Folks, I’m here today to give you a quick review of West of Loathing (WoL), the brand-spanking-new single-player Western RPG from Asymmetric Publications. This is the company that is, of course, best known for the epic stick-figure browser MMO Kingdom of Loathing (KoL). Unlike KoL, WoL is single-player, and not an MMO. It is also a game you have to download rather than play in your browser. It’s set in the Wild West around 1890, as opposed to a more traditional fantasy setting. While the game looks the same as KoL, you actually move your character around a 3D world rather than just clicking on rooms and items. The biggest difference is that it costs $11 (currently discounted on Steam by 10%) as opposed to KoL, which is free (with some opportunities to spend money).
All of those differences aside, West of Loathing is an absolute must-play (I really, truly mean that) for any Kingdom of Loathing fan. While you do have to sacrifice the social aspect of the game (which I understand is a big draw for KoL fans), every other aspect of West of Loathing is as good or better than Kingdom of Loathing, and I say that as a longtime KoL player. Read on if “single-player Kingdom of Loathing-inspired Western RPG” wasn’t already enough to get you to open your wallet, as it was for me.
Now, to be clear, since this just came out I haven’t played through the whole game (or anything close to it) yet. That said, I enjoyed the beginning of the game so thoroughly that I feel comfortable unconditionally recommending it. West of Loathing starts by dropping you at your family’s farm (which appears to be in Topeka, Kansas) with the vague goal of getting ready to head West. From the beginning when you say goodbye to your family members, it’s clear that WoL has the same charm and humor as Kingdom of Loathing. There are also a few opportunities for completionists to gain items or XP, which is also keeping in the Kingdom of Loathing spirit.
Boring Springs
When you leave your farm, you hitch a ride and end up in Boring Springs, the starting/tutorial town. Here it becomes even more clear that WoL is basically a transplanted KoL experience, as you are given various errands to complete along with a few side missions. Eventually, you leave Boring Springs (permanently) and head to the much-larger open world that West of Loathing offers. The writing is as funny and self-aware as ever, and maybe even better than Kingdom of Loathing’s writing, since there are probably fewer conversations to write.
Control-wise, West of Loathing pretty much works just like Kingdom of Loathing does. You click around to places you want to go/people you want to interact with, although you can also walk around with the keyboard. You can basically choose to play with a keyboard or a mouse with almost 100% identical functionality, although occasionally you have to click map locations with the mouse. The battle system is almost identical as well, though it is updated and animated.
West of Loathing Setting
The main relevant difference from Kingdom of Loathing is that West of Loathing is based in the late 1800s in the Wild West. This is the selling point here, as it is a truly original experience compared to KoL. Even the most experienced Kingdom of Loathing veteran will feel like they’re stepping into this type of game for the first time. West of Loathing is familiar enough to Kingdom of Loathing to pique your interest, but different enough to really draw you in. The main stats are still Muscle, Mysticality, and Moxie, and the travel system works the same way, so Kingdom of Loathing fans won’t even really need a West of Loathing tutorial.
A Great Deal
At the end of the day, though, KoL fans owe it to themselves to play West of Loathing as soon as possible. As far as I can tell, based on the size of the map, there is enough content in there to more than justify the $11 price tag. This should be no surprise to Kingdom of Loathing fans, since that game was packed with content as well. In fact, for people like me (who have played Kingdom of Loathing for a long time but never bought any Mr. Accessories), West of Loathing is perfect. This is because it’s a way to give back to the KoL developers and get some great story, exploring, and battling in the process. For the real hardcore players, there’s even a permanent hardcore mode you can toggle on if you really want to “Westworld” it up out there.
If you’re a fan of Kingdom of Loathing, have a Steam account, and have $11 burning a hole in your digital pocket, West of Loathing is a must-buy. The developers clearly took care to bring what people love about Kingdom of Loathing into the world of West of Loathing without sacrificing anything in the process. It’s also a new, improved way to experience the Loathing universe, so it’s even more than a spiritual expansion pack. If you’re not a Kingdom of Loathing fan, but are a fan of point-and-click RPGs with endless amounts of originality and customization, you should also give West of Loathing a try.
I remember when South Park: The Stick of Truth came out, my first thought was that it looked cool, but I would only want it for about $10. Well, West of Loathing is only about $10, and I feel confident that any RPG fan who can get over the stick figure graphics will find it’s well worth the price of admission. West of Loathing is available from Steam for $11 on Windows, Mac, or Linux.
Update: West of Loathing has received its first patch already. Read about it here, if you so please.
