There have been plenty of exciting reveals made at this year's X019 so far, and while this game was already leaked earlier on the Microsoft Store, a new twin-stick shooter called West of Dead has now been confirmed at X019 to be available for open beta today on Xbox One. Not only does this game boast a stylish Western setting, but it stars Ron Perlman of Hellboy and Sons of Anarchy fame as protagonist William Mason, a Ghost Rider-esque gunslinger.
It is the player's duty as the undead bounty hunter and guardian of the underworld to make sure spirits make their way into the afterlife while battling any undead outlaws and beasts that get in the way. West of Dead (developed by Upstream Arcade) is set in 1888 in Purgatory, Wyoming, and blends dark fantasy creatures such as Wendigos and witches with classic Western elements. It also features an art style very reminiscent of Mike Mignola's Hellboy comics, which is only further emphasized by Ron Perlman's voice.
The fast-paced gameplay also features plenty of dodging behind and sliding across cover as well as trick shots fitting for the Wild West setting. The game will also feature some rogue-lite elements, such as procedurally generated areas and possibly even permadeath.
This is far from Ron Perlman's first foray into video games. Along with being an accomplished film and television actor, he has an extensive voice-over career, including in video games. Many gamers will recognize his voice as that of the narrator from the Fallout games where he immortalized the phrase "War. War never changes." He also voiced Fleet Admiral Lord Terrence Hood in Halo 2 and Halo 3. Perlman also had roles in lesser known games, such as Jagger Valance in The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and as Batman in Justice League Heroes. He even made in appearance as "Rust" in Payday 2's "Biker Pack" DLC.
West of Dead is just one of many new reveals made during X019, including Bleeding Edge's release date and Obsidian Entertainment's newest IP, Grounded.
The open beta runs until November 25th, with West of Dead's final release date for Xbox One and Xbox Game Pass set for sometime next year. If players can kill a Wendigo before the open beta ends, they'll be rewarded with a trophy they can take into the full game. West of Dead will also be coming to PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC sometime next year.
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