I’ve played my fare share of ARPGs, including all of the Diablo games, Both Path of Exiles, Adventures of Van Helsing, and Last Epoch. You get the idea. And I don’t think I’ve been as excited for one as I am The Dark West. I live in the wild west, and to see it come to life in the game world, makes me a snug as a bed bug. But… Well, nothing is perfect. I just hope developer Black Hand can course correct.

The Dark West is an occult western action RPG set in a dying frontier where greed-driven mining unearthed something ancient beneath the Earth. The result is a land overrun by corruption, dark deities, and twisted horrors. Rather than casting players as heroes, the game puts them in the role of a witness, another survivor trying to make it through it all.

Only the Gunslinger is playable in the demo, but the full game will feature three classes: the Padre, Gunslinger, and Thresher. The trio gives off a good, bad, and ugly vibe, with each class appearing to have its own abilities and progression path. Character development includes skill trees, talents, passive abilities, cards that act as buffs, and of course loot that can significantly alter how a build functions.

Combat focuses on movement, positioning, timing, and resource management. Players can combine firearms, curses, and other abilities with projectile modifiers such as Pierce, and shotguns. Exploration includes bounty contracts, ghost trains, and optional bosses scattered throughout the world.

My first impressions are largely mixed. The demo opens with a well-voiced introduction that quickly establishes the setting and gives players a reason to care about the world. The story setup is intriguing, and the art style does a good job selling the bleak atmosphere. The combination of western themes and supernatural horror feels distinct without trying too hard to stand apart. The game very much feels like Diablo 2. But then the Path of Exile 2 influences start to show, and that’s where it loses me.

Movement took some adjustment and occasionally reminded me of the old Smash TV arcade game however, unlike that arcade game, I don’t like using WASD for movement in an ARPG. Call me weird.

My biggest criticism is the difficulty wall. Not a spike, a full on brick wall. Encounters can feel extremely punishing, even Souls-like at times. Some players will enjoy that challenge, but it’s also the same reason I eventually stopped playing POE2. Spamming the dodge button is not a tactic I enjoy. Especially since some of the abilities require you stand still to use.

Then there were the technical issues, which apparently led to the Demo being taken down for a time, so developers could address player concerns. Despite all that, the game left me interested in seeing more.

Have you tried the The Dark West demo? Shoot your impressions in the comments below.