sometime later in the year. The game will be released on PC platforms via Steam. We currently do not know of any editions that will be available to pre-order or buy. You can add Undead West to your wishlist via Steam. This will allow you to get a notification as soon as the game is available to buy.

There’s still quite a lot we don’t know yet about the upcoming game, Undead West, including its exact release date. However, you can follow the official social handle here to keep track of new updates, while we keep an eye out for new information and let you know as soon as it comes up. 

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Undead West when it drops? Let us know over on our socials here.