For lots of gamers, "XCOM-style gameplay in a supernatural-infused Wild West" is the sort of thing you either desperately want to play, or most definitely don't. But if you need swinging over to the yes please camp, or even if you're just curious about how something like that would play out, this video of the first 15 minutes of Hard West gameplay might be the medicine.
The middle few minutes of the video drag a bit—prospecting just isn't as exciting as shooting people in the face—but it covers all the important bases, from the Clint Eastwood-meets-Clive Barker story to inventory management, "strategic map gameplay," ability cards, and the turn-based tactical combat. The supernatural elements are present but subtle, although I imagine they'll grow more conspicuous as the game unfolds. And course, it's all terribly grim, which I suppose isn't all that surprising in a game built around a journey along the Oregon Trail. Maybe Cheech will lighten things up a bit a little further on.
Hard West is set to come out on November 18, and is available for pre-purchase now on Steam.
